Blanks for M1903 Springfields.

[Krh1326]

Hi all!

Im in new to me, uncharted waters.
Im retired FD Captain. This passed Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony was flawed, by fail to fires, of our M1903s. I don’t think anyone has done any mechanical maintenance to these old girls, other than polishing and cosmetics. I have not examined them or the blanks, as of yet, but I am told the blanks are ancient surplus, likely from 1918, lol.

I plan on:
1) Stripping the bolts/pins and deep cleaning.
2) Finding some .30-06 brass ( I have no .30-06 rifles) and loading primer only, to test cleaned/ lubed
bolt/pins for function.
3) Repair/ replace any pin that fails to function.
4) I located and am ordering a set of Hornady Blank Crimp dies.
5) I plan on hand loading our blanks from this year forward.

I currently have on hand: H335, H110, HP-38, LongShot. I do have some of Dad’s old BP, but I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for. Ongoing research into blanks, is suggesting fast, pistol powders. Can anyone make a recommendation, on what I have on hand, and starting grain? As I will be footing the bills for this, I’d like to see if I can actually make satisfactorily functioning blanks, before I look into purchasing more of a different powder. Cartridge is .30-06.

Thanks for any help, fellas.

[Expat74]

Have you seen this?

https://www.starlinebrass.com/articl...-to-make-ammo/

Hope this helps.

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[Krh1326]

Have you seen this?

https://www.starlinebrass.com/articl...-to-make-ammo/

Hope this helps.

Gesendet von meinem SM-G973F mit Tapatalk

I did! Oddly, that article flies in the face of several others. Most are saying fast, flakey powders, while this one is saying very fine grains and even black powder.

Sorta why Im asking here, for input and opinions.
Thank you for helping.

[BLAHUT]

I would try the old blanks, you have them in your procession, if they fire, the only drawback is they will be corrosive primers, I had some 30/06 from WW1, and the primers still fired.
If it shows a firing pin strike you will be good to go with modern made blanks ????

[Winger Ed.]

If you can find old blanks to salvage the powder from, I'd do that.
Years ago the subject came up about making your own, and people were using Bullseye with good results.

[pworley1]

The ones I have dumped had about 10g (a guess not weighed) of a very fast powder.

[36g]

Unless you are planning on making a lot of blanks it's cheaper just to buy them. Joe Swanson is an excellent source. https://joeswansonsmotionpictureblanks.com/products

[Krh1326]

Unless you are planning on making a lot of blanks it's cheaper just to buy them. Joe Swanson is an excellent source. https://joeswansonsmotionpictureblanks.com/products

If I have the ingredients , and disregard the cost of the crimping die, ( I am that guy, that just needs to own the tools, roflmao , even if I don’t know what it does.) I can’t see buying them as cheaper. At that point, each is a primer, and thimble of powder.

[Krh1326]

The ones I have dumped had about 10g (a guess not weighed) of a very fast powder.

That is about what I’m finding thus far. Im thinking 10g H110 might be my starting point.
I thank you sir.

[45DUDE]

I have 100 factory in a belt. I think they have red sealer.

[36g]

I have 100 factory in a belt. I think they have red sealer.

If military, those would be M1909 blanks. If with red card wads they would have been produced prior to about 1998. U.S. and Canada produced them similarly. If star crimped and sealed with red lacquer they were probably produced after the U.S. restarted the production line in about 1998, primarily for U.S. Veterans groups honor guards. The loading was the same just the crimp was different.

[FredBuddy]

HA !

KRH, I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do this.

Same problem, lots of misfires with milsurp blanks. Took a bunch home,
saved the dumped powder, removed the primers and swaged the pockets.
New primers. Mixed old pull down powders and added 25-50% Red Dot.
23 grs of mixed powder gave the proper report. Topped with a good wad
of dacron, use a heavy roll crimp. There's more to it than this brief description.
PM me if you want more info.

[Larry Gibson]

That is about what I’m finding thus far. Im thinking 10g H110 might be my starting point.
I thank you sir.

