Goex sold.

[Drydock]

Hodgdons website says Goex was sold last year.  Still waiting to see who bought it.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Odd.

Slim

[Coffinmaker]

Heck.  Remember "Last Year" wasn't really that long ago.

Play Safe Out There

[Dave T]

I just hope and pray it wasn't sold to some Chinese government owned company with some corporate cover name.

Sorry for being negative.  Maybe I should have some more coffee and take my meds.  (smile)

Dave

[Drydock]

Confirmed, plant and intellectual properties sold to Estes rockets of Colorado.

[Dave T]

Estes Rockets builds model rocket engines and parts for the rockets themselves.  From what I read it is a family owned business "again". Since as far as I know model rockets are not propelled by black powder, one wonders if one or more of the family members is a muzzle loader or black powder cartridge shooter.  We can only hope.

Keeping my fingers crossed,
Dave

[Drydock]

Most model rockets are indeed powered by a remixed form of Black Powder, usually wet mixed with a retardant such as powdered aluminum, and Goex has supplied much of the base powder for it.  They (Estes) ought to be well versed in the processes of grinding and mixing powder.

I would venture to say that powder for rocketry is probably a larger market than firearms powder in this country, probably behind only government consumption.  This would include fireworks rockets.

[Drydock]

An Estes SDS : https://estesrockets.com/wp-content/uploads/SDS/Estes_Model_Rocket_Engines_Motors_Less_30.pdf

[Dave T]

Most model rockets are indeed powered by a remixed form of Black Powder, usually wet mixed with a retardant such as powdered aluminum, and Goex has supplied much of the base powder for it.  They (Estes) ought to be well versed in the processes of grinding and mixing powder.

I would venture to say that powder for rocketry is probably a larger market than firearms powder in this country, probably behind only government consumption.  This would include fireworks rockets.

Well hush my mouth!  The things an old phart can learn if he just shuts up and listens/reads.  LOL

Dave

[Professor Marvel]

Hooray !

Estees has a pretty good reputation. Smart move on their part.
Now Estes can take over the lucrative Govt contracts for BP....

prf mumbles

[Cliff Fendley]

Hooray !

Estees has a pretty good reputation. Smart move on their part.
Now Estes can take over the lucrative Govt contracts for BP....

prf mumbles

I've wondered about Govt contracts for BP. Is it really still lucrative? With the retirement of the Iowa class battleships is there a large demand for the military? It was my understanding those big cannons on those ships had already been decommissioned long before the ships themselves were and have even heard rumor that the government had left over stash of BP in quantities to last the next hundred or more years with current rate of use. Can someone with more intel elaborate on this subject?

[Drydock]

All artillery and cannon greater than 25mm use a BP igniter charge.  This includes tank rounds.   Many rockets an missles also use BP for ignition and unit separations.  It's a LOT of powder, and it is required by federal statute that a domestic supplier must be used if available.

FYI,  the Iowa 16"/50 used 6 110 lb bags of smokeless powder. Each bag had a 1 lb BP igniter charge sewn on one end.

[Drydock]

The Missouri conducted a gunnery exersize a month prior to decomm.  The powder was broken down for remix some 10 years ago.

[Cliff Fendley]

All artillery and cannon greater than 25mm use a BP igniter charge.  This includes tank rounds.   Many rockets an missles also use BP for ignition and unit separations.  It's a LOT of powder, and it is required by federal statute that a domestic supplier must be used if available.

FYI,  the Iowa 16"/50 used 6 110 lb bags of smokeless powder. Each bag had a 1 lb BP igniter charge sewn on one end.

I guess that right there was my point I was trying to make, the amount of BP used in modern military munitions is actually not really all that much in the grand scheme of things. Even when the Iowa class cannons were shot that was only 6 pounds of BP. Yeah that could add up in wartime but overall I'm not sure the military use is enough to justify the expense of operating a powder facility counting on that to be their big sale to keep the books in the black. Hopefully it is but I really doubt it since the overall sales wasn't enough to meet Hodgdons expectations and profit margins. In one video interview I watched with a Hodgdon rep, if you read between the lines of his comments he so much as flat out said it made some money but not enough.

I can't even begin to imagine what it cost to keep the doors open on a facility like that, the insurance alone much be astronomical. I sure wish them well and sure do hope they plan to make sporting powders.

[Coffinmaker]

  Well Shucks 

I have no material input for the lucratively of "government" contracts for Black Powder.  My only concern is that there remains a domestic source for propellant and activators for some really spectacular FIRE WORKS, as displayed at Walt Disney World.  I real requirement for a successful Mouse Safari you betcha.

Play Safe Out There

[Marshal Halloway]

It's confirmed:
https://www.cascity.com/estes-energetics-to-extend-the-goex-black-powder-production-legacy/29829/

[Silver Creek Slim]

It's confirmed:
https://www.cascity.com/estes-energetics-to-extend-the-goex-black-powder-production-legacy/29829/

Thank you, sir.

Slim