Blank shotgun shells

[Filthy Lucre]

I need some input into loading some Magtech brass for 12g blanks.
Appreciate any help.

FL-D

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

I use a mag primer, put in a dipper full (the 4.3 I believe) using the Lee dippers - which is about 63 grs of 2F and a dry lubed 1/2" spacer wad - then compressed as hard as I can push down - with an over-shot card on top of the spacer.  (I also mark CLEARLY in red that it is a blank.

You MUST be very careful at what you're pointing at when you touch these off, as the spacer wad will have pretty good velocity for a while and will act like a projectile.   Mine usually go up into the air for the sound effect only.

[Howdy Doody]

Feelthy Dammitt, are you making these up just to have? I have made some blanks to bring to Ambush for after the safety meeting. They are coppies of the ones Ten X made for us and are loud and smokey 

[Adirondack Jack]

I saw a neat techinque used in a C&B gun that worked real well and would also work in ANY cartridge, including shotshells.

In a .44 cap and baller, what the feller did was laod 15 grains FFG, fill the chamber spillover full with corn STARCH (not corn meal) and compress it with the rammer.  Then topped it off a second time with corn starch and compressed again.  The corn starch makes a good solid plug that held even when the other chambers were fired, "dusts" instantly on ignition (no chunks to worry about) and the dust adds to the appearance of smoke.

I've seen shotshell blanks made the same way. I'd hazard to guss they had maybe 25 grains FFg in em and enough corn starch to end up with a 1/2 inch plug once compressed. (use a 3/4 dowel and a single stage press to mash the corn starch firmly, using  the same "half, mash, half, mash" as in the C&B technique.  Ya don't need a ton of powder.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'm gonna give that corn starch a try!

I DO think that I'll put more than 25 grs of powder, 'tho.  But maybe not much more.  Shucks, I put over 27 (weighed) grs in the blanks I load for our club - and they're 44 Russian. 

(Why 44 Russian?  Well, they'll fit and work in ANY 44 or 45 caliber weapon we've found.  Rifles, too - as long as you want to bother to load 'em up one at a time!    )

[Arcey]

You MUST be very careful at what you're pointing at when you touch these off, as the spacer wad will have pretty good velocity for a while and will act like a projectile.   Mine usually go up into the air for the sound effect only.

Reminds me of the ole CAS-L days. Some folks had loaded 'em up under heavily compressed toilet paper. One smacked the other in the middle of the forehead. Knocked the recipient on his hind parts.

[Delmonico]

The group I work with uses that vermiculite stuff for plants in the cap and balls.  We also do a thing sometimes where they had me a shotgun to shoot someone that complains about the food.  The got a chokelsss 12 douple and have a wooden rod turned to just fit and they load 120 gr of FFg and set the charge in the barrel I use with a dead blow hammer. 

Always shoot low and to the side of anyone if and I say if you do these things, test the loads on paper to find out how far they will mark the paper and then always stay 3 times that far out, and low and to the side, I did meantion that didn't I, good, needs it again.

Always have a safety officer load all firearms and no one can have ANY loaded ammo with in miles.  Have a practice before hand and don't be afraid to drop anyone you can not trust 200%.

BTW with the 12 we do a good 25 to 30 yards and I shoot 10 to the side and 10 below, the crowd is always on the off side and they don't know.  Guys we con into doing it say it's like standing beside the Interstate with a semi going by.

[Dalton Masterson]

Yep, Delmonico is right. The best thing to use is vermaculite, or floral foam. You can buy it at Wally for little of nothing. Make sure to get the wet type, not the coarse dry type. The wet packs much better, which translates into better bang.
The benefit of using foam is that it does not come out as a projectile. We tried to pop balloons with ours and at 3 ft just bounced them, no pop.
I have heard that cornstarch can come out as a solid blob of projectile, and thats just as bad as a bullet at close range.
For my blanks, I used about 50-60 gr of 2F, then packed the end with floral foam, packed with a wood dowel as tight as I could, then added another layer of foam and packed again.
They make a nice boom, dont come apart easily, and have so far lasted several years storage with no signs of deterioration.
For pistols and rifle, I put a crimp on them so tight they look like a 44-40, but are actually 45. That way they dont fit in my reloader and I can keep the drilled out flashhole brass separate. They also function in my 73 that way. 
DM