Phase two for my son the track coach

[PapaG]

Phase one was coming up with a way to "remanufacture" .32 blanks for about $10/200 versus $40/50. Done.
Phase two was taking three old Italian .32 blank guns that didn't work and make one that did. Cheap stuff, almost all zamak or whatever castings. One would cock, had no ejector rod. One had a good cylinder, wouldn't stay cocked...broken tip on hammer notch. Last had good action, no cylinder rod, ejector rod or spring.
Picked, chose, fitted, cleaned....did I say cleaned...these are used with black powder blanks..and assembled one using the best of the parts available.
No big project, no major talent needed, but saved the school another hundred bucks...(and parochial schools don't have much money anyway).
Now to see if there are any parts available for the "Precision International Starter Revolver" so I can build a backup or two.
Did find online that they make a starter gun that uses 209 shotshell primers. That would solve several problems: no black powder fouling and about $36/1000 for ammo.

 

[RecoilRob]

The only problem with 209 starter gun would be the lack of visual 'puff' which the timers need to start their clocks in outdoor competition. Indoors or where electronic timing is used you don't need the visuals and a primer would be loud enough for the runners to get the idea that it was time to start running.

 

[PapaG]

The only problem with 209 starter gun would be the lack of visual 'puff' which the timers need to start their clocks in outdoor competition. Indoors or where electronic timing is used you don't need the visuals and a primer would be loud enough for the runners to get the idea that it was time to start running.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[LoneGoose]

I would think you only need a single-shot zip gun.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I would think a cap 'n ball revolver or even a single shot cap percussion gun would serve the purpose.

 

[PapaG]

I would think a cap 'n ball revolver or even a single shot cap percussion gun would serve the purpose.

Too slow to load as the events run pretty fast, plus in our state they are classified as real firearms and thus prohibited on most campuses. Sad, huh?

 

[Kp321]

How about modifying a 32 case to take a 209 primer and filling the case with flour or lime to give a visual signal?

 

[PapaG]

How about modifying a 32 case to take a 209 primer and filling the case with flour or lime to give a visual signal?

Easy, if I had a lathe. Actually, my way with pistol primers, black powder and a card wad works fine. Gonna post on a site asking for old blank guns to stockpile parts.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Cap 'n ball regulated is as modern firearms is sad PapaG.

 

[PapaG]

Cap 'n ball regulated is as modern firearms is sad PapaG.

Most everything about gun laws in Illinois is sad. Rammed through in Chicago by lefties who control the house, senate, and likely soon the governor's seat. We have about seven or eight really bad laws coming up for votes.
Hell, even air guns over .177 cal or 600 fps are GUNs.

 

[4v50 Gary]

So sad. Can revolvers modified so as not to accept cartridges (and barrel plugged and drilled) but only Speer plastic bullets (the ones that take only primers) OK for sports?

 

[MikeInOr]

I would think a cap 'n ball revolver or even a single shot cap percussion gun would serve the purpose.

The first shot starts the race. Two shots follow immediately if someone false starts... to stop the runners and bring everyone back to the starting line.

My high school had electronic starting of the timer way back in the 1980's. There was a little transducer that slipped over the solid barrel of the starting gun. The shot would trigger the transducer and start the timer. 8 buttons, one for each lane, with 8 officials recorded when the runners crossed the finish line. Official 1 would hit the button for first place, official 2 would record second place, etc... Kind of crude but it worked.

I wonder how difficult it would be to convert an old Saturday night special into a starting gun? The cylinder would have to be shortened so it couldn't hold live ammunition and the barrel would have to be replaced with solid bar stock. The solid barrel would have to protrude through the frame far enough that it would prohibit the cylinder lining up a cartridge with the firing pin if a live (longer) round were loaded. Probably drill the frame out so it couldn't be refitted with a shootable barrel. Of course some dandy pearl grips would have to be added. I wonder if such changes would qualify with the ATF as demilled and no longer a fire arm? Seems like it would be a fun project if you could find a functional beat up old revolver cheap enough.

I had no idea that blanks were so expensive at near a dollar a piece. Are they the same blanks that they use for powder charged nail guns?

 

[Mizar]

The main thing here is that the OP wants this project to be as cheap as possible. PapaG, if you don't want to bother with reloading, .380R blanks can be found for less than $20 for 50 cartridges - have seen some Turkish blanks go for $17. The problem here is that they have different chamber dimensions than .38Spl/.357 Magnum, so a live firing gun cannot be easily converted - it will require a new cylinder, or sleeving the chambers and reducing the headspace. BTW, on the C.I.P. site you can find the chamber/cartridge drawings if interested.

Just for the fun of it - a picture of what starter guns were used in the 2004 Olympics in Greece: