Blank load

[radio2]

Sorry to ask to many questions but one more,  With a Ruger old army 45,  I want to fire it with a blank load and get the most noise & smoke so if I use 40 grains of FFF goex black powder and 2 wounder wads would that do it? If not how do you make a good blank?

[Cowpox]

In my 1860, 30 grains and one wad produces a loud report. Be sure to put a good amount of melted beeswax over the wad to ensure you won't have flashover. Beeswax is probably the most effective, but I have also smeared the chambers full of Johnson's Paste wax. Be carful where your revolver is pointed, because that wax plug is really moving !!  35 years ago, I did a little field test on muzzle velocity of the wax plug. At fifteen feet it will dent and crack the bottom of a stainless steel mixing bowl. My wife still gets real quiet and scowels when the subject comes up !!

[Rickk]

Muzzleloading guns don't make very good "blank" guns. With the right amount of powder (experment) you will get a bit more than a woosh, but it won't ever be earth-shaking.

If you add wads of various sorts it will get louder, but then it isn't exactly a "blank" load.

A wad is very dangerous at shorter distances. As Cowpox found out, a wad at 15 feet is very powerful, and as a side affect his wife is going to kill him in his sleep someday when he least expects it.

For what it's worth, you will get better results with 4F than 3F.

and of course, in a revolver you will always need something to prevent chain firing.

[curator]

Civil War reenactors use about 25 grains of FFFg black powder and a cream of wheat wad for blanks in a .44 C&B handgun. This make a good bang and there is no danger of multiple discharges. Loading requires first loading the powder, next fill the chamber with COW, then compress with rammer. After all 6 chambers are filled and compressed, fill the chambers once again with COW and compress a second time. This created a frangible wad of compressed cream of wheat over the powder. This "wad" blows apart 8-10 feet from the muzzle. This is also what the cowboy mounted shooters use to bust baloons at the same distance. The COW acts like #9 birdshot at 10 feet Others swear by Cocoa puffs cereal used in the same way. Give it a try, I'm sure you'll be surprised how good it works. Be careful with blanks, they are dangerous at close range!

[blhof]

Years ago I used blanks with cardboard wads to shoot European collard doves.  Deadly and accurate out to 20 ft with a 38.  The cream of wheat sounds like the way to go.  I'll try that nexr 4th of July.

[Dalton Masterson]

For good SAFE blanks, go to the craft/floral department at your local chain store, and buy the green floral foam. Use the WET type, not the dry. The wet is the smoother grained of the 2. Load your load of powder, I used about 35-40 gr 3F, then pinch some foam off, poke it in the cylinder, and ram. I found it easier to do this with the cylinder removed, using a wooden dowel. Fill the chamber most of the way with foam, and you get good loud safe blanks. I couldnt pop a balloon at 3 foot with mine, but did bounce it around. DM