blanks in an M16........?

Question

You can still hurt someone right? I saw on mythbusters that when they held up a gun with blanks in it to a manican and shot it, it blew the head to bits.

I'm playing "war games" and learning stuff from the SP's tomorrow and we're using M16's with blanks and the little red things at the tip of the gun, but I still think it's dangerous. Am I just paranoid?

Answer 1

Essentially, blanks are the regular cartridge, but instead of the shell (the pointy bit, otherwise known as the bullet), there is a round circle of cardboard. The gun still fires as usual, but is much lighter (how arnold can shoot a big gun with one hand). In theory, the cardboard should be burned and harmless, but for the first second or so, it's still dangerous. So, it's a yes and no. If you're wearing proper protective gear and are more than a foot from the person who's firing at you, you should be fine.

An aside: A bullet has three main parts, the shell (the one that kills people) the cartridge (what holds the gunpowder) and a starter (what the hammer hits and what ignites the gunpowder). For hollywood, if they show somebody loading bullets into a gun, they use bullets with deactivated starters, no gunpowder and regular shells. Then, for firing, they use blanks.

I would say that you should express your concern to whoever is running the wargames and see what they say. they could be using a special setup, i don't know.

I know that was complicated, but best of luck!

-Belril

Answer 2

You are quite correct. The blank cartridge is actually plugged by a piece of wax which is projected out the end of the barrel at a high velocity if there is no adapter in place. With the adapter in place it is safe, but even then there is usually a 5-10 feet safety margin put into effect. There is not enough "blowback" from the cartridge to recycle the bolt without the adapter so you would only get one shot before you would have to recharge the weapon. But that is dangerous enough. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TREAT THIS WEAPON AS IF IT WAS LOADED - AT ALL TIMES - empty, blanks or with live ammo!!!

Answer 3

I know that without a blank adapter you can shoot a cleaning rod into a turkey. My first week at 4th RTB out with Merrills platoon stroking Ranger students, my squad leader actually killed a turkey with a cleaning rod shot out of an M-14. Damnedest thing I'd ever seen. The suppressors for an M-16 are actually over engineered safe. You have nothing to worry about just follow the safety regs mentioned by the other posters.

Answer 4

The little red thing on the end is called a blank adapter, and it prevents people from getting hurt, because yes with out that blank adapter the explosion of gun powder would be projected out of the muzzle and cause injurys up close.

Answer 5

The little red things will keep you safe from the gas from the blank that's what it's there for. It also tells others that you have blanks in the gun and not live rounds.

Answer 6

The Blank adaptors are used to minimalize the risk from the blanks. However there is still a slight risk associated from using blanks, but I'm sure they will brief you on safety before your exercise.

Answer 7

Blanks are not a serious threat beyond a short distance. However at close range hot burning powder can injury to skin and eyes (0-10 ft appr.)

Answer 8

The blank adapters on the rifle will prevent injury as long as you follow the safety precautions your instructors should brief you on.

Simply do not shoot at somebody less that 8 feet away and everything will be fine.

Answer 9

you have nothing to really worry about unless someone takes the blank adapter off and puts it to you head.

There is this cool trick where you can put a cleaning rod down the barrel and fire a blank and kill snakes and stuff with it.....But thats not recomended and you didn't hear about it from me.

Answer 10

ya ...dont put it to close to someone.flames still come out but no danger at 20feet