.56-50 Blank Making Project: Blank Loading Video added

[Sean Thornton]

It has been a fun project and one that I am very pleased with.  Being a Civil War reenactor one needs to be able to fire blanks that don't cost an arm and a leg.  I think that I have come up with the answer.  Best of all they don't cost an arm and a leg.  The cost is only about 22 cents each.  They do cycle through the gun most of the time and all make a loud report with 35 to 40 grains of ffg.  To find out more check out the web site listed.
http://44henryrifle.webs.com/spencerrifleblanks.htm

I have also worked with a friend on a brass blank that feeds almost 100% of the time.  They are more expensive initially but can be reloaded several times.  More on that project latter.
Andrew L. Bresnan
National Henry Rifle Company
http://44henryrifle.webs.com

[major]

Andy
After our talk last night I called MEC.  They don't make a supersizer in 32 gauge.  But I wonder if it would be possible to take one in 410 to a machine shop and have it modified for the 32's?
You have done great work figuring out how to make affordable blanks for the 56-50 Spencer, keep up the good work.
If I didn't already have one in 44-40 using 410 hulls for blanks I would definately use your system for blanks.
Terry

[SGT John Chapman]

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Super-Crown-Crimp-Starter/739990.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D%26No%3D20%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DMEC%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchall%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3DMEC%26x%3D11%26y%3D10&Ntt=MEC

The above might be an alternative to the C&H Crimping die at a fraction of the cost...

[Sean Thornton]

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Super-Crown-Crimp-Starter/739990.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D%26No%3D20%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DMEC%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchall%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3DMEC%26x%3D11%26y%3D10&Ntt=MEC

The above might be an alternative to the C&H Crimping die at a fraction of the cost...

I thought I would try this out since it looked like a good idea.  The down side is that it just doesn't crimp the case enough.  I try to look at all ideas, that is one of the reasons I post here to see if other have ideas.  Thanks for the idea.
Andy

[SGT John Chapman]

I wondered if you had tried it. Your on top of things like that,.....had you seen the MAGTECH 32ga brass shells?

[Sean Thornton]

I did see them but the cost of those are too far out of sight.  For a brass case the 8mm Lebel case works super and is cost effective and feed almost flawlessly. 

[SGT John Chapman]

Here again your on top of the game!!

[Sean Thornton]

Here is the latest evolution of the 32 guage .56-50 blank.  They feed almost flawlessly as fast as one can operate the action.  At 22 cents each they are pretty economical, that is 22 cents for a loaded round with 32 grains of FFg not just the shotgun shell.  I will do more test firing this weekend.  The fingers just seem to open up on firing.

[Sean Thornton]

Here is the latest evolution of the 32 guage .56-50 blank.  They feed almost flawlessly as fast as one can operate the action.  At 22 cents each they are pretty economical, that is 22 cents for a loaded round with 32 grains of FFg not just the shotgun shell.  I will do more test firing this weekend.  The fingers just seem to open up on firing.

The results of my testing yesterday was better than expected.  I had my own "battle" with the Rebs firing over 100 rounds of my new "Generation 3" .56-50 blanks. All 100 cycled perfectly as fast as I could cock the hammer and work the action.  Again all the rounds cycled perfectly.  I examined all 100 shells and found no splits or fragmentaion of the plastic. These are real easy and quick to make.  The best of all is that they are cheap at 22 cents for a loaded round.  They were loaded with 32 grains of FFg and had a great sound.  If you pick up the shells they are easily reloaded and it only costs 13 cents to reload them.  Next year's reenacting seasons looks to be a fun time with the Spencer.  Check out the web page for the updated information.  http://44henryrifle.webs.com/spencerrifleblanks.htm

[SGT John Chapman]

GREAT!!,....Good to hear!!.....

[Two Flints]

Hi Sean,

Thanks so much for posting all of the 56-50 blank information.  I'm sure it will be tried by SSS members as an inexpensive way to use blanks in their Spencers.

Two Flints

[Sean Thornton]

Well I got to use my Spencer rifle at a reenactment this past weekend.  As it turned out is was during a night time raid by the rebs on our camp.  The Spencer and blanks worked perfectly.  I fired over 65 blanks during the 2 different raids on our camp, the action last about 20 minutes each night.  The 32 gauge shot shell based blanks for the .56-50 worked perfectly and at night where you could not pick up your brass the shot shells worked great.  The cost of 22 cents each is not big deal if you loose the cases.  I was also able to buy FFFg bp for $10 per pouind.  I will be loading 1000 blanks for the Spencer over the winter at a cost of around $200 or 20 cents each.  Check again for updated information. http://44henryrifle.webs.com/spencerrifleblanks.htm

[Short Knife Johnson]

I went through something similar this summer with .44 WCF and posted my results here.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,33962.0.html

While very labour intensive, it made that re-enactment so much fun to the point af being criminal.  Even though they don't look like they should work, they did, and very well.  There was an interest by the fellows who go around and do RNWMP re-enactments on a Government sponsered basis to adapt my invention to the .45-75 1876 repros they use as well.

Then I stumbled on this in another post here.

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

[Sean Thornton]

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend.


         (Had to post this one - nice view of Spencer Rifles Two Flints)

[SGT John Chapman]

NICE PICS SEAN!!

[Sean Thornton]

I have added some update information and pictures.
http://44henryrifle.webs.com/spencerrifleblanks.htm

[SGT John Chapman]

GREAT WORK Sean!!

[Sean Thornton]

Well my .56-50 Blank project has come out pretty good.  I put together a video on You Tube showing these in operation through my Taylor Arms Spencer rifle in .56-50.  For those Civil War reenactors out there that need a cheap blank, now you can afford to fire as many as you want at a cost of only 22 cents each or around that.  If you don't load your own I guess you are still at the mercy of the blank venders.  I have a friend that is thinking about marketing these rounds.  I have enjoyed being the first to come up with this idea for the .56-50 blank and the evolution it took to come up with the perfected blank. The only down side is the color, they are red.  However for the price I will overlook that.  Here is the link for the video.


The Blakeslee Box is a reproduction 10 tube box.  The tubes are aluminum instead of tin tubes.  I bought the box from
http://www.cooncreekoldwest.com/cboxes.htm at a cost of $350.

[Two Flints]

Sean,

Great video.  Thanks for posting.  Super contribution to the Spencer Shooting Society

Wish you had shown a closeup of the shells being ejected.  And I would have liked a brief discussion of the Blakeslee you were using.  Original, repro, from whom did you buy it, and if a repro, the cost?

Thanks so much for the video.

Two Flints

[Sean Thornton]

 
The Blakeslee Box is a reproduction 10 tube box.  The tubes are aluminum instead of tin tubes.  I bought the box from http://www.cooncreekoldwest.com/cboxes.htm at a cost of $350.