Gunpowder Granulation Process

Timeline

1. c. 1501–1505Venetian Arsenal · VeniceIn the early 16th century, Venetian and German gun foundries commonly moistened black powder with wine or vinegar, then pressed, dried, and screened it into controllable grain sizes to match the charge needs of different calibers, greatly reducing powder segregation during transport and the risk of accidental ignition.
2. c. 1506–1510Eurasian gunpowder trade and military networks · Mediterranean–Indian OceanIn the 1500s, granulated powder became the standard charge form in Ottoman Dardanelles fortresses, Ming dynasty Nine Frontier garrisons, and Western European port arsenals; ordnance bureaus and gun founders graded grain sizes for mortars, cannons, and matchlocks, driving the coordinated evolution of global firearms tactics.