H110 will probably not be satisfactory. It is a slow burning pistol powder that need a certain pressure level to burn cleanly. That will not occur in the blanks. I suggest you try 10 gr of the HP38 of the powders you have. Better would be to get Bullseye or Red Dot and try 10 gr of either.

Also, don't hesitate to try 7.62 NATO blanks. I have donated them to a couple honor guards for use in their M1903s. Most often they chamber as is but can be FL sized in an '06 FL die with the decap/expander rod removed. Headspace isn't an issue when fed from the M1903 magazine as the extractor holds them against the bolt face.

[georgerkahn]

So sorry to read of your FTFs! My best friend for years, Hughie, produced '06 blanks for pretty much all the military groups which employed them both for funereal duty as well as memorial events in our region. Again, sadly, he passed -- and I was unable to locate the location of the dies he had and used. However, I had a thought which may or may not be worth a try. (I was going to write, "worth a shot" instead of "worth a try" but even for me that's toooo bad a pun ).
Anyhoos, a while back I got into shooting WAX bullets in .38, .44, and .45 handguns. Why not take a cleaned case with a fresh (I only use CCI #34 primers in my Garands) primer seated; add maybe 4.6 grains (Hughie's load) of Bullseye with dacron to almost fill the case -- and a WAX "bullet" inserted? To make the wax bullet, use a saw, pipe cutter, or similar to cut the head off a clean .30-'06 case. Using a double boiler, outdoors if possible, melt some canning wax in a small pan, so it would be -- I'd guess! -- about 3/6" thick. When cool, simply press the case you removed the head from into the wax, and after pulling it out, push out the "bullet" with a piece of wood dowel. Then, simply hand insert the wax bullet into your primed, charged, and topped with Dacron case.
This kind of works, and has worked well, for Cowboy Action shooters with their handguns... why not in the Springfields and Garands? Of course, re M1s, you will need use blank firing adapters, or -- better yet, just remove the gas plug, if you also have Garands. These rifles will now work as "single shot" -- the op rod handle will eject case -- and you will be able to insert a following round and fire. I've never seen "rapid fire" employed for ceremonial use.
Just a thought to hopefully make things work. Surely they'd work as well in your bolt-guns (1903's). Also, you indicated you have no cases; if you get desperate -- PM me -- and perhaps I can gift you a few...
geo

[Krh1326]

All great info! I thank you all!

Wax, huh? I will admit I’ve played with that 1 step further. Think Lee mold and hot glue gun. ‘Nuff said, lmao.
For liability reasons, during a crowded parade and highly attended service, my Dept, District and Commissioners will only go for properly crimped blanks, without any object, even a felt wad, that could possibly fly.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Back in the days of western style fast draw competition, wax bullets, propelled by just a primer were common. They can leave a welt, even break skin, certainly take out an eye, with JUST A PRIMER. Also used for short range indoor target practice, just paraffin for jelly/jam making, warm to soften and shove case into wax, came in blocks, about 1/2 inch thick 2"x4", 4 to the pack (? been awhile). Would be just shooting into the air with them.

[georgerkahn]

All great info! I thank you all!

Wax, huh? I will admit I’ve played with that 1 step further. Think Lee mold and hot glue gun. ‘Nuff said, lmao.
For liability reasons, during a crowded parade and highly attended service, my Dept, District and Commissioners will only go for properly crimped blanks, without any object, even a felt wad, that could possibly fly.

Just for info only, Krh1326, during a military funeral at a nearby cemetery six or seven years back one of the presenters had an unplanned (for lack of a better word) discharge -- his (stupid!!!) finger was on trigger of cocked Springfield -- and a fellow presenter was but four to five feet distant. As he raised arm, it fired. Fortunately (?) the arm was pointed such that the adjacent fellow got the "gas discharge" near the very top of a shoulder. Bion, he sustained quite the bruise, and his uniform was permanently stained. Yup -- had it been but a few inches higher -- bare skin, and/or even an eye -- SERIOUS, possibly permanant damage would have been done. I "hear" the reasoning by your "Dept, District and Commissioners " -- but I know -- first hand -- just a crimped .'06 case fired does also present something NOT to be in front of!