Smokeless powder blank ammo

J

jmf

New member
I have some 45 Colt blank ammo loaded with smokeless powder for my Ruger Vaquero. I also have a 1860 Army Colt reproduction with a cartridge cylinder. The cartridge cylinder came with a warning to use black powder ammo only. That makes sense if you're firing real bullets, but how about blanks? Will that cartridge cylinder hold up with smokeless powder blanks?
 
The cylinder manufacturer is the person you should ask. In the mean time, assume black powder ammo means all ammo, blanks included.
 
Some blank ammo can have very high pressures. In the Army they had helmets with huge holes in them caused by blank 30-06 ammo. They also took a piece of 1/2" plywood and blew a huge hole in it with an M1 blank. They were trying to teach us not to kill each other in training with blanks. I was very impressed by the pressures of the blanks and would repeat Mykeal's advice. Don't shoot anything in a BP gun but BP. Ever!:eek:
 
+1 ^

Obey the warning on the cylinder. If you dont want the hassle of cleaning the Colt after using these blanks, use 777 or Pyrodex (or one of the other, cleaner than Black substitutes):cool:

Don't just use smokeless coz thats all you have, do yourself a favor and get some Black or a Bp substitute. :D
 
hmmm...I'd not fire the smokeless blanks in a "blackpowder only" cylinder. If you're squinting and turning your head away while pulling the trigger, hoping for the best- you probably shouldn't be trying it in the first place.
 
BTW, jmf

What do you want to shoot blanks for? it's much more fun shootin' lead :confused:

You gonna make a fancy starting pistol? :D
 
At face value one would think there couldn't be a danger, However with smokeless powder to go "bang" it must be confined/under pressure. The wadding will hold the pressure and it will be basically a detonation charge.
Not to say you couldn't find the right recipe to load smokeless blanks that could be fired safely.
 
Obey the warning on the cylinder. If you don't want the hassle of cleaning the Colt after using these blanks, use 777 or Pyrodex(or one of the other, cleaner than Black substitutes)
Click to expand...

Pyrodex is worse than black powder as far as corrosion goes. 777 may not be as bad as black, but I'd clean anyway.

I agree that the smokeless blanks would have to have some real high pressures to actually make a bang sound like a loaded round would.
 
What company made the cylinder and are they factory .45 blanks or were they handloaded using an established recipe?
I'm also curious about how the case mouths are sealed?
Maybe the answer that is being sought is contingent on the details. :rolleyes:
 
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