22 blanks from the hardware store

[bcp280z]

I attempted one day to turn one into a gun for fun/ the helluva it at the shop one day at work.

Took some vise grips on the barrel since it was the kinda needed to be pressed down to activate, shove nails or bbs in the front. accuracy was dismal but was funt at the time.

Have thought about taking one a part to modify to accept subsonic/low power 22's

never got around to it.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Reason I ask is that I have a broken nail gun. It will still operate, but the rod is gone. I rescued it from the trash bin at work.

I also have an old .22 barrel I've been eyeballing for a home made Title I. Due to it's length, I could cut it and have enough barrel for two title I firearms, rifle and pistol.

If I could fix about 4" of old cut off rifled barrel to the breach face of the old busted nail gun, I'd have a single shot .22 pistol I could tweak into a Mad Max target pistol to go along with the .22 Mad Max rifle I'm building.

 

[bcp280z]

Sounds cool, let us know how the project goes, pics n all

 

[double bogey]

A kid I worked wth many years ago shot himself with one. It got dirty, he had a nail in it and couldn't get the blank holder to chamber, so he whacked it with a pair of pliers. even with the open breach, the nail penetrated his thigh, and went out of sight in his calf. Luckily no bones were hit. I think it was a ramset brand. Happened about 1985. Also i remember quite a bit of recoil (way more than .22 bullets in a firearm). So I vote for more powerful than a .22 blank, still don't think you would have a problem with an open bore and no projectile.

 

[USAF_Vet]

the nail penetrated his thigh, and went out of sight in his calf.

Ouch, sounds nasty.
The one I'm using is a Ramset, project to start this weekend. Will supply pics as things progress.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Ramset blanks come in several flavors -- for working in the barn, nailing boards to a concrete floor, I use the Yellow blanks. In my Hammond Game Getter, I use Brown, the weakest version.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I used to have my own construction-building renovation business. I have two of those Remington Nail Guns with the orange plastic handle that you load one nail (with like a blue, finned rubber gasket at the top, just below the head) and you put in a yellow charge, set it firmly against a board to nail it to concrete - whack it good on the head with a hammer and every time, with mine, the nail would barely go into the concrete!

Then, I used it so much, I bought another one, so now I have two. Every time I used them (over 15 years ago, now) - the charge brass case would either get stuck and I would have to drive a sheetrock screw into the base to pull the charge brass out, or the charge brass case would lose its bottom, which would really be a hassle, getting that piece of cylinder-shaped brass out of the chamber!

I think the reason mine act up so much is they are more than likely worn out. I should visit the web site and see if there were any recalls on these things, you never know, they just might send me a couple of new ones!

Hey, I could make a double-barrel!
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21asvg2LmGL._AA280_.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21asvg2LmGL._AA280_.jpg

 

[USAF_Vet]

I have green and yellow cartidges. Without the rod, the blank will dent the crud out of a pop can with just the blast force. I'm still trying to figure out how best to mount the barrel and lock the breath face back against the firing pin guide.

 

[danprkr]

I wouldn't. First they are more powerful that standard 22 and therefor probably unsafe at least to the firearm and possibly to the shooter. And, 2nd get the right tool for the job. If you need blanks for you 22 just go buy some that you know wont hurt your gun or you.

 

[double bogey]

Sorry, i've been out of pocket. The reason I felt the blanks were more powerful: Several years ago while demonstrating fast draw with a ruger single six (3 screw, unmodified) my father in law let the hammer loose while holstering. The bullet penetrated his calf, and lodged a few inches in. went to the hospital, they removed it, he healed just fine. Now when my coworkershot his self with a nail, much heavier than a .22, penetrated thigh completely and into calf. Thank goodness my FIL wasn't using his identical single six in .357. His calf would have been in pretty bad shape.

 

[goste]

I have one at work, like the pic. posted by Friendly don't fire. With the yellow tip ammo. mine will bury a 3" nail in concrete, I sure wouldn't fire it in a firearm...

 

[USAF_Vet]

after some early tests, the nail gun blanks won't fire in my .22, so no harm there. Also, .22LR cartridges are slightly too large to fit into the chamber of the nail gun. So, project is likely going to be scrapped, as I'm losing interest fast.

On a more positive note, apparently Ramset will repair the nail gun for a nominal fee. Much less than what a new one would cost.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Here's a test: would a .22 rimfire starter pistol blank (as sold in gun shops) work in a nail gun to drive a nail?

Second: is there any fine print on the box of nail gun actuator "blanks" related to use in firearms?

Thirdly, if used as blanks, the explosive force would be dispersed in the air without confinement so the power disparity would be less of an issue in a real gun, except some .22 starter pistols (especially the ones I recall form the 1960s) were really flimsy similar to the infamous RG10 revolver.

My concern is that the nail gun blanks could be hotter (erosive) and possibly more corrosive and damage a rifled barrel.

The most positive gun priming compounds are corrosive and I suspect there is no reason to use more expensive noncorrosive igniter/propellant in a nail gun where the goal would be economy of use in a smoothbore barrel.

 

[CZguy]

My concern is that the nail gun blanks could be hotter (erosive) and possibly more corrosive and damage a rifled barrel.

The most positive gun priming compounds are corrosive and I suspect there is no reason to use more expensive noncorrosive igniter/propellant in a nail gun where the goal would be economy of use in a smoothbore barrel.

That's an interesting thought. I've never cleaned my nail gun....I guess I'll have to look at it sometime.