Huolongjing
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The Huolongjing, also known as Huoqitu, is a Chinese military treatise compiled and edited by Jiao Yu and Liu Bowen of the early Ming dynasty during the 14th century. The Huolongjing is primarily base
The 'divine fire flying crow' (shen huo fei ya), an aerodynamic winged rocket bomb from the Huolongjing
Hand cannon, Ming dynasty, 1377
A 'fire dragon rising out of the water' (huo long chu shui) multistage rocket from the Huolongjing.
The 'phalanx-charging fire-gourd' (chong zhen huo hu lu), one of many hand cannon types discharging lead pellets in the gunpowder blast, an illustration from the Huolongjing.
Gunpowder
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Gunpowder, commonly referred to as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium ni
Huolongjing
…of Divine Fire Dragon Engines), which no longer exists. The Huolongjing's intended function was to serve as a guide to "fire weapons" involving gunpowder during the 1280s to 1350s. Its predecessor, the Huolong Shenqi Tufa (Fire-Drake Illustrated Technology of Magically (Efficacious) Weapons), has since…
Gunpowder for muzzleloading firearms in granulation size
American Civil War re-enactors volley firing with black powder
Flash pan starter dispenser
Earliest known written formula for gunpowder, from the Wujing Zongyao of 1044 AD.