blank adapting the mg42/m53/mg1-3

[JBaum]

I tried my rebuilt M53 to MG3 with wooden blanks today.
It didnt work very fine... /Styggo

I know the actual start of this thread is really old (Jan 27, 2006), but the information in the original post is key to the talk of blank adapters and his problem. I recently found an original wood blank, and thought most people had probably never seen one, so I've included a picture. Sharing is good.

He says he is using a wooden blank. This means the bullet isn't jacketed lead, it is made of wood (actual wood - like sticks and logs), which was very common for German training. The below cartridge base shows that it was made in '44.

Talking about a restricted nozzle for a wood blank is useless, as a wood blank won't shoot with a nozzle restrictor, as the wooden bullet won't make it through the small hole. It takes the two piece blank barrel to make this work.

[junglewalk]

……..…..I would love to have just one of those original wood-tip blanks, for my collection.
...I have only be able to find Egyptian 7.92m wood tip blanks years back...…..as hard as the MG-42 bolt & F/P slams into the primer of those blanks, I can only get 40% or so to fire...….I have about 500 of them now; They must have been stored poorly before I got them.

[Blanksguy]

junglewalk……..
You could try asking around in the cartridge-collectors forums...…..someone will have one of those WWII German 8x57mm Blanks to let go.

I recall that a lot of Egyptian 8x57mm blanks use to be on the market. One of the units that I use to reenact WWI used them with an MG08 ….. fining thousands of them over the years.
The last place I saw these for sale (Egyptian-wood-tipped-blanks) was over ay GunPartsCorp……..I believe that they advertised them as "Vampire" ammunition.

Regards,
RichardS
US Army, RET
Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

[42rocker]

Was just going thru this old thread as I just got a blank firing MG34 setup.

Still LOTS of good info.

Later 42rocker

[junglewalk]

....Hey 42 Rocker, I am still alive..!
.........For years I have used two of those original MG-34 2/piece barrels with my home made full size 8mm blanks.....
,,,,,,,I did not read over above, our words of Yesteryear, but in my blanks I use 14 gr. of Bullseye in my crimped fullsize blanks, with blast cone removed under the flash-hider, plus a cut down recoil spring.......and the gun sings.!!!
.......I hope you are well, and doing good, each day is a gift....so many of us, and old comrades are gone now!.....Keep shooting!