GI Blanks

[fourarmed]

Stopped in at my favorite store for a case of gullet lube this morning, and was trading stories with the proprietor. I told him about rat bombs made from GI .30-06 blanks, and he told the following story of his days in the army reserve.

They were on a blank-firing exercise with their M-14s in a farmer's pasture one weekend in the early spring. Apparently the blank-firing adaptors fouled the barrels and actions of the M-14 to a degree that some of the weekend warriors found distressing to deal with. As a result, instead of firing their weapons, they just threw the blanks away and went home.

He said the unit got into considerable hot water a few weeks later when the farmer burnt off his pasture, and all those blanks went off. He thought they were live rounds.

[ktw]

... Apparently the blank-firing adaptors fouled the barrels and actions of the M-14 to a degree that some of the weekend warriors found distressing to deal with. As a result, instead of firing their weapons, they just threw the blanks away and went home.

We really hated firing those things in M16s, too. What a mess.

We would try to get away with shouting "BANG, BANG" instead of firing them off. If you had officers with a sense of humnor that often worked. If it didn't, and it was dark, we would designate one or two guys per squad to generate the neccesary noise by firing them all. Later everyone would pitch in to help clean those couple of rifles.

-ktw

[C1PNR]

This brings to mind an incident from my time at Pendleton. We had a Company sized field problem set up for a night assault by 2 Platoons and Headquarters against a defensive position held by the third Platoon.

The Defensive unit left the Company area in the AM of day one to set up the mine field and covering positions. (Did I mention I was in the Combat Engineers - mine warfare and demolitions?)

A very select few enterprising individuals left the Company area later that day to "recon" the situation. While out on this unauthorized "patrol" they came upon a machine gun emplacement, complete with M60, but with no personnel present. So they absconded with the M60, leaving behind the tripod mount, but bringing the ammo (blanks) with them.

When the "patrol" returned to the Company area they were persuaded to turn the M60 in to the Company Supply Sergeant, ME (a lowly Lance Corporal), who was also in charge of the Company Armory.

That night the rest of the Company, including Headquarters and me, assaulted the defensive position, and as an indicted co-conspirator (I hid the thing from the the LT that came STORMING in later that day) I was required to carry the purloined M60. What a good time I had! Fired all the blank ammo brought back, plus quite a bit more during the assault.

The next morning everyone is back in the Company area and the missing M60 was quickly returned to the original gunners.

We spent the day cleaning weapons, 782 gear, etc., but the payoff for me was that after carrying that heavy thing all night, I didn't have any dirty weapon to clean! I was the first one to hit the slop chute for a cold beer!:drinks:

Thanks for bringing up a great memory from the past!!

[fiberoptik]

We were on a nite fire, whole company, with tracers. I was next to the M60. This being the Marine Corps, we had ****ty leftover vietnam m60's, that fired once, misfired twice. After we finished up the shoot, & they called a cease-fire, unload, clear & lock, as we started to stand up & back out, BANGIDY BANG, BANG, BANG!
We all hit the deck, and seeing the pile of casings flying everywere, fingered it out real quick-like. Told the OIC, and they left the brass to cool off some. On returning to the barracks, I found half a dozen pieces of brass stuck in my cammy blouse. If'n I was john kerry, I'da went in to get my purple ass, I mean heart.

[BruceB]

My service rifle in the Canadian Army was the locally-built C1 FAL, and the squad automatic was the heavy-barrel version of the same rifle.

Canadian blanks made just as much of a dirty mess, so we quickly learned to just turn off the gas valve in both the rifle and SAW. This naturally made them into straight-pull actions, but having to only clean the barrel was far nicer than sanitizing the whole weapon.

I recall one evening when we'd returned from an exercise, and someone fired a full mag from his Sterling SMG 9mm in a single 32-round burst(blanks) ...LOUD, in a hallway!

So... why didn't you fellers turn off that spindle valve on the M14s??? Save alot of cleaning.

[danski26]

I bet I dumped a couple thousand rounds of blanks in the desert of California and the swamps of NC. Kinda cool to see everyone from Nam to the present day hated firing blanks. Instead of yelling bang bang we would yell peanut,butter,jam. Dumb to think about it now but it kept us entertained. Simple minds are simpley amused......but we are always happy.