powders or other oxygen sources in certain cases such guanidine nitrate containing pyrotechnic smoke charges of the invention can if desired also contain such customary agents in small amounts the only essential is the presence of sufficient guanidine nitrate for the stated purpose the smoke charge of the invention can thus consist of either only a suitable chlorohydrocarbon metal powder and guanidine nitrate or only red phosphorus and guanidine nitrate in the proper proportions for the desired purpose in either case all other additives of technical relevance are not absolutely required and are possibilities of minor significance with regard to amount or effect a preferred form or embodiment of a pyrotechnic smoke charge of the invention is based on a a chlorohydrocarbon and a metal powder and contains guanidine nitrate as reaction accelerator as metal powder there can be used zinc powder aluminium powder titanium powder or silicon powder with zinc powder being especially preferred the use of the other just mentioned metal powders generally results in such high heat of reaction that the guanidine nitrate serving as neutralizing agent is destroyed without formation of the ammonia necessary for the neutralization therefore in utilizing such metal powders one must establish the reaction temperature required for the neutralization reaction by the addition of suitable agents and for this the best suited is zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as chlorohydrocarbons there may be utilized here in principle all the customary.