30-06 brass blanks ??

[Tom-ADC]

Can 30-06 military blanks be reloaded into regular ammo? Shoot the blank round then reload the brass using regular components?
I have 19 M1 clips full of blanks wouldn't mind being able to reuse this brass?

[bruce drake]

crimped or with the paper wads?

I read in Hatcher's that the early cases were made from the cases that were rejected for general purpose loading.

Not sure when your blanks were made but the ones that aren't crimped closed could theorectically be reformed and trimmed to the proper shape if they are determined to be safe for cast/jacketd loads.

Bruce

[Dutchman]

This is a m/1909 Blank .30-06.

Notice there's damage midway down the case. That's a manufacturing defect. USGI m/1909 blanks were made from defective cases. While you may be able to load it and fire safely with live ammo it is generally cautioned against.

The m/1909 Blank is also anymore in very short supply and has more worth as a vintage piece of militaria than as an empty case. Fired '06 are not hard to come by. Get quality brass and don't take unnecessary risks.

http://images52.fotki.com/v1563/photos/2/28344/3886627/blank2_tif7836800848634078941-vi.jpg

[plainsman456]

The wife's cousin made some 8MM out of that type of crimped brass.
He did anneal it after trimming and sizing though.I have several bandoleers of the same blanks just haven't done any thing with them yet,might just save the better bandoleers.

[45 2.1]

This is a m/1909 Blank .30-06.

Notice there's damage midway down the case. That's a manufacturing defect. USGI m/1909 blanks were made from defective cases. While you may be able to load it and fire safely with live ammo it is generally cautioned against.

Yep, that one has a defect. I can show you over a thousand that don't. One wonders just how they sorted all those defective cases out of production runs to load blanks with... now doesn't it. In sectioning and hardness testing of blank brass, they appear to differ little from normal ball loaded brass from the same era or arsenal. They don't act any different with CAST loads either.

[Tom-ADC]

My brass looks like the Dutchman's picture, cases are stamped LC 53 or 54, I don't see any oblivious damage from a manufacturing defect.

[Dutchman]

My brass looks like the Dutchman's picture, cases are stamped LC 53 or 54, I don't see any oblivious damage from a manufacturing defect.

Perhaps not all manufacturing defects are readily visible, ya'think?

Somewhere I read:


Knowledge without understanding is a dangerous thing. For a little knowledge entices us to walk its path, a bit more provides the foundation on which we take our stand, and a sufficient amount can erect a wall of knowledge around us, trapping us in our own ignorance.

The correct and prudent answer to your query:

"While you may be able to load it and fire safely with live ammo it is generally cautioned against."

We are, after all, discussing the liner of a pressure vessel. How much risk are you willing to take if that liner ruptures? For a 10 cent cartridge case?

LC53 = Lake City 1953

When listening to advise from others you will hear two avenues of thought:
1- yes, do it, go for it.
2- no, stop, don't.

So when your toes curl over the edge of the cliff and you're wondering to yourself just exactly what it would feel like to jump off that cliff... at some point on your way down you're going to realize the dude who cautioned you to stop was the better friend of the two.

Unless it involves a hot woman and a cold sixpac of beer I will never advise throwing caution to the wind.

p.s. CMP has solicited .30-06 blanks to be donated to VFW for use at veteran's funerals.

Dutch :?

[Tom-ADC]

Dutch, nice of you to read so much more into my last post then is actually there.
Sorry I posted, gees what a....
BTW I always err to the side of caution, my question was can they be reloaded simple as that.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=155678

[45 2.1]

"While you may be able to load it and fire safely with live ammo it is generally cautioned against."

We are, after all, discussing the liner of a pressure vessel. How much risk are you willing to take if that liner ruptures? For a 10 cent cartridge case? Dutch :?

They caution about a lot of things.......... driving fast, not doing risky things without a lot of experience and so on. Having about 40 years of experience with them I know what happens useing them with cast loads. Its the folks who want to use them at jacketed pressure levels in ill fitting chambers that they're cautioning about. If your really worried about that, looke at a fired blank case and see what expanded and where..... those were loaded with blank powder (a very high pressure fast burning powder unsuitable for any projectile use BTW) and show expansion like a normal cast loads. One wonders how a defective case could be loaded with that kind of powder and be safe. The answer is it is loaded to a lower pressure level.... like most cast loads. My tag line statement stands as is................... Oh, and BTW, how much of that 10 cent 30-06 brass you got to sell at that price? Commercial stuff fails a lot sooner than the military i've used.

