blank loads
- Thread starter bigboat
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LightningMan
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- Apr 1, 2008
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What ever you do make sure you use something that will completely combust apon firing. I think you need to open up the flash holes (make them larger) to keep the primers from backing out and locking up the cylinder. After you have primed your cases and loaded the Black powder, you need to compress it and put something on top of the powder that will combust with the powder. I would think you could use cigerette papers like Zig-Zag but others with more expearince in loading blanks will share their ideas here. Good Luck, be careful, & take care. LM
The re-enactors use florists stuff, that green crunchy stuff that packs down but blows apart when fired. The caps will stay on the nipples after firing as there is not much back pressure. If you go to the re-enactors web sites I believe there will be rules for blanks for the pistols and how to load them. I have used pieces of cork floor tile as over powder wads and they work fine but don't blow apart like the florists green stuff they poke flower stems into.
Pancho
Member
"Safe" blank loads
Just a reminder that there is no such thing as a "Safe" blank load.
I loaded a 51 Navy with bp and Zig Zag papers and was able to punch holes in cardboard at 6 feet.
Just a reminder that there is no such thing as a "Safe" blank load.
I loaded a 51 Navy with bp and Zig Zag papers and was able to punch holes in cardboard at 6 feet.
Flintlock Blank Loads
I am working on a performance modeled after the old west style gun fights I'd seen at amusement parks like Six Flags. My performance will be with pirates rather than cowboys so I would like to used flintlocks. I assume I can use the same principles from the above replies for a flintlock pistol. Does anyone here have experience to share about using flintlock pistols in a mock gunfight performance as compared to percussion cap pistols? Will the powder in the pan be more easily lost when the performers are moving around prior to firing? Thanks for your help.
I am working on a performance modeled after the old west style gun fights I'd seen at amusement parks like Six Flags. My performance will be with pirates rather than cowboys so I would like to used flintlocks. I assume I can use the same principles from the above replies for a flintlock pistol. Does anyone here have experience to share about using flintlock pistols in a mock gunfight performance as compared to percussion cap pistols? Will the powder in the pan be more easily lost when the performers are moving around prior to firing? Thanks for your help.
Coyote Hunter
Member
This meets our re-enactors insurance requirments for Western gunfights..
1858 Army C&B - 30 grains BP with over lay or cream of wheat or florist foam, compress with your ram rod and your OK to go.
It also wooks great in the summertime for shooting Wood Boring bees if your out on the farm.
1858 Army C&B - 30 grains BP with over lay or cream of wheat or florist foam, compress with your ram rod and your OK to go.
It also wooks great in the summertime for shooting Wood Boring bees if your out on the farm.
If the frizzen fits...wear it? No, seriously, you shouldn't lose powder if the frizzen is closed and fits the pan. What may happen is the powder will be displaced from the optimum position in the pan - it may even have migrated into the touch hole. Each of the shooters should learn to quickly roll the gun towards the lock side and tap it to move whatever powder is loose away from the touch hole before firing.
Macmac
Member
I do French and Indian War re-enacting, and We don't point directly at anyone ever! In long guns (muskets mostly) we use about 100 grains of FFg in a paper catridge. The first load is torn open, and the loose powder poured, with the paper (newspaper) rammed to hold the load.
During a battle no more ram rods are used and so the 2nd and so on loads are torn and poured, but no paper or ram rods are used ever again after that first loading.
Some re-enactors thump the butt stock to settle a charge, and many prime the pan from the same torn paper first.
Some swat the gun to level the prime in the pan as the weapon is shouldered.
In case there is a camera shot close up to someone designated to shoot at the camera USE Lexan, or prepare to be sued by the camera man who will be seriously hurt.
Blanks are not safe!
No weapons should be fired closer than 50 yards away from any opponents.. If so be prepared to be sued..
No rammers allowed after the first loading, and there should be the equivlent of a Range Officer to check. He should also check the locks. At 1/2 cock the gun should support it's own weight, by hanging it from his finger and he should jounce the weapon as well.
All guns should be in good working order. No guns should be loaded before passing these tests..
