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Phila Ordnance Full Auto Blank Gun Revisited


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These blank guns are super nice and work well. They are great for diplay and living history events and fill a void in a collection without spending 25k. Awesome for reenacments or even just to give the feel of firing a full auto gun.
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  • 2 months later...

Do you think it would really be cheaper ? I do reloading for my old oddball calibers cuz you have to roll your own, but for common modern rounds, eh. Factory works for me. I suspect it would be the same for blanks. Are they harder to make than a ball round ? Where would you get dies ?

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There is a lot of you tube videos out there in interweb land....that show / instruct how to make 45 acp blanks.

And red dot seems to be the powder choice

 

Looks to be time consuming the first time around , making the brass from a 308 case.

Second time reloading mAy be quiicker.

I've never tried it so no experience

Edited by 95mustang
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Receiver looks like just original except markings.

That's the impression you get when handling and firing one of Bob's blank guns. All steel and walnut, and quality all the way.

 

Personally, I like the PO blanks. You get all of the sound and flash you could want, while knowing you're not eroding the barrel.

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There is a lot of you tube videos out there in interweb land....that show / instruct how to make 45 acp blanks.

And red dot seems to be the powder choice

 

Looks to be time consuming the first time around , making the brass from a 308 case.

Second time reloading mAy be quiicker.

I've never tried it so no experience

 

Yea I just remember helping a friend make blanks for his STG44. Was quick and simple once you got it all set up. We also made .45acp blanks back then out of 30.06 cases. But then again blanks back then were .10 cents a round and were very affordable. If making my own blanks would get me down to 25 cents a round I'd consider it worthwhile.

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I've made .45 acp blanks... but its been a few years. I found the crimp dies somewhere on line, and have used both starline blank brass, and 308 cases cut down. Starline at that time made me order several thousand cases... no smaller sale. Just looked at starlines page and they don't list them for sale.

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I've made .45 acp blanks... but its been a few years. I found the crimp dies somewhere on line, and have used both starline blank brass, and 308 cases cut down. Starline at that time made me order several thousand cases... no smaller sale. Just looked at starlines page and they don't list them for sale.

I think Starline is where PhilOrd gets the brass for their blanks. I doubt they'd sell the correct brass to anyone other than PhilOrd though.

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  • 2 months later...

I sent them a sample gun months ago. Now they say to not even ask until

120 days have passed and I think we are getting close to that. I will of course

report in with the ruling.

As an aside pertaining to this topic when we tested the gun with "standard"

blanks Swanson blanks are so powerful that they almost cycle the gun with NO

adaptor so it will be very important to use the correct adaptor for the blank

being used.

 

Bob

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Hi Bob,

Thank you for the "up-date" to this.

Please keep me on your list for these.....I am interested in a 1928A1 upper that fires "standard-size" 45ACP Blanks, and possible an M1A1 upper at a later date.

 

As an aside pertaining to the ".45ACP-Blanks, and Blanks in general"...….I am intimately familiar with the .45ACP Blank in most of its forms as I made "Blanks" for reenactors, etc. from about 1988 (prior to the "Star-Line-Brass" when it had to be made from other brass-cases) well through about 2014.

 

Best regards,

RichardS

US Army, RET

Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

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  • 2 months later...

Bob,

I figured that I would check in again on BATF Tech. Branch reviewing your submission (IE: The ability to use standard .45ACP SMG Blanks as the other manufacturer(s) uses in their BlankFiringOnlyNon-Guns.).

Regards,

RichardS

US Army, RET

Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

Hi Bob,

I went over to the Phila-Ord web-page......but couldn't find the 1928A1 Blank-Firing-Uppers listed anywhere. Special-Order item (?). Current options/prices on these as far as rear-sights, finned or non-finned-Blank-Barrel, etc.. (?).

 

Also, any word from ATF on using standard-size (length and diameter) .45ACP-Blanks as opposed to the PO special size Blank (?)……...or are the Outside-Diameters of the PO Blank the same as the Star-Line .45ACP-Blank-Brass (?).

 

Regards,

RichardS

US Army, RET

Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

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The ATF Technical Services Branch STILL has the prototype gun which uses a bolt

which will accept standard rim blanks. When I contact them all I get is that it is "under review".

The gun that they have is identical to the original approved gun except the bolt face will accept

standard rim blanks so I do not know what the hold up is.

 

I am keeping a list of those interested in the M1928A1 version and I will be making more

of them when I can catch up. The original lot of guns with finned barrels, compensators, and

Lyman 55B sights sold for $3650, and an upper half for those who have the parts to finish

was $2250. Due to the increasing scarcity and price of original M1928A1 parts there is no way a

complete gun will sell for $3650 next time around.

 

Meanwhile I am making the M1A1 model. Anyone wishing to get on my

list for either gun can just email me with their phone and email. No deposit is required.

 

Bob/Phila Ord

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  • 2 months later...

Bob great effort and at that pace it just prices itself out of the market for Many Just like Colt Thompsons And anything else. that has come around. Anybody want semi MP-44'S at 3500 sure why not Oh wait they be $10,000.00 now Never mind. We have a low select market for all this stuff now and the Select market gets smaller every darn year. Can you imagine you might live long enough to see No market. thousands of cool guns big price and a hundred buyers.It is coming.

 

I can get used AK'S in the mideast this week. for $500.00 each. Now everybody wants used or new Colt and FN M-4's.

I have ten customers for the new 2020 Colt Pythons at 1700 each. I said some now want $3,000.00 they said cancel my order i will shop, I wish you much success with the product. I know its a pain waiting on some d.c. Decision. they hold the business you have hostage.

 

have a good 2020. RON K.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Bob,

I am still interested in a 1928A1 Thompson "upper-assembly" with finned-barrel and compensator that fires "standard-size" .45ACP Blanks, and an M1A1 Thompson "upper-assembly" that fires "standard-size" .45ACP Blanks.

Please keep me on your "Lists" for these......and let us know when ATF Tech.-Branch approves the change from your current small-base Blanks to standard .45ACP Blanks.

 

I understand that ATF has had your submitted example for about a year now.....(?).

 

Can you update us as to current costs for these "uppers" (?)

 

Regards,

RichardS

US Army, RET

Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

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Yes, the Technical Services Branch has had the standard blanks prototype - which Is identical

To the original - except for the face of the bolt - since Feb. 19 of last year with no end in sight. This

is far longer than it took to get the original gun approved. Obviously there is no excuse for this

extensive delay. When you submit something like this they tell you not to contact them for at least

120 days after which you can call and hope to get a person instead of a recording. The last time

I called - which admittedly was months ago I was told it is "under review". This is nothing more

than a form of gun control and why it is being applied to a non-firearm is beyond me.

A note on the use of standard blanks: The gun is designed from scratch to fire blanks and has

a smaller bore volume than a live gun. Standard blanks are loaded "hot" because they have to work

gun mechanisms designed for regular ammo. For example, when Swanson blanks are used in the

Phila Ord gun they are so powerful they almost work the gun with NO adaptor fitted. So when the

time comes care must be taken to use a blank adaptor which is proper for the blanks being used.

 

Bob

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  • 1 month later...

I have received the ruling from ATF on the gun using standard type blanks

and the answer is NO. It took them exactly a year (Feb 19, 2019 to Feb

20, 2020) to rule on this. I can submit another "improved" prototype but

it is likely that once again it would take a year or longer to get a ruling.

I checked with a high-powered Washington DC law firm specializing

in dealing with the ATF to see if there was any way to get rulings faster,

and they said no.

So for now and for the foreseeable future the guns use the Phila

Ordnance blank.

 

Bob

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