[Reg]

The Dutchman speaks words of wisdom. If you were dealing with some special, hard to find brass then you might take a chance but really, 06 is cheap and plentiful. We take enough chances in life , why add to the list.
Also , if I am not mistaken, the Rifleman ran a rather in depth article back in the mid 60's about reloading blank brass and their final word was NO.

:coffeecom

[45 2.1]

If your not comfortable with reloading any brass what-so-ever... then don't. Buy your ammo from the factory just to be safe (ummm, what about that factory ammo recall about unsafe pressures with factory loads).... says a lot, doesn't it. Not much in life is without some risk. I see a lot of unsafe things in print... even here. The NRA doesn't know what anyone will do, except be stupid in some decisions they make. I would assume thats why they recommend people don't do certain things. That organ between your ears allows you to be safe, if you know enough and use it.

[Multigunner]

Only thing I've heard about reloading .30-06 blank cases was that the necks were too stiff. Could be due to the work hardening involved with the deep cannelure and rolled over case mouth.

I don't think I'd use these unless no other brass was available.

As for early use of defective cases, I figure that was more likely the setting aside of lots that did not pass random inspection, or entire shipments from manufacturers known to have supplied defective cases.
There is a book on the Internet Archive that has details of a Congressional investigation into defective ammunition manufactured during WW1.

The surface defects on the blank pictured above look more like marks left by a disintegrating link MG belt, or possibly from striking the edge of an ejection port.

[KCSO]

Please don't shoot the blanks our local VFW's are having a hard time getting themnow and will trade regular 30-06 cases for blanks. BTW I didn't listen in the 70's and had sever BLANK reloads split on me. I don't use them for reloading anymore.

[gnoahhh]

I tied reloading some once and gave up out of frustration. Safety issues not withstanding, they aren't worth the hassle.

Give them to the VFW, or get a blank firing device for your M1 and raise hell on July 4th.

[Hardcast416taylor]

About 25 years back when I was attending a gunshow I bought a neat item. It was a complete length belt of this style blank as Duthchman shows. The rounds were linked for use in a air cooled 1919. The odd part of it is they were Canadien made by CIL. I still have about 200 of the blanks, I sold the MG links years back. So I don`t know if their brass is any better than the stuff ours were made with? Robert

[smkummer]

I have loaded them. Its a little hassle first to expand the neck to accept a ball expander, trim, remove crimped primer but it works. The crimp on the neck is always visible but works itself mostly out. I was reloading them with suplus M2 ball bullets and suplus WC852 fast. After about 5 reloads out of the garand, the rim is pretty beat up.

[Tom-ADC]

Just heard back from the American Legion post in town they can use them. So 19 M1 clips full 8 rounds each to them.

[Shiloh]

Can 30-06 military blanks be reloaded into regular ammo? Shoot the blank round then reload the brass using regular components?
I have 19 M1 clips full of blanks wouldn't mind being able to reuse this brass?

No.

For the reasons stated above. Another thing I read about was the powder used in blanks.
This stuff was wicked fast burning and worked the brass of already rejected cases.

http://www.oncefiredbrass.net/onfiribrper1.html

Buy once fired. It is cheap

Shiloh

[Dutchman]

Description and Rules for the Management of the United States Rifle caliber .30, Model of 1903 from an original 1911 edition in my library.

http://images107.fotki.com/v70/photos/2/28344/3886627/m1909Blankl-vi.jpg

[bigmark2121]

I friend of mine and I made lots of 8mm cases from 30/06 blanks. We use them all the time. I have had nothing but great luck with them.

[Bob S]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Suydamletterblanks.jpg

I'm still reloading and shooting those same "Match" (and other) blanks today. I lost track at 40 reloads. With 15 grains of 2400 and 311291, I expect they will last another couple of generations. ;)

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[725]

All the above not withstanding, I've done it just to see if it could be done. All fired without incident. Experiment / tinkering complete. Never did it again. Too much work.

[Ed in North Texas]

snip

As for early use of defective cases, I figure that was more likely the setting aside of lots that did not pass random inspection snip

That was my thought on how "defective cases" were determined.

Ed