44-40 blanks

[IronEyes44-40]

Howdy,

Along with CAS, I'm also a living histroy re-enactor. In that, I'm lookin for 44-40 Clean firing blanks (no projectile) that spit a lot of smoke and fire. Does anyone know where I can buy some? Once, awhile ago I ran into a guy on line, called himself "Renegade" and it sounded like he had just what I was a looking fer. Only thing was, I didn't need anything at that time. I lost contact with him.
He had his wife had a little ammo and stuff business, don't know the name of it.

If anyone can help me find Renegade or those clean firing 44-40 blanks, I'd appreciate it very much!

Thanks Pards, ya kin reply directly to my email - soaring.andrew@gmail.com

Iron Eyes

[nactorman]

Hi There,

  Just saw your post. Check out these 44-40 blanks.

http://www.veteranarms.com/VALNov09/Blanks.html

Hope this helps.
 
Nactorman
Lumpkin, Georgia

[Short Knife Johnson]

Oh, that is genius.  Wonder how much of a bugger they are to get to the Dominion of Canada? 

Probably falls under the same category as live ammo.

[IronEyes44-40]

"Slightly  belated reply pard.

I clicked on your link for the blanks and just got an error message; probably been too long.

If your or anyone could send me a web site with good blanks for a 44-40 Uberti 1975 Remington, I'd certainly appreciate it.
If ya like  please send to my email directly, soaring.andrew@gmail.com

Happy Trails
IronEyes44-40

[Abilene]

I clicked on www.veteranarms.com and it came up, then clicked on "blanks".

http://www.veteranarms.com/ReproductionMuzzleloadersandFlintlocks/Blanks.html

[jimk23]

This is a little late in posting but I buy from www.gunblanks.com  They have 5 in 1 cowboy 44-40 blanks I use and they work flawlessly.  Catridges are brass and relodable.

[Deadeye Don]

I guess reloading your own would be out of the question?

[RattlesnakeJack]

Iron Eyes:

If you re-load for CAS, it isn't at all hard to load one's own blanks using the cases you already have ..... although the lack of any significant back-pressure (in the absence of a projectile to move) will result in high primers because the cases are not slammed back against the recoil shield with sufficient force to re-seat the primers (which always back partway out of the primer pocket when you fire a cartridge in a revolver) .... and that can cause "high primer hangups" in cycling the revolver.  Accordingly, it is best to have a set of cases dedicated for loading blanks only, in which you have drilled out the flash-holes to a much larger size .... you really only need enough shoulder left in the pocket to seat the primer against.  (Doing this minimizes the amount the primers get pushed back, because the spurt of pressure through the flash-hole as the charge goes off is not as concentrated.)

The other significant problem with that kind of blanks (as opposed to the relatively expensive commercial blanks, with shaped noses to simulate the over-all length of a cartridge with a bullet loaded) is that they can't be cycled through a repeating rifle  .... and, of course don't look like a full cartridge in your ammo belt or while you are loading them into the firearm.

A fellow-Canadian has come up with an ingenious solution to both those problems -  rolled cardboard "bullets" -



See his description of the process in the last post on this page here in Cas City - http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,33962.0.html
Note his reassurance that the coiled cardboard "bullet" disintegrates and/or unravels  so that there is no "projectile" to harm anyone more than a few feet away from the muzzle - i.e. if they are far enough away not to be harmed by the muzzle-blast and flying powder particles, there is no danger - and that he was able to demonstrate this satisfactorily to the ultra-safety-conscious head re-enacting/firearms chap at Parks Canada.

I have loaded this type of blanks in both .45 Colt and .45-75 Winchester, and they work like a charm .... particularly for very impressive demonstrations of cycling a full magazine-full of rounds through a lever-action rifle!  

Some of the blanks I have loaded -


Although the loading process is a wee bit "labor intensive" compared with just buying ready-made blanks, it is a lot less expensive.  The type of cardboard one uses is apparently fairly important .... but what works (i.e. the cardboard used for canned soft-drink cases) is universally and cheaply available.

