"Blank" loads for cartridges and cap-n-ball revolvers

[ClemBert]

I thought I'd create another thread about making blank loads for revolvers. I've read a few threads where some folks use florist foam on top of the powder while others might put cream-of-wheat or even aluminum foil on top. I'm even interested in hearing from those who have made cartridge blanks for their revolvers. Here are some of the questions I ponder:

1. Doesn't florist foam present a danger as a projectile? Does it melt or create goo?
2. Does compressed cream-of-wheat stay intact on its own under recoil conditions? I wonder how far cream-of-wheat is spewed forward under light loads.
3. I take it that with aluminum foil you'd be talking about a thin layer on top of the BP as a balled up piece would become a projectile.
4. I would think that one could create his own 45 Colt blanks by using the methods above.

I had read somewhere that using aluminum foil gives a pretty pyro-technics effect when fired on top of black powder. I'm not sure what the process is to make that happen. I can tell you that last 4th of July I did load up the ROA with aluminum foil on top but didn't get any visual effect beyond the normal flash of the BP. So I wonder how you'd get all the sparkly visual effects that someone had previously mentioned.

What do you fellas do for blank to fire from your revolvers? Anything you've done for special effects?

Discuss....

 

[makos_goods]

Clembert,
I have a friend who worked at a steak house that had an "Old West" theme while putting himself through college. He used to do "shoot out skits" as part of his duties (including buss boy). They used some reproduction Navy models because they were cheap and easy to make blanks for. He told me they used Vaseline over some cream of wheat on top of the powder and nothing else to make sure there wasn't anything that could hit anyone including the patrons. I asked how long in advance they could load it since it had vaseline on the cream of wheat. He told me he had loaded one an one day and shot it two nights later.

He also told me that some of the guys had skipped the cream of wheat on occasion and they still went "bang." He said he hadn't ever tried it. I know you can get petroleum product contamination to the BP and the charge will still go bang, it's the caps or primers that are "killed" by the "oils."

We were discussing it one day after a match because there is a local reenactors group who was opening up their shoot outs to new members. They require either Five-In-One blanks as used in the movies or floral foam. I have tried floral foam with bore butter on top and it doesn't foul anymore than a regular load for a cylinder full.

~Mako

 

[Busyhands94]

for blackpowder blanks you should put some newspaper on top and then a layer of thick grease.

 

[makos_goods]

for blackpowder blanks you should put some newspaper on top and then a layer of thick grease.

Busyhands94,
That will work, but you'll get a cool flaming wad of newspaper coming out the muzzle. We talked about that as well as tissue paper. My pard told us that they used cream of wheat because it was already very fine, didn't fly far and even though scorched didn't seem to catch on fire.

The reenactment group rules specifically ruled out wads, cloth patches, paper or "wax bullets."

I must confess I was a member of a posse that "set our range on fire" in the summer of 2007. It was heavily wooded and we were heavy in Frontier Cartridge and Frontiersman shooters (Black Powder for you non-CAS readers). I exaggerate a little because we quickly put it out after we noticed a small fire about 10 yards to the side of the last shotgun target.

I also have used lubed felt wads behind rifle bullets and they go spiraling downrange smoking like a "smoke tracer" round. They are fun to watch, but it makes you realize that they have velocity and could stick on something. Anything that has any structural integrity including compressed newspaper will be a projectile. It's just that cream of wheat is sort of like a pre-fragmented projectile and when the individual grains hit the air they slow down very quickly because of their low mass.

I forgot to mention they didn't compress the powder or cream of wheat, the vaseline was just to keep it from dribbling out the the front. The vaseline flashes over and burns with the powder.

Regards,
Mako

 

[Busyhands94]

what about cork? maybe perforate it with tiny holes so it is not such a solid hunk of material. it may sound strange but i had read about a fellow using cow dung as filler for BP. you might be able to use that with a little bit of Vaseline or lard on top.