European Gunpowder Formulas and Their Spread

Timeline

1. c. 1336–1400Cities of the Holy Roman Empire · Holy Roman EmpireAfter gunpowder reached Europe via Mongol-Arab channels, gunners experimented with dry-mixing saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal; common ratios were 2:1:1 or 4:1:1, with sulfur content generally higher than later standards, giving unstable explosive performance but already used in early artillery.
2. c. 1420–1445Bavaria · BavariaThe Feuerwerkbuch tradition took shape in Germany, systematically recording raw-material processing, formula ratios, gunpowder storage, and artillery operation, marking the shift of gunner knowledge from oral to written transmission; texts stabilized around the 1440s.
3. 1440–1500Gunners' workshops in Central Europe · GermanyGunners widely adopted wet grinding: mixing ingredients with vinegar, wine, or water, then drying and crushing into granulated powder that burned more evenly and with greater force; saltpeter proportions in formulas gradually rose, laying the technical foundation for the 16th-century artillery revolution.
4. 1529–1650Europe · EuropeThe Feuerwerkbuch went to press in 1529, but its content was already outdated; thereafter European arsenals gradually established unified testing and compounding systems, and gunpowder formulas evolved toward the modern 75:10:15 ratio, becoming a precursor of the modern military chemical industry.