50 BMG Blank brass reload?

[Budzilla 19]

Ok, I know this has been covered before, but I can’t find it anywhere!
Can you reload 50 bmg blank brass to full power reloads?
I have a line on some blank brass, just wondering if it can be done, ( and the process),or am I just whistling in the wind?
Thanks in advance for any and all answers, criticism, and advice!

[BK7saum]

I dont know. I have used 5.56 blank brass to cut down for 300 blk ammunition.

Depending on where the neck is crimped will be the key. I wouldn't trust a crimped neck to straighten/smooth out to use for a cartridge. If thr brass is longer and crimped past the neck, then maybe. Others will need to weigh in on whether there is any strength issue with the blank brass.

Bump for your query.

[36g]

All of the .50 BMG blanks that I have seen were normal length brass that had been star-crimped. Star-crimping weakens the brass neck significantly. Consequently, I would stay away from using it for live ammo reloads. There is a general agreement amongst blank loading people that even using for blank reloads is a bad idea due to concerns for throwing one of the crimp petals out through a blank adapter.

[Winger Ed.]

Star-crimping weakens the brass neck significantly. Consequently, I would stay away from using it for live ammo reloads.

^^^^This^^^^^

Back when I was shooting and loading .50BMG, I had a couple of fired blanks that sort of came to me.
The crimp had real hard creases and just messing around- I started working the neck open and the creases split.

[SOFMatchstaff]

The only use I found for the blanks cases was making the spotter/tracer cases. the crimp doesnt come out well at all, and the few I did fire came out with multiple splits. End up making bottle openers out of them... selling them for more than a loaded round.

[Mk42gunner]

All of the .50 BMG blanks that I have seen were normal length brass that had been star-crimped. Star-crimping weakens the brass neck significantly. Consequently, I would stay away from using it for live ammo reloads. ...

I wouldn't use it.

Robert

[tom catman]

i cut split neck cases for 20mm bullets by shortening them and forming into a projectile full of lead shot. a 20mm vulcan frangible.

[15meter]

Never having fooled with 50 BMG, my guess at rescuing the brass would be to fully anneal the case neck then try fire forming to blow the neck out.

I have no idea on the price of primers, I have a fairly generous supply of standard large and small rifle and pistol primers for just such machinations.

Recycled from "other people" reloads that I don't trust, primers that have been given to me that are in medicine pill bottles. I was given a hundred .243's that had been in a flooded basement. Those kinds of primers.

Don't know if such wierdness is available in 50 BMG primers. Or a guess on where to start on a fire forming load.

10 grains of Unique seems to work in blowing out 30-06 to other stuff, 50 BMG is just an overgrown 06' right?

20 grains to start?

I've got Unique in cans that are pre-zip code. Perfect fodder for experimental stuff. And I like to experiment, keeps the neighbors nervous.

Near southeast Michigan?

Need more tall tales for the gun club.

[Budzilla 19]

Gentlemen, thank you very much for all the replies! Back burner for this project forever!

Sincerely, Thanks guys.

[elmacgyver0]

You do what you gotta do, but if I "HAD" to do this, I would make sure the necks were properly annealed first.

[15meter]

Gentlemen, thank you very much for all the replies! Back burner for this project forever!

Sincerely, Thanks guys.

Bummer, I wanted a report on fire forming 50 BMG:brokenima

[Mk42gunner]

I'm not too sure even 20 grains of Unique would fully fireform .50 BMG brass. All that I can remember seeing (even blank brass) is very thick.
Robert

[15meter]

I'm not too sure even 20 grains of Unique would fully fireform .50 BMG brass. All that I can remember seeing (even blank brass) is very thick.
Robert

I'm just guessing, it would be a cool experiment, surprised it hasn't been tried. I suspect it would REALLY get the neighbors attention. KABOOM!!!!! My kinda evening entertainment.

[yeahbub]

It's been some years, but from what I've read about ammunition criteria used by Uncle Sam, brass used for blanks is permitted to have greater variation in hardness than top quality stuff used for live ammo and was generally made from lots that were substandard. US blank brass may or may not be able to withstand full pressures, so I stayed away from using them for anything other than noise. I don't know if that also applies to grenade-launching blanks intended for rifle grenades, but those were rare to see.

The Swedes, I had read, go by a policy that if it goes bang, it has to be top quality cartridge brass. So, the people who bought crates of that 6.5x55mm wooden bullet blank ammo have brass they can pull the wooden bullets from, set that blank powder aside, charge with rifle powders and seat a bullet without concerns as to whether it will take it. Sure wish I had bought a crate or two while it was 3 cents a round. Imagine that, new noncorrosive-primed cases ready to load - and a supply of pull-down powder possibly useful for light pistol loads.