[The Swede]

Iron Eyes:

If you re-load for CAS, it isn't at all hard to load one's own blanks using the cases you already have ..... although the lack of any significant back-pressure (in the absence of a projectile to move) will result in high primers because the cases are not slammed back against the recoil shield with sufficient force to re-seat the primers (which always back partway out of the primer pocket when you fire a cartridge in a revolver) .... and that can cause "high primer hangups" in cycling the revolver.  Accordingly, it is best to have a set of cases dedicated for loading blanks only, in which you have drilled out the flash-holes to a much larger size .... you really only need enough shoulder left in the pocket to seat the primer against.  (Doing this minimizes the amount the primers get pushed back, because the spurt of pressure through the flash-hole as the charge goes off is not as concentrated.)

The other significant problem with that kind of blanks (as opposed to the relatively expensive commercial blanks, with shaped noses to simulate the over-all length of a cartridge with a bullet loaded) is that they can't be cycled through a repeating rifle  .... and, of course don't look like a full cartridge in your ammo belt or while you are loading them into the firearm.

A fellow-Canadian has come up with an ingenious solution to both those problems -  rolled cardboard "bullets" -



See his description of the process in the last post on this page here in Cas City - http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,33962.0.html
Note his reassurance that the coiled cardboard "bullet" disintegrates and/or unravels  so that there is no "projectile" to harm anyone more than a few feet away from the muzzle - i.e. if they are far enough away not to be harmed by the muzzle-blast and flying powder particles, there is no danger - and that he was able to demonstrate this satisfactorily to the ultra-safety-conscious head re-enacting/firearms chap at Parks Canada.

I have loaded this type of blanks in both .45 Colt and .45-75 Winchester, and they work like a charm .... particularly for very impressive demonstrations of cycling a full magazine-full of rounds through a lever-action rifle!  

Some of the blanks I have loaded -


Although the loading process is a wee bit "labor intensive" compared with just buying ready-made blanks, it is a lot less expensive.  The type of cardboard one uses is apparently fairly important .... but what works (i.e. the cardboard used for canned soft-drink cases) is universally and cheaply available.

You just answered the same question for me. Our group here on Vancouver Island are doing some re-enactments next summer, have not beenable to make blanks that cycle through a lever action. Thanks!

Swede

[RattlesnakeJack]

Once you figure out the dimensions of the tapered cardboard strip needed for the correct-sized "bullet" for the particular cartridge you are loading, the tightly coiled cardboard is seated in the case (preferably with a milk-carton disk or two over the powder to minimize transfer of moisture from the damp cardboard to the powder charge) and ideally is then allowed to pretty much dry out.  Then run them through your bullet seating die at exactly the same setting as you use for live rounds, and it will compress/seat the "bullet" to just the right depth. Being dry or nearly dry will minimize the likelihood of squeezing any moisture into the powder charge.  Dipping the coiled cardboard end in melted wax is likely unnecessary, but will help make the rounds less susceptible to moisture.  Of course, Ideally, they should be allowed to dry out completely before doing the "bullets" are dipped in wax.

I have only loaded this type of blank with black powder, but I see no reason why it won't work equally well with smokeless charges .....

I looked to see if I had any photos handy showing me firing with such blanks, but don't think I do.  Mind you, it would look no different from firing a a string of shots with regular cartridges, really.  Here is a shot of me talking to a crowd at Fort Macleod last summer, just before ripping off a full magazine of these blanks. The box of blanks is visible on the platform behind me.  This followed a demonstration of firing a muzzle-loader, and then a single-shot Snider-Enfield.  The fire-power of the lever-action rifle - compared to the tedious loading and firing sequence of the previously demonstrated firearms - clearly impressed the audience!



(The rifle is my Chaparral Model 1876 NWMP carbine chambered in .45-75.)

EDIT:  Although I haven't done so yet, I also see no reason why this type of blank wouldn't work in other types of repeating firearms - e.g. a bolt-action rifle, or Spencer, or whatever ....

[Short Knife Johnson]

That's right.  I posted here before I came up with that solution.  It is time consuming but very worth while.  I was thrilled it worked for you Grant.