.45 Government Pistol Question, The Sequel

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

As a spin-off of the original question, has anyone ever modified a 1911 to fire blanks, either BP or smokeless?  If so, how did you do it?

SQQ

[St. George]

The Government's round - the M9 - was a steel-cased one with a cone-shaped nose.

It was single-loaded, and today, single rounds are quite collectable, as are full boxes.

In general, the M1911 is too heavy to reliably cycle blank ammunition - that's why you see the Star being substituted in 'The Wild Bunch' for the M1911 that would have been more realistic - but then, so little was realistic in that movie...

Successful blanks have been made from 9mm rounds in heavily-modified pieces, and sometimes from cut-down .30-06 rounds, as well - but they're hard to make, and more time is spent retrieving the brass (if reusable) than in filming.

The best place to ask this particular question will be a movie propmaster like 'Major 2' - he should have more insight.

Scouts Out!

[Major 2]

Thank you , Robert  

I can shed some light on the question...

St. George is quite correct The Star was the gun used shooting in the wild bunch

The 1911 is difficult read to costly to make in a blank firing prop .....
Many were & are carried , but the ones shooting are various mockup like the this one from Spain...

from India, & Japan,   most use 9MM blanks you can buy 1 @ Sportsman's Warehouse

I was at Stembridge Gun rentals in Glendale, cutting a deal on Flintlocks for TexMex Film about 25 years ago

EYE candy everywhere.... I saw a trunk of 1911's rendered un-fireable  (by welding ) these were prop guns just for camera.