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Posted: 7/20/2006 7:13:10 PM EDT
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I just received a military blank firing attachment and breech shield and was wondering if someone could post a picture of the correct blank to use in conjunction with this. I thought I had the complete manual with pictures of various rounds for the rifle but can't seem to locate those pages of the manual. The blanks I've got have Lake City headstamps all dated in the early to mid-60s. I thought they had a red "plug" just inside the extended case mouth but upon closer inspection, there's just a ring of red inside the case mouth that appears there may have been a plug but there's nothing there and nothing inside the case. Any information would be greatly appreciated, Scott |
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Background information on the M12 blank firing attachment and M3 breech shield for the M14 rifle: "Blank Firing Attachment - The M12 blank firing attachment (BFA) was issued to the individual soldier for training purposes, along with the M3 breech shield. The M12 blank firing attachment is a simple device used to operate the M14 rifle for training purposes without sending bullets down range. It is a metal stem that is long enough to enter the barrel a short distance from the muzzle end of the flash suppressor. The metal stem is hollow so that gunpowder residue and gas from the fired M82 blank cartridge is restricted as it flows out of the barrel. The flow restriction of propellant gas creates enough pressure to fully cycle the bolt. The hollow metal stem is attached to the rifle by a sheet metal spring that fits over the bayonet lug. The M12 BFA will not cycle the bolt if installed on a rifle with a National Match dimension flash suppressor. The M3 breech shield was intended to protect the shooter from any blow back particles when firing blank ammunition, and to prevent loading live ammunition through the stripper clip guide. There were three versions of the M12 BFA and two versions of the M3 breech shield. The first version BFA was packed with the early style breech shield. These were produced in 1962. The second version blank firing attachments were packed with the early style breech shield in 1964 and the late style breech shield in 1968. The first and second versions were later modified at the General and Direct Support levels by riveting a curved 1/8 “ thick piece of steel to the horizontal surface of the spring latch. The steel strap was curved at the front end in order to dissipate gases exiting the muzzle. The M12 BFA modification was implemented with Change 2 to TM 9-1005-223-35 dated February 03, 1970. The third version of the BFA (USGI drawing 7793000 FSN 1005-893-0902) was made from 1969 to 1973 and packaged with the late style breech shield. Two companies made all the M12 blank firing attachments. East Moline Metal Products Company made some M12 blank firing attachments in 1973 at the end of its production that were phosphate coated instead of painted orange and silver. The BFA is designed to operate using the U. S. made M82 blank cartridge. It will not cycle the action using European 7.62 x 51 mm blank cartridges." Reference: M14 Rifle History and Development Second Edition by Lee Emerson copyright 2006. |
+1 I have seen a WWII Re-enactor crack an M1 garand receiver by shooting a grenade launching blank with a blank adapter on. The grenade launching blanks are MUCH more powerful than the practice blanks and you really have to make sure you know what you have. |
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