Anyone loading 223/5.56 blanks for a can cannon?

I ended up ordering a can cannon from F5 manufacturing along with 200rds of M200 blanks. The blanks are pricey at $40 per 100.
I figured I can load them for pennies so off to Google...not much info out there for loading 223/5.56 blanks.

I found Hornady's blank crimp die set, that should cover the only tool I'll need.
Starline, had a little blank loading info using red dot. I have red dot, being bulky, fast burning and not position sensitive it should do well. They recommended 7-8gr, but, this was for making noise...

If anyone has powder and charge recommendation I'd love to hear them!

If not. I'm thinking of starting with around 4gr of red dot and working up. Without knowing what actual pressure will be, I'll work up until the first sign of high pressure or recoil feels like it's getting close to the M200 blanks and stop. Hopefully, somewhere along the way I get good launch results without blowing stuff up..

Recoil or high pressure isn't what you are looking for.
The blank will always show signs of low pressure. i.e. primer starting to back out etc.

The sign that you are looking for is the can itself blowing up.

Interesting. It's been 30+ years since I fired a blank( I would never say this in GD!). I just figured as pressure went up, so would recoil. I also assumed some sticky extraction...

So, once I blow the can up, back off a bit...

Yep, that's pretty much it.
I would think about 5gr of Red Dot would work.

Cheap cans blow up easier than good cans.

Recoil will be in the 12ga shotgun range no matter what so that won't work.

I fired an M195 blank once.
It literally put me on my butt for recoil and the can went 2 feet while exploding. It hurt for 4 months I shit you not.
Don't do that!

Edit, sticky extraction only happens when the round is underloaded and the primer backs out locking the round in the bolt face.

Edit 2, I found I had to use a small base die to get the rounds to chamber.
It could just be my launcher though so try what you have first.

I'll probably still start at 4gr. Load up say 5 and maybe another 5 at 5gr.

I had read cheap cans blow up easier. I'll start off with good quality soda cans. What about refilling cans near full and freezing them? I'm also going to try tennis balls.

No M195 blanks, got it!

So, seems like the brass never gets to expand enough for a good seal, primer backs out. Got it.

Edit:
I have a SB die if needed.

As for the primers backing out, blanks are different than live ammo.

Unless you want to learn a bunch of boring stuff just roll with it!
Low pressure = primer back out. High pressure crushes the case mouth.

One trick you can use is coating the first can in a light coat of oil. It will coat the tube and create a hydraulic free bore reduction.
Sorry, I can word that better.

The next 10 cans will go farther and it will reduce can explosions.

I use 5gr for "The Load" scaled down.

Still not a bad place to start.

Thanks HPRB. Based what you and Ridgeline are saying, I'm heading in the right direction.

Should have the crimp dies late next week, for some reason, it takes a few extra days for Amazon to ship these even though they are in stock....

Once i get a good feel of things using M200 blanks, I'll work up my own.

I've loaded blanks for my modified Israeli practice grenade line launcher using Bullseye, Red Dot and Green Dot.

I didn't use a star crimp, just a bit of cotton in the neck.



The modified "grenade" only weighs 6 oz which is a lot less that a full soda can. The unmodified

"grenade" weighs in at over a pound.

Thanks for the info KB7DX.

I think I'll have to use the star crimper. The Can cannon has a plugged barrel end with side drilled holes to allow the gas to escape, not sure that wadding would blow out like it will in your case.

I should get the crimper today, probably get a chance to try some blank loads this weekend.

One more quick note.

The short 223 blanks will not feed from 20 round mags.
5,10,30 and up, but not 20's.

Well, I have 8 loaded up for testing. 4 at 4gr of RD and 4 at 5gr of RD. why 8? well, I mangled one setting up the finishing die

The other one was mangled as well, it was the very last one I put into the star crimp start die, not sure what went wrong.....

Testing this weekend hopefully.

Thanks for all the help fellas!!!!

One more thing.
I confirmed what I already suspected, reloading fired blanks, NOGO. I fired a few dozen rds of M200 blanks testing out my can cannon this morning. I ran fired brass into my sizing die, they opened right up and split at every fold...

Might be able to save them by annealing then sizing, I'm not going to the trouble with the pile of 223/5.56 brass I have.....

You won't be able to crimp well on the existing crimp.
The brass will be weak.
Use cases from live ammo.

