[Irate]

i have acquired quite a few military 5.56mm blanks and I have been able to open them up, trim them and use them for brass. I emptied the powder out and I have not used it for anything yet because I have no idea what it is therefore I don't know how fast it is going to burn. I can tell you that it is a flake-type powder, most likely a pistol powder. Anyone know what it is or where to find out what it is? Any info is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

i

[M ammo]

Irate, on Oct 13 2009, 10:51 AM, said:

i have acquired quite a few military 5.56mm blanks and I have been able to open them up, trim them and use them for brass. I emptied the powder out and I have not used it for anything yet because I have no idea what it is therefore I don't know how fast it is going to burn. I can tell you that it is a flake-type powder, most likely a pistol powder. Anyone know what it is or where to find out what it is? Any info is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

i

Let that powder go! Unless you really have a good way to test the burn rate.
More than likely that powder is a bulk, powder that they make by the dump truck load, they test it and calculate how much they need to put in for a given load. , to make the power factor, or FPS in loaded ammunition..
Use it until they run out,, and make another huge batch and do it again,,
Jim M ammo

[chirpy]

I've heard GP makes good fertilizer, try it on your lawn.

Richard

[JimmyZip]

chirpy, on Oct 13 2009, 11:12 AM, said:

I've heard GP makes good fertilizer, try it on your lawn.

Richard

Heard this on this forum and found this to be true. Just don't put it on things you intend to eat. The Hibiscus loved it, so did the rose bushes.

[Guy Neill]

Generally, blanks use powder intended for - blanks. It's normally much to quick burning for use with projectiles. Discard it safely.

Guy

[BMartens]

Get rid of the powder, it is good for blanks and nothing else. This follows the rules on never using any unidentifired powder. IRATE is correct on it being bulk, blended powder designed to produce enough pressure to operate the gas system of an M16/M4 or SAW with a little flash and bang added.

Also, the manufacturing standards for blank ammo is way below the standard for centerfire ammunition so I would not use the brass either.

May be urban legend but, I have heard that blanks are assembled from brass that doesn't make the grade for real ammo. That's real old information and maybe somebody on the forum knows more about how blanks are produced today.

I just remember hearing and reading that you should never use blank powder or brass for regular reloading under any circumstances.

FWIW.

[Irate]

BMartens, on Oct 13 2009, 10:42 PM, said:

Get rid of the powder, it is good for blanks and nothing else. This follows the rules on never using any unidentifired powder. IRATE is correct on it being bulk, blended powder designed to produce enough pressure to operate the gas system of an M16/M4 or SAW with a little flash and bang added.

Also, the manufacturing standards for blank ammo is way below the standard for centerfire ammunition so I would not use the brass either.

May be urban legend but, I have heard that blanks are assembled from brass that doesn't make the grade for real ammo. That's real old information and maybe somebody on the forum knows more about how blanks are produced today.

I just remember hearing and reading that you should never use blank powder or brass for regular reloading under any circumstances.

FWIW.

I have done many many measurements on the brass i got from the blanks and the only difference I can find is blank brass is much thicker, making the volume less. I think this brass would work fine for light 223 loads. As for the powder, i will have to do some burn tests and see what comes up. All I know is who over had the theory that this powder is left over from live rounds that is most definitely false. I have broke apart military live 5.56mm rounds and that powder looks like its around IMR 4198 given the amount they put inside. This blank ammo is very obviously something that is much faster, like pistol powder (mentioned above). I am almost positive they have completely different powders for the live rounds than the blanks.

So really? No one has any idea what the military loads blanks with? I thought for sure someone would come out and say "Oh Yeah it's 20 grains of Green Dot" or something like that. Oh well, it was worth a shot. If nothing else it will be good for homemade fireworks. Thanks anyway guys

i

[waxman]

I would run a long trail up the drive way, and throw a match to it. believe me, it sucks wasting this kind of stuff. I once traded a rifle to a guy, for a 4' X 4' box of reloading components. In the box was a 12 lb can of Red Dot powder. I was so excited that I made such a great trade. I opened the can when I got home, only to relize , it is not red dot, I still have the can of unknown powder. It just is not worth the risk.

[Guy Neill]

Okay, let's try again. It's BLANK powder. It's a very fast burning powder intended ONLY for BLANKS!

Do not use it for projectiles. PERIOD!

Guy

[Carlos]

Guy Neill, on Oct 14 2009, 06:59 AM, said:

Okay, let's try again. It's BLANK powder. It's a very fast burning powder intended ONLY for BLANKS!

Do not use it for projectiles. PERIOD!

Guy

Other than blanks, I can think of only ONE other possible firearms related use (though I have not tried it): fire-forming brass. DO NOT USE ANY PROJECTILE! (actually, none is required for such forming). Of course, less=more in any sort of risky venture such as this.

Or pour it on the lawn - that is sure to "work."

[NuJudge]

I have no experience with 5.56mm blanks, but I do have some with 7.62mm blanks. The brass they used was considerably lighter sectioned than the cases used on ball ammo.

I have a lot of Boxer primed 7.62mm blanks which I'm afraid to do anything with.

