Pistol Carry Condition

**Robstafarian** · Posted On: 2/11/2011 11:15pm

Originally Posted by donoraen

Maybe a blank as your first round for a quazi safety?

For some pistol calibers, blanks are enormously loud. I had trouble believing that a blank would be louder than loaded ammunition, but I've seen more than one source of .45ACP blanks explicitly labeled as such.

Furthermore, most semi-automatics wouldn't cycle properly after firing a blank.

**donoraen** · Posted On: 2/12/2011 12:41am

I was actually thinking about an older revolver. And if I actually have to pull a gun chances are loudness wouldn't be a problem. I didn't know that most semi-automatics malfunctioned with blanks, do you know why?

**chainpunch** · Posted On: 2/12/2011 7:50am

You need something in front of the explosion like the bullet itself or a blank adaptor to stop the gasses from going out the barrel so quickly in order to cycle the weapon.

**donoraen** · Posted On: 2/12/2011 7:03pm

Thanks.

**Lord Skeletor** · Posted On: 2/12/2011 8:44pm

Originally Posted by chainpunch

You need something in front of the explosion like the bullet itself or a blank adaptor to stop the gasses from going out the barrel so quickly in order to cycle the weapon.

Yep...many guns are plugged to some degree to restrict the gases in the barrel to help move the slide back and forth. For maximum training effect with blanks, use a "starter gun" (not a firearm) which is chambered in .22. Get yourself some .22 short blanks (pretty cheap) and have at it.

**Robstafarian** · Posted On: 2/13/2011 12:03am

Originally Posted by donoraen

Maybe a blank as your first round for a quazi safety?

Getting back to this question, which I forgot to address directly, I think carrying a blank as your first round would actually reduce safety. Firstly, you'd have to get past the first round to defend yourself. Secondly, you'd allow yourself to develop unsafe habits because you know you have a blank under the hammer—which makes you dangerous.

**donoraen** · Posted On: 2/13/2011 12:51am

Originally Posted by Robstafarian

Getting back to this question, which I forgot to address directly, I think carrying a blank as your first round would actually reduce safety. Firstly, you'd have to get past the first round to defend yourself. Secondly, you'd allow yourself to develop unsafe habits because you know you have a blank under the hammer—which makes you dangerous.

Makes sense, I just heard it being used as a safety and thought it was kind of strange and wondered what the gun community thought about it.