From: "Hugh Bellars", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<The Aliens Pulse rifles were fully operational Thompson
M1s using vicious .45ACP blanks made by BMS who then
became Perdix. >
There was also a grenade launcher on the pulse rifle
which seemed to be made from the front end of a SPAS12
shotgun. These pulse rifles were certainly an
impressive feature of the film - certainly the most
eye-catching firearms that I can recall seeing on the
screen, with perhaps the Robocop gun (a
modified Beretta 93R) a close second!
I've often wondered how the blanks are constructed for
the self-loading and full-auto firearms that are used
in films. My guess is that they might be made from
cut-down 7.62 brass for 0.45ACP and 5.56 for 9mm, so
that the crimp can form an ogive to allow reliable
feeding. Or is special 'blank' brass available to the
theatrical companies? I imagine that these firearms
would also require modification to achieve reliable
functioning. I suppose that a baffle inside the barrel
and/or lightened springs as well as perhaps
the removal of the locking lugs for short-recoil
pistols would be required.
I believe that theatrical blanks use different
compositions to military blanks - I would imagine that
the military would have little use for a 1 foot long
muzzle flash! I seem to remember reading somewhere
that the theatrical armourers jealously guard the
particular pyrotechnic recipes that they use.
If it's not revealing too many trade secrets, perhaps
Guy could enlighten us a bit more.
Best wishes,
Hugh Bellars
--
I know a bit about it, there are several different
methods for the blanks and the blank adaptation.
One Glock I've seen essentially had a rod screwed
into the barrel with a small hole through it, then
the corner at the front of the chamber was ground off.
Thus you need less power to cycle the action, and
they use powders which create a big flash, enough
of it getting through the hole in the rod.
Most conversions work in a similar way, you
restrict the muzzle or something so that there is
enough power for the blank to cycle the action.
The difference between a military BFA and Hollywood
is you still need a muzzle flash, so it requires
careful measuring of holes and so on, and careful
loading of blanks.
Blanks are handloaded, quite often the gun is
rechambered for a different calibre than the
original to get it to work. There all kinds
of different blanks, crimped, open ended,
sub calibre, you name it, it's been tried!
Tim LaFrance is heavily into making movie prop guns,
he has a website but there's not much on it about
his blank guns.
Do a websearch on "Stembridge" and you will get a
zillion hits on the subject.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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