CDD

[Graham Smith]

This discussion sounds a lot like:

I have some pills in a bottle without a label. They look like aspirin and I have a headache. How many should I take and how often?

[M ammo]

M ammo, on Oct 13 2009, 11:57 AM, said:

Irate, on Oct 13 2009, 10:51 AM, said:

i have acquired quite a few military 5.56mm blanks and I have been able to open them up, trim them and use them for brass. I emptied the powder out and I have not used it for anything yet because I have no idea what it is therefore I don't know how fast it is going to burn. I can tell you that it is a flake-type powder, most likely a pistol powder. Anyone know what it is or where to find out what it is? Any info is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

i

Let that powder go! Unless you really have a good way to test the burn rate.
More than likely that powder is a bulk, powder that they make by the dump truck load, they test it and calculate how much they need to put in for a given load. , to make the power factor, or FPS in loaded ammunition..
Use it until they run out,, and make another huge batch and do it again,,
Jim M ammo

I will add,,,, if you posted this ,,,,, you don't have a good way to test it.

We are not in a A survivalist thunder dome survival existence..
You might have to be persistent but you can still buy Ammo. Brass powder, primers and bullets.

Military blanks, are not worth the effort. you are pushing the line. FATE should not be messed with.

[calishootr]

As i recall from my military days, there is also a thin perforated line aroundthe base of the blank's case that i was told was put there to prevent just such a thing from occuring, the case WILL separate at that line if pressures from trying to reload the brass with anything other than the blank charge...load it to normal 5.56 pressures and you will morethan likely have a nasty casehead separation that mite involve a whole lot of gunsmithingto get it out??? is it worth all that, when you can hit any public range in america and spend 20 minutes looking for used range brass???

also on a safety note, since i live in a state where the lawyers outnumber the population 3 to 1, if per chance you are still inclinded to do this, remember this, if somthing happens, and hopefully noone will get hurt by this stunt, but if someone does, 2 things....1. it puts another black mark on irrisponsible firearms ownership that the media will jump all over, and 2...the lawyers of the other injured parties will be all overthis like white on rice.....

do us all a favor and just scrounge some 'normal brass, pony up the money for reloading manual and some powder that will do the job within applicable safety limits....

[GentlemanJim]

If you have very much of the powder...I think I would keep it (labeled for what it is )
Someday you may find a use for it

No way I would reload the brass
Jim

[GentlemanJim]

In retrospect

I just remembered this cool little golf ball launching device...it uses those blanks

This I think would be the best all around use for them
Jim

[Dan Sierpina]

GentlemanJim, on Oct 15 2009, 02:03 PM, said:

In retrospect

I just remembered this cool little golf ball launching device...it uses those blanks

This I think would be the best all around use for them
Jim

.308 blanks launch beer cans filled with water and frozen a long way

[redmanfixit]

Wow So much Negativity!! Using unlabeled propellant is no problem!! Easy as 123!!!

1. Buy a fully instrumented pressure gun. I wouldn't know where you could buy one, you may need to build it. You might check with J. Morris Metal. He seems to be able to build ANYTHING so I'd check with him. A computer system to monitor the output of the piezoelectric sensors and related equipment required to develop a pressure curve over a range of projectile masses and case volumes for your unknown propellant. For starters.

2. Persuade a manufacturer like Alliant , Remington or Winchester Western to share the database of readings for the pressure guns they run, over a significant engineering sample of, oh let's say, 10,000 to 100,000 cycles just to be certain that you have properly calibrated your equipment. Or be prepared to run test batches for each case volume and projectile mass of at least 500 cycles just to be fairly safe. Oh don't forget to introduce reasonable environmental temperature variations representative of those you are likely to encounter in places you'll be wanting to use the ammo you build. Remember, some propellants in some cases, at certain weights of projectile, propellant and case volume, show a tendency to detonate if the muzzle is pointed down as opposed to muzzle up before firing. Quirky little factors like this are among a few of the the little surprises you'll have to anticipate to be certain you don't end up with little bits of expensive steel and aluminum whizzing past your head!! Anybody can do it!!

3. Hmm....I can't remember what number 3 was. After I figured out what I'd have to do to use up that 4# jug of (Damn this stuff looks just like IMR 4895) I lost interest and decided to buy another gun I'd always wanted and go shoot it. Cheaper in every way I could think of!! This also caused me to be VERY grateful to the fussy old bastards that really got serious about hand loading after WWII and generated all the load tables I can use to whip up something I can run in my Glock or my AR without blowing it up and embarrassing myself in front of my friends!! I don't know if you have friends like mine, but it'd be less painful to die than have to listen to them remind me of something like that, every time they saw me, till I died anyway!

If I ever remember what #3 was I will edit this post.

P.S. If I sound like a smart ass here, it's because I am. Listen to some of the more reasonable respondents to your post and flare it off for some kids or something without telling them what you're doing or where it came from so they don't get any bad ideas!!

[Boats]

It's a cost vs risk question. My powders cost about a nickle a load. So free unknown powder saves 5 cents a shot. Risk is undefined but could include ruining your gun and injurng yourself.

Boats