Results,
4gr of Red Dot felt very much like an M200 blank, the launch distance was so close to the same I'll call them even. Recoil, felt like a mild 12g slug launching either a 6oz or 12oz can of soda.

5gr of Red Dot, didn't feel at all different really. MAYBE, a tiny bit more recoil than above. Again, the launch was so close to the same as the 4gr RD load and M200 blanks, any difference is far to subjective to consider real.

I loaded up another small batch at 3gr of red dot and 3.5gr. going to see If I can get recoil down a bit so the wife would want to launch a can... Tennis balls have ZERO recoil, she'll be ok launching them if nothing else

The Hornady blank crimp dies work great. One tip, don't try to close the crimp to much with the starter die, I think that's what mangled one case in my first batch...I'm leaving a hole about 1/16-3/32 in diameter.

Use the finishing die for final closing. I still have a tiny hole left, I'm sure I'd push back the shoulder if I try to close it more. The hole is not big enough for a larger flake powder like Red Dot to make it out of. Still, I sealed my blanks with a drop of green, water base arts and craft paint that the wife had. It's nice and thick, one tiny drop applied with a tooth pick is all it takes.

Edit for pictures: The steel case was just to see if it would crimp or be harder to crimp than brass. crimps fine, press stroke feels the same...

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My understanding is the Can Cannon uses a High-Low pressure system like that of the 40mm M79/M203 grenade -- high pressure out of the blank goes into the low-pressure chamber underneath the can so it's not shredded but rather pushed out of the barrel.


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I think the original was like you pictured. ATF, didn't like that. It was considered an SBR shortly after X-products released the can cannon....

The current barrels are not open at the end, have only 2, 3/16 or so holes drilled about mid way of the barrel length, the barrel is about 5 inches long. They also added a pin, about midway into the chamber throat, this prevents a case with a projectile from being full chambered and fired..

The cool thing is that many fast burning powders can be utilized for blanks.

I've tried Red and Green Dot, Bullseye and Unique so far. All work just fine.

As far as brass goes, I use brass that is at the end of it's life cycle for rifle

loads and would normally go to the scrap bucket as long as the case doesn't have

any defects otherwise.

I had red dot and unique, went with red dot because it's a little faster and was recommended.

I did just that for brass today. Loaded 100 blanks using brass that was on it last loading for one of my bolt guns before it hit the scrap bucket. I was going to try using some wolf steel cases, then I remembered it's berdan primed....

No soda can skeet for me

I tried the 3.0gr and 3.5gr Red Dot blank loads today. They still launch cans pretty good, little distance change. Recoil, is also the about same as the 4gr loads, MAYBE a smige less...

I really don't see a point in trying less than 3gr. So, reducing recoil is not possible without out reducing the weight of the object being launched. No way my wife will launch even a 6oz can for me considering the 12g #8 birdshot like recoil.

I'm sticking with a 4gr load. That's about 1750 blanks from a $25 pound of powder

Great and timely thread, thanks op.

As for the skeet potential... you just need to sling the launcher to your weak side, shoot the can and tactically transition to your shotgun!  The Mrs. can hold the camera...

I don’t know what butt stock you’re using, but have you considered a recoil absorbing buttpad?  Might help?  A good pad might entice her to launch some 6 ouncers...

Welcome! I hope others add to it as it's seems many of us are new can cannon owners now

I had thought about that, not sure I'm quick enough, the cans are moving coming out of the barrel! Figure 1.5 or so seconds to transition, acquire and fire....

I've used a lower with an SBA3 on it and one with a stock, no squishy pad though. The problem, my wife see my shoulder move during firing, she does not even want to try....squishy pad or not. 5.56, is her recoil threshold, she simply refuses to try shooting anything with more recoil...

I even fired the can cannon one handed, she still said nope. For handguns, 9mm and 38spl is it! She won't even try my LIGHT 44spl loads...

That's ok, I'm just glad she enjoys shooting!

Plywood stand with some hose clamps and a lanyard (or foot pedal)?

It’d be your base run for an eventual “can mortar”...

Just have her fire it from the hip without shouldering it... it's not like she's target shooting.
You've got a shoulder thing that goes up on it, right?

What about those AA tripods with the AR adapter mount?

I think they are Mg 3 mounts.

That would help a lot.

They do kick badly.

I have had good success shooting the can cannon off the ground like a knee mortar. You can probably get her to do that