Making blanks

[JJB22]

Hope this is the proper place for this--here goes.

I was asked to shoot a few blanks for the local 4th of July celebration tomorrow. I don't know what exactly they are looking for besides safe and smokey.

I offered if I could do it safely and if I found some info on this. I don't know if they want a pistol shot or two (I have a 58 rem repro revolver and a 1803 Harper's ferry pistol)or a shot from my rifle. 45 cal 42 inch flinter, Penn style. What do you folks think about this. I will be shooting straight up in the air not to risk injury.



I want 100 percent safe load if there is such a thing. Thanks guys and Happy Birthday America!!!!

 

[mazo kid]

Do you have an area where you could shoot off a couple of charges to test them? I would think 50-60 grains of powder with maybe a card wad or two on top would work nicely. You need something on top of the powder to give it that little extra BOOM!

 

[jtmattison]

50-60 grains sounds good. Make paper cartridges. Just tear off the end, pour the powder in and stuff the paper down on top. It will make good smoke and confetti. Just watch out for burning cenfetti.

HD

 

[JJB22]

Yea I can step outside and try a few shots. I have some 44-45 wads I use for the 1858 revolver. I will try the paper cartridge too and see if there is no fire from the paper. Thanks all.

 

[gbsclohn]

We had good luck with a moistened wad of Kleenex.
Kinda like a high powered spitwad.
Didn't ever catch fire but you could see bits of paper in the smoke

 

[Zonie]

Shooting paper could very easily start a fire as it is going to be blown all over the place.

If you have a card or felt wad use that and under no circumstances aim the guns at anyone closer than 50 yards.

In order to get the full effect wait until after sundown. Black Powder makes a really neat flash.

Have fun!

 

[pichou]

No paper down the bore if it is dry grass or you are shooting over a crowd. Another common safety rule is no ramrod if you are shooting over a crowd.

60 gr. in a .45 cal will make a nice boom without wadding.

Happy 4th!

 

[hanshi]

Reminds me of when I was back in college in the 60s. I played upright bass in a folk group and we gave concerts all over. One such concert was at the Southeastern Forestry Conclave one year. I was back stage and during one of the more "interesting" songs I was to suddenly come out on stage and fire my muzzleloader (we were inside a concert hall). At the appropriate cue I emerged and fired upward over the crowd. The effect was marvelous, to say the least. I remember using 60 grains 3f in my .45. If I used a wad at all it would have been loose toilet paper. the boom was sooooo satisfying.

 

[musketman]

You can make pre-measured powder charges in paper, tear the paper and pour the charge down the barrel and then stow the paper in your shooting bag or pocket, not down your barrel.

Also remember to keep your barrel somewhat elevated to prevent the powder charge from spilling out the end of the bore.

Notice they didn't ask the inline shooters to march in the parade, have fun making noise. :thumbsup: :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

We tried the paper cartridge and standard target loads on our first parade. Lots of confetti, and an occasional ember falling into the crowds that lined the street. The next year, we got rid of the paper, but found we need to double the powder charge to get a loud enough BANG, and a long enough flame for people to see( and enjoy) in daylight. Went through a lot of powder with those loads. But, we cleaned a lot of trees free of cicadas, and mosquitos, and no one was complaining except the anti-gun hippies, who didn't like anything about us anyway. We got standing ovations along the parade route from the audience, and comments from people who were so happy to see us help take the 4th of July parade back from the hippies, and fruits, and other folks who decided to destroy the traditional 4th of July parade by driving off the military units, the bands, and any patriotic organization that dared carry a flag. We have a covered wagon we pull along the route with a pick up truck, lots of flags, a flat wagon with awning on it, and lots of bunting with chairs for "wavers" to sit on and ride in the parade. We have a few members who dress in buckskins and shoot off their rifles to thrill the crowd. The crowds are never disrepectful to the Gay Pride folk, or the Free Nicaraguans, Or Indict Bush, folk, while we get a few hecklers ever year at the same places. They don't get the ovations and cheer that we do, and that has proven a HUGE shock to the media, and to most of the people who live in this University Community, where the press makes you think that the entire cities are as wacko as these few people are. We absolutely refuse to take their bait, and say something nasty back at them when they heckle us, and over the years, we have actually earned their respect.

