The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Blank gun

James K · August 12, 2007, 09:43 PM

You won't run into trouble with that small of a powder charge, but if you go bigger you could get into problems. IIRC, common steel pipe is only rated to about 2000 psi and you can get that much from just a charge of black powder without any projectile at all. (Pressure builds from the inertia of the powder charge itself, and the fact that it makes noise means there is pressure, small though it may be.)

So, my feeling is that using pipe to make a blank gun is NOT safe.

Jim

August 12, 2007, 09:43 PM	#8
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	You won't run into trouble with that small of a powder charge, but if you go bigger you could get into problems. IIRC, common steel pipe is only rated to about 2000 psi and you can get that much from just a charge of black powder without any projectile at all. (Pressure builds from the inertia of the powder charge itself, and the fact that it makes noise means there is pressure, small though it may be.) So, my feeling is that using pipe to make a blank gun is NOT safe. Jim