My "should have died" explosive of choice was methyl nitrate. Relative easy to make but man you have to watch the temp very closely.
I forgot what it was called but it used nitric acid (I believe) as a primary ingredient (perhaps that is your methyl nitrate). When it dried it was highly pressure sensitive. You could put drops of it on the ground and when people walked on it it went pop, pop, or throw dried pieces of it and it would go bang...