So, go out and make as much smoke noise, and flame as you can. People will love it- even those it scares. Happy 4th of July to you. :hatsoff:

 

[zimmerstutzen]

The best boom is created when the wad approaches or exceeds the speed of sound, which isn't that hard when light weight wads are used.

In my cannons, I use wads of fiber or homosote, or thick leather. But even they can be dangerous.
if they were to hit someone.

In a revolver, it may take a stack of 3 or 4 wads. Or two wads with a bit of wet newspaper sandwiched between.

A few years ago, I lucked on to a peculiar paper punch that punches out .46 diameter discs of thin cardboard or paper. I have used them to load blanks for my 45-70

 

[JJB22]

Thanks for all of the input. I found out that they want the flintlock era thing so I will leave the revolver at the house. I will try some of these suggestions in the morning. Don't call the law because I am out there in the a.m. :grin:

 

[renovato]

I used to just fire a charge of powder from my muzzleloader pistol with no wad on top. It was pretty loud and made a bright flash. If you have wads, try them, but it'll be plenty loud without them. I was also firing straight up, so the powder sat fully in the breech.

 

[J.D.]

I have fired quite a few blanks, and no wad is needed. Remember than what goes up, comes back down. If you need a wad to keep powder in the bore, use a single layer of tissue paper.

The folks who participate in tacticals use a single layer of tissue paper in large bore rifles and muskets while running through the woods, so to speak, with little loss of powder. So that is all that is needed, if that.

God bless and good luck.

 

[mazo kid]

Here is a picture of one of my most memorable blank volleys, sending off the ashes of a dear departed brother. The one other memorable volley was in honor of the same brother, fired in back of the Church with the OK of the local Police Dept. That one was one....SINGLE....BOOM...the best volley I have EVER witnessed.

The picture was taken at one of our favorite rendezvous sites.

 

[hanshi]

There have been deaths and injuries from blanks fired carelessly. A few years ago an up-and-coming actor on a popular TV series accidentally killed himself with a blank loaded revolver he was playing with. I also know of blank charges blowing holes through steel lined fast draw holsters. The cautions posted on this thread are important.

 

[Lostrifle]

For what it's worth, BAR regulations state that NOTHING goes down the barrel but powder during re-enactments, not even wads of any kind. I was at the anniversary of the battle of Monmouth last weekend, and there was plenty of noise from the muskets and cannon being fired!
What you decide to use is, of course, up to you.

 

[JJB22]

It turned out great. I used 75 grains of 3F down the pipe and held it at 45 degrees and let her rip. Turned out great. No need to put anything but powder down the barrel. We had a great time today,hope everyone else had and is having a good time. The blanks worked out great----but the fouling-- :surrender:

I just about had to throw the rifle in the pool afterwards. :grin:

 

[pichou]

:thumbsup:

 

[Poor Private]

As a civil war reenctor I bet I fire hundreds if not a couple thousand blank rounds a year at events. For our muskets what we do is a standard 60 grain charge in paper tubes, no tamping of the rammer or thumping it on the ground just keep the barrel upright for the powder to get down to the breech, the only time the paper goes down may be at a parade or at the start of the battle where we put the paper down and tamp with the rammer(this is the point where the 2 sides are the futherst apart). For pistols a wad is a no-no a card is a no-no anything that can be a projectile is a no-no, even a cotton ball.
What I use in my revolvers are the proper amount of powder for the the pistol. pack it down then over pack the powder with either oatmeal or cream of wheat. I don't just pack the powder and fire like a couple of fellers do because I don't like chain fires. (was at an event this weekend and a feller(see "brass frame any good" thread) just tossed down powder and rammed he had a couple of chain fires and some missfires. Nothing more embarrassing than have your pistol go foom foom foom in your hand when you pull the trigger.