Your thoughts?

If they are very heavily loaded with a heavy crimp and a wad to build up enough pressure. Otherwise no IMHO.
I was told years ago that Hollyweird would used sleeved barrels in semiautomatic pistols to allow functioning with blanks. I have never seen one though.

Blanks will not cycle an unmodified semi-auto. The barrel must have a restriction of some sort to allow enough gas pressure to develop before the action on a recoil or gas operated semi-auto will cycle.

KAC

Semi-auto rifles need to use an adaptor on the muzzle to make them cycle reliably. Never tried one in a semi handgun, but my shotshells won't cycle so I doubt if the blank would.

If you've got a box full of extra parts, you could experiment. Try an old worn out recoil spring. Maybe even clip a few coils. Experiment, but don't be upset if it doesn't work.

__________________
Dick Burg

Back when I did WWII re enactments I modified a 1911 to fire blanks. You need to remove the locking lugs from the barrel, weld the barrel closed at the muzzel and drill a small hole in it (cannot remember size) and then play with recoil spring's and hole in da barrel size to get it to work. Never was competely reliable and eventually I swapped out to a lend lease S&W in .38 S&W to use.

__________________
Stay safe people!

Thanks all, that's what I thought. I'm working on a beater 1908 Colt Pocket Model. I mean this thing is just ate up. But, it's the type of piece you can work on just for the heck of it.

Anyway, I've got it back together but the extractor/ejector is not working. It's a true single shot. I was thinking that if I could use blanks, and they would cycle, it might be easier to figure out the problem. Probably an unconventional idea but hey, I can barely put batteries in a flashlight. Thanks again.

They won't as a rule. You CAN make them work, but it's not recommended.

Remember the blank adapters we used to screw on to the muzzle of M-16s back in the Army?

Yep - And they worked great - Didn't they?

__________________
In dog years I'm dead.

Yeah those blank adapters worked well, but it was a real PIA to clean they un-burnt powder out of the chamber area.

...and M60s, and M2s. The former always worked brilliantly, and the latter were especially fun to mount and remove.

Sheesh....sounds like it would be easier to just shoot reg'lar bullits-Hardball .45's are cheaper than blanks anyway.

__________________
Forum consigliere

I agree Caj but it was frowned upon to fire real ammo at fake Germans!

__________________
Stay safe people!

Probably a LOT more trouble than it's worth. Would require a major modification.

__________________
A closed mouth gathers no foot