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Local VFW funeral detail woes

1K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  Outdoordave 
#1 ·
I lunch w/local Vets on Thursday. Main Man told me that their funeral details blanks refused to fire on several recent grave side ceremonial occasions. He claims the open ended ones worked fine, but they ran out & resorted to crimped tipped ones that they have had trouble with previously & now is worse.

Can anyone direct me to a source of recent mfgr 30-06 blanks???

Or if you have some to contribute, I will pick up the shipping cost.

Commander
VFW Post 4464
134 Third Ave.
Gallipolis, Ohio, 45631

PJH
 
#2 ·
They may want to check the condition of the rifles before blaming the blanks. Local VFW went through a similar episode several years ago and the problem was that none of them could remember the last time the rifles had been cleaned. The sad state the rifles had been left in proved what the problem was.
 
#9 ·
Contacts?

Has any member checked with their military contacts? Had the issue of no blanks here, but were then supplied with new manufacturered 1909 style blanks.
Also agree with giving the rifles a good going over for cleaning and condition.
 
#10 ·
Another vote for 'clean the weapons'....I used to clean the drill guns for a local American Legion. They were filthy, rusted and loose. The 'honor guard' crew was more concerned with getting drunk than maintaining their weapons. I stopped servicing them after the guys just assumed I was their cleaning boy and they stopped oiling or even unloading them after a funeral.
 
#11 ·
TACOM Life Management Command (old Detroit Tank Arsenal) supplys new made M1909 blanks to vet organizations through RIA, who have ceremonial rifles loaned to them by the Army.

We have not had any trouble with the ones we have been issued with head stamp LC 12 these have the 6 petal crimp. DO NOT USE ANY WITH THE 5 PETAL CRIMP AS THEY ARE GRENADE LAUNCHING CARTRIDGES AND WILL SERIOUSLY DAMAGE BOTH THE RIFLE AND SHOOTER. In May 2013 2 Ohio American Legion members at a grave side service were seriously injured when grenade launching cartridges were fired in M1 rifles with BFA's. The current style BFA replaces the gas cylinder lock and only has a very small hole at the muzzle to build up enough pressure to cycle the M1's. The grenade launching cartridge over pressured the the rifles and blew them up. The new made M1909 blanks are very dirty but non-corrosive.

RIA will issue blanks to vets organizations who have loaned rifles. e-mail me if the vet org has loaned rifles and I will send the contact info on ordering.
 
#16 ·
Blanks

I think they only have Garands.......not sure, but I will ask. Have no idea if they own or are loaners.

I really dont know how in depth a search they have done for blanks, this may have come up all of a sudden. This was a topic of discussion over lunch on Thursday. He asked me as he knows I have a bigger gun collection...... I have .308 blanks from many years ago, but I would have to lend them .308 rifles to use them. I will if it comes to that..........

Bar.....they have one here, but it seems to be more of a supplier of soft drinks to the dining room than anything else. All of the events I have attended were straight up military oriented........ This is a by the book commander.!!!!

PJH
 
#17 ·
I think they only have Garands.......not sure, but I will ask. Have no idea if they own or are loaners.

I really dont know how in depth a search they have done for blanks, this may have come up all of a sudden. This was a topic of discussion over lunch on Thursday. He asked me as he knows I have a bigger gun collection...... I have .308 blanks from many years ago, but I would have to lend them .308 rifles to use them. I will if it comes to that..........

Bar.....they have one here, but it seems to be more of a supplier of soft drinks to the dining room than anything else. All of the events I have attended were straight up military oriented........ This is a by the book commander.!!!!

PJH[/QUOTe


If the rifles are loaned to them by the Army they can get all the blanks they need FREE maximum 2480 rounds minimum 1240 rounds.. Any info on the head stamps on the misfiring ammo?
 
#18 ·
I cleaned 8 Garands belonging to our local Legion a few months back. They hadn't been cleaned in years and were a mess. I checked all of the parts and headspacing. 5 of them had bad gas nuts - the threads were almost gone. Fortunately the DCM sent us new ones - they were great about it. We shouldn't have missfires this year as in the past - we still have a few cans of the open end blanks stashed away - they've always been reliable.

Side note- as a reenactor I've dealt with Atlantic Wall Blanks numerous times - should you go that route they can tell you the spec's on their blanks and the recommended hole diameter in the BFA to operate a Garand.
 
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