Destructive, Dangerous, and Deadly use of Blanks

[wojownik]

Crossing over to the blackpowder world, I've seen a fair amount of not-smart incidents (perhaps not the same "blank" the OP had in mind, but here goes...). In the reenacting world, there are the infamous double and triple charges of black powder, as the primer cap fails to set off. I have measurable hearing loss in my left ear as a result of one guy's carelessness with (at least) a double charge.

I stopped reenacting after that incident (which was the same event I got pelted with some crap coming from the other line - maybe grit or lead debris from a poorly cleaned barrel, or some yahoo put sand/grit in their barrel). Still do living histories to teach kids, but no more playing soldier.

Another time, one fellow was getting frustrated his rifled musket would not fire, so decided to put it down and look down the barrel. Guy next to him in line immediately kicked it out away from him. It went off, on the way to the ground.

One gent left his ramrod in his 1861 musket ... that went aways down field. He was told to go home (never saw him again).

I was on the field for yet another one, but did not actually see the incident. Back in 1998 at 135th Gettysburg, someone fired off a revolver with (ostensibly unbeknownst to him) a squib round still in the barrel - ended up shooting someone else in the neck.

Back in 2007, a French & Indian reenactor fired his musket and sparks from the musket fell into his powder bag igniting the powder which was on his chest. Second and third degree burns resulted.

I can't even imagine the potential for incidents at a WW1/WW2 reeanactment.

 

[Mk VII]

I've seen a couple of injuries in WW2 re-enactment caused by candle wax used to seal homemade blanks. Don't do this at home kids!

 

[brickeyee]

Even black loads are lethal at close range.
Let alone if someone leaves ANYTHING in the bore.
Like a tampion.

 

[bangswitch]

As USAF pointed out, it was Brandon Lee. I'd heard several stories over the years, but the one that finally seemed to be closest to the truth is that the "dummy" rounds they used for a close-up of the gun were actually live rounds with which they had pulled bullets, dumped power and reseated projectiles. Seems that somewhere between than close-up shot and the fatal moment with a blank, some idiot discharged one of the squib rounds, leaving a bullet in the bore.

Death was ruled an accident, but bottom line is it was negligence of multiple parties that resulted in Brandon's death.

It was a squib load that lodged a bullet in the barrel, shot during a scene where the gun was fired for camera effect ( and not pointed at anyone). The gun was not checked, and the following day was loaded with actual blank rounds for a scene where Brandon's character was fired at. The blank round had sufficient force to blow the stuck bullet out of the barrel, and into Brandon Lee.

The property master should have done a safety check of the gun both after the scene where the bullet got stuck, and before the scene when Mr. Lee was hit. I don't remember whether anyone was held culpable or not.

 

[CajunBass]

Not really a "blank" but another no projectal black powder story. While visiting some new friends at their farm, the son was demonstrating how they'd scare teen-agers caught parking on the driveway at night. They'd sneak up behind the car and fire a charge of black powder out of a nice caplock double barrel over the top of the car.

"You can't blow one of these things up you know" the kid told us as he poured powder straight into the barrel. I don't know how much, but it looked like enough to fill the barrel. When he capped it and pulled the trigger there was a BOOM like the hammer of Thor, the gun twisted out of his grip, and he screamed like a little girl. I probably did too. I thought he had blown his hand off. The barrel had split right at the forearm. I mean it was peeled open like a cartoon.

Never did go back over there.

 

[Leanwolf]

SALMONEYE - "Hexum quipped as he pulled the trigger, "I wonder if there is one in here for me"..."

When I lived in Los Angeles, although I did not know Hexum, I knew a couple of actors who had worked with him. The both said he was so dumb he didn't know the difference between germ and German Shepherd.

The day I heard about Hexum and how he killed himself it did not surprise me one bit.

L.W.

 

[Kaeto]

It was a squib load that lodged a bullet in the barrel, shot during a scene where the gun was fired for camera effect ( and not pointed at anyone). The gun was not checked, and the following day was loaded with actual blank rounds for a scene where Brandon's character was fired at. The blank round had sufficient force to blow the stuck bullet out of the barrel, and into Brandon Lee.

The property master should have done a safety check of the gun both after the scene where the bullet got stuck, and before the scene when Mr. Lee was hit. I don't remember whether anyone was held culpable or not.

Actually they had sent the armorer away the day before thinking they didn't need him for the scenes that they were doing that day since they were only using blanks. (and to save having to pay the armorer for that day.)