Hi:
Blank Adapters for U.S. M-1 Garand .30 cal Military Rifles:
Will the weapon operate semi-auto or does the bolt have to be manually be worked by hand ?

Thanks,
Jimmy

I'm not sure Jimmy, but I think with the proper adapter it will function in semi auto.
It may take the more powerful grenade launching blanks instead of parade ground blanks.
I did not stay at that special hotel though, so I may be wrong.

I'm pretty sure that is the purpose of the blank adapter, to allow the Garand to operate is semi auto function.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Jimmy these guys are the gurus when it comes to M1s. May want to shoot them an email. Only $12.95 on their site.

Blank Firing Adaptor, Garand

Jimmy,
The M1's I've seen for Honor Guard detail use the GI BFA (don't recall the model but look like the one in the Fulton Armory link) and cycle fine with the GI blanks.
ETA:
Dunno currently as haven't checked in a while but ebay had them for like $10. No idea though who manufactured them or how well they worked, etc.

Blank adaptors allow semi-auto fire in M1 Garands. Just make
sure you keep the gas plug screw and the adaptor tightened
down after prolonged use. I have seen at least one come unscrewed and land in the lap of a family member at graveside
rites. In fact, I had one blow off during a test fire. Fortunatley
it went into the ground, never to be found.

DO NOT USE GRENADE BLANKS. They are a completely different animal. They have a 45gr charge compared to only 12 for the M1909 blank. I would suggest a quick google search on this and the BFA as there are some mods to make it work better.

Thanks for delineating that.
But if the grenade blanks are made for the Garand, why is it bad to use them?
I agree that it will recoil more, but it is made to be used in that rifle.

No, a grenade blank is used to launch a grenade off the end of the rifle, hence it uses a full power charge. I also read that the grenade launcher is set so all the gas charge goes out the barrel. The ceremonial blank has just enough of a charge for the op rod to function. A BFA plugs the end of the barrel except for a small hole. Using a grenade blank with a BFA is equivalent to shoot the rifle with a plugged barrel.

Spot on explanation!!

There are also at least three types of BFA's used on ceremonial rifles.

American Legion and VFW rifle have two different BFA's depending on which ammo is being used. The older Lake City blanks that had the red wax seal are far more potent than the current issue blanks and therefore need the old style BFA which is shorter.

The current issue ( and very enemic made in Brazil CBC) 6 star crimp blanks must use the longer BFA to properly ( that is the theory) cycle the M1 operating rod.

Any Marine Corps League ceremonial rifles have a BFA inside the barrel and is difficult to tell that they are set up for firing blanks. This is the version that is used in all war movies using the M1.

It is also critical to have the barrel and gas cylinder ports line up so that they op. rod has somewhat of a chance to function properly.

I have worked on many M1's with the front hand guard completely tight against the handguard band. Then they wonder why the rifle doesn't work very well especially with the CBC blank ammo.

I use the thickness of a credit card and a bright flashlight to ensure the ports are totally inline with each other.....might work for others as well.

Randy

Armorer American Legion Post 4

Hope this helps...............

You may become popular with the girls if you tell them that your "shooting blanks!"

Thanks, that makes perfect sense.

The ones we used in basic in 1964 allowed the M1 to fire semi-auto. We even killed a rattlesnake with one shooting blanks.

Saw a kid shoot his buddy in the thigh with a blank. The wading penetrated his fatigues, broke skin and lodged in his thigh. Just pinched the thigh a little and it came back out the hole it went in.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

when I was a bit younger I did some WWII reenacting and used a blank adapter. It made the Garand look a bit longer, but worked fine for semi auto shooting. It had a hex set screw with a hole drilled in the middle of it.

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RudyN
NRA Patron Life Member

That may depend on whether using a blank firing attachment or not... YMMV.

I'm on our VFW honor squad and we do the 21 gun salute at funerals with M1's with blanks and they function as a semi automatic should.