Blanks In 1918a3 Oow Bar?

[tomcat]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any experience with blank adapting and firing blanks in an OOW Semi Bar? Just got one about 4 weeks ago and would like to use it in reenacting. I know OOW sells a blank adapter, but would like to hear from someone that has done this.

 

Also what is the best source for Magazines and what is a fair price?

 

Thanks for any replies.

 

Tomcat

[Tman]

TC,

I have one that I rigged for blanks. I use a BFA from Bill Guiette. It's kinda pricey but it looks great and you can change out the set screw for different blanks. I had a small cache of Belgian blanks and Bill made a special orifice just for them. The other screws were made for Swanson blanks. Make sure that you tune your gun so that it functions without too much stress on the parts. Your empties should be thrown about 6 feet to your 5'oclock.

 

Mags can be found for $20 or less. Ya just have to do some hunting around. Try Northridge or Sarco. Gun shows may have some too.

 

Let me know if I can be of any other assistance.

 

Greg

[rongee]

Fully agree with Greg right down the line. Guiette adaptor. Swanson blanks. One thing which has puzzled me though, is why OOW does not recommend firing blanks in their semi's. I've read several posts on other sites in which guys have broken firing pins firing blanks. Now I don't know if this is the short blank fed by the modified magazine or not. I can't see why firing blanks would put anymore stress on the firing pin than ball ammo.

[Tman]

I broke my firing pin while shooting live ammo and doing mag dumps when it happened. Sometimes I think the firing pin does not get pulled back into the bolt and the upcoming round catches on the protruding pin. I have had this happen when trying to load a new mag with the gun pointed at the ground. Maybe someone can come up with a mod for a spring loaded firing pin. I would but I'm not too mechanically enclined.

[reconbob]

I would NEVER fire blanks in a BAR unless I am OK with

the gun being used for blanks only. I have a full auto

original M1918A2 BAR and I wrecked two barrels firing

blanks. I used original G.I. M1909 blanks. After a few

hundred rounds the barrel was eroded where the gas

take-off hole is. When I tried to fire ball ammo, there

was enough erosion there that you could not get enough

gas into the gas cylinder to cycle the gun - i.e. the

gun would short recoil.

This was a real mystery while I was working it out -

blamed the ammo, the gas piston, the gas cylinder, etc.

Finally figured it out when my second brand new barrel that I

had fired blanks in started to short recoil with ball ammo.

After trying everything else I put on a new barrel

(the last one I had) and it worked fine. Maybe it was the

M1909 blanks, but I had a similiar experience with a

FAL - erosion of the bore at the gas takeoff from shooting

blanks.

My $0.02, but if you want to shoot blanks - rig it for

blanks only and save your good barrel for when your

re-enacting days are over. Again, I ruined not one, but

two pefectly good barrels by shooting probably no

more than 400 rounds. I know it doesn't make sense,

but thats my experience...for what its worth...

 

Bob/Phila Ord

[Tman]

Interesting observation, Bob. I have probably put twice that amount of blanks thru my OOW and the guy I got it from did the same if not more. I haven't noticed any problems shooting live GI ball ammo. I will keep an eye out for the erosion. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Blanksguy]

Firing Blanks in either a FA 1918A2 BAR, select fire 1918, or one of the two versions of OOW semi-only BARs brings up some questions that people reading this Board may be able to help me with ...and the many reenactors that use any of these guns firing "Blanks" for reenacting.

 

I have watched the many threads about this subject.....and the vast differences of opinions of what works. I have bought several different 20-rd. BAR Magazines modified for Blanks only....and read of all of the opinions of the costs of Joe-Swanson's "full-length" 30/06 Movie-Blanks....vs. the everyday M1909 Blanks in their newly "star-crimped" version as made by Lake-City in the last few years for use by Veteran's Funeral-Details........

 

Some say to only use the "full-length-Blanks" (more costly)......others say to use the standard 20-rd. magazine un-modified (mixed-results).....still others have their own versions of "spacers" to modify standard 20-rd. BAR Magazines from the front and others from the rear to space the 30/06 Blanks at either the front, or rear of the magazine for better feeding....again, with mixed results (and some with the additional problem of spreading the center of the magazine feed-lips).

 

I really do not want to go back and review all of these matters.......but I asked Jim Ballou for help in this area.....which he did not have additional information other than what he wrote in his book "Rock in a Hard Place".

The US Government modified standard 20-rd BAR Magazines for using the shorter standard case-length M1909 30/06 Blanks with some type of sheet-metal-spacer mounted in the front of the BAR Magazine, a modified magazine-follower, and using a standard magazine-spring.

Does anyone have any close/clear digital photos of how these magazines were modified (I already have the book "Rock in a Hard Place"), and of one of these "Blank-Modified" Magazines taken apart so that we can see the internal parts (?).

 

If these are no longer available for photographing from a collection.......does anyone have clear/close digital-photos of modified 20-rd. magazines that work/"feed" well the shorter "case-length" 30/06 M1909 Blanks all of the time (or at least most of the time) taken apart so that we can see the "correct-way" to modify a standard 20-rd. BAR Magazine to feed the shorter M1909 Star-Crimped Blanks that are "case-Length" 30/06 Blanks (?).

 

Note: By the "M1909 30/06 Blank" nomenclature.....I am refering to the newer version of the M1909 Blank star-crimped 30/06 Blank as made by Lake-City-Arsenal .... and not the earlier version with the painted red-cardboard disc inside the tip.

 

Let us know what works best when using those shorter "case-length" 30/06 Blanks.

Regards, RichardS in MI.

Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

[Thundercat97]

I will also watch the erosion issue. I have gone through well over 1200 Swanson long blanks and close to 1000 rds of ball ammo. My OOW BAR is still dead accurate on the range - I just had it out. The barrel still looks like new. I clean it all the time and keep it well lubricated - but will keep my eye on it. Thanks for the tip.

 

Rob

 

[rongee]

An interesting and informative post by reconbob. This is something I had never considered. In my OOW, when I fire Swanson long blanks, I get a corona which forms in the bore behind the Guiette restrictor. It is god awful to clean out of there; requiring and hour's soaking with every kind of solvent I can lay my hands on and at least one worn out bore brush. No one else I've questioned seems to have this problem. I hope this isn't an indication of erosion. Edited June 4, 2007 by rongee