All events I know if require a frizzen stall, which is a leather pocket on a thong, that lives on a frizzen any time the gun isn't in direct use, ie: marching whether or not the guns are charged and whether or not the frizzen is open.
We are also required to use a pan shield, or a guard, which insures nothing, but may tend to dorect the vent blast up, down or to anything but the side directly, but that doesn't mean the guard will really preform what it is intended to.
During a battle no more ram rods are used and so the 2nd and so on loads are torn and poured, but no paper or ram rods are used ever again after that first loading.
Some re-enactors thump the butt stock to settle a charge, and many prime the pan from the same torn paper first.
Some swat the gun to level the prime in the pan as the weapon is shouldered.
In case there is a camera shot close up to someone designated to shoot at the camera USE Lexan, or prepare to be sued by the camera man who will be seriously hurt.
Blanks are not safe!
No weapons should be fired closer than 50 yards away from any opponents.. If so be prepared to be sued..
No rammers allowed after the first loading, and there should be the equivlent of a Range Officer to check. He should also check the locks. At 1/2 cock the gun should support it's own weight, by hanging it from his finger and he should jounce the weapon as well.
All guns should be in good working order. No guns should be loaded before passing these tests..
All events I know if require a frizzen stall, which is a leather pocket on a thong, that lives on a frizzen any time the gun isn't in direct use, ie: marching whether or not the guns are charged and whether or not the frizzen is open.
We are also required to use a pan shield, or a guard, which insures nothing, but may tend to dorect the vent blast up, down or to anything but the side directly, but that doesn't mean the guard will really preform what it is intended to.
scrat
Member
Most of the CAS shooting on Riding is done shooting 45colt blanks at balloons. The top of the casese are cut all aroung. the 45 is sized primed cut loaded with i believe 30 grains of bp. Cream of wheat on top then the whole round is crimped shut on the cuts. forming a small pointed cone of the brass. Of course its a one time shot as the brass is tossed.
Loyalist Dave
Member
There is a huge difference with the use of reenactment rounds vs. "stage" rounds. On stage you tend to be much closer so you must aim away from the opposite guy, and away from the crowd as well. With that in mind, you would need to reduce your charge, AND think about using flash paper from the local magic supply store. When you compress 3Fg (don't use chunkier powder btw), you get more of a pop, so I'd only use say 40 grains instead of the standard 100 grain, non-wadded, reenactment load for a musket or blunderbuss (15 gr for a pistol under .58 cal, 30 gr for 62+ caliber pistols, and just a small bit of flash paper to hold the charge.
Flash paper is nitrated paper, and burns very quick. Don't use the thick stuff called "pro-glow" as it will simply toss a flaming wad into the audience or around the performance area.
There is no "safe" blank is correct. Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was killed by a "blank" round, as was John Eric Hexum who ya might remember from the old TV series Yoyagers.
LD
Flash paper is nitrated paper, and burns very quick. Don't use the thick stuff called "pro-glow" as it will simply toss a flaming wad into the audience or around the performance area.
There is no "safe" blank is correct. Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was killed by a "blank" round, as was John Eric Hexum who ya might remember from the old TV series Yoyagers.
LD
WilliamFeldmann
Member
Why couldn't that blank load be reused, SCRAT. If it is just crimped around the cuts, shouldn't be able to be just recrimped.
Anyway, why couldn't you do similar to a brass shotgun shell and just wax a card over the powder.
For black powder blanks, I have put powder, cornmeal if I desire a lower load, then a wonderwad or felt wad over the powder and bore butter/lube over that. The felt and lube stop chain fire, and the lube keeps cleaning easy. I have found the felt disks about 15-20 feet out, so you still need to be careful.
Anyway, why couldn't you do similar to a brass shotgun shell and just wax a card over the powder.
For black powder blanks, I have put powder, cornmeal if I desire a lower load, then a wonderwad or felt wad over the powder and bore butter/lube over that. The felt and lube stop chain fire, and the lube keeps cleaning easy. I have found the felt disks about 15-20 feet out, so you still need to be careful.
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