Blank firing adaptor

[technova]

I have what I was told is a Danish BFA for an M1 carbine.
I was told it used a balsa wood bullet that would get pulverized going thru the small holes in the end of the BFA. This allowed enpough backpressure to cycle the action.
It does fit perfectly on my carbine.
Does anyone have any info or know anything about these?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

Be careful with wooden bullets, I think they were all intended for gallery shooting not blank application. The Dutch and German blanks were plastic and the US blanks I've seen were crimped like current types. Brass cartridges and such. Check Ruth's book and search on line before shooting those.

[technova]

I don't plan on firing it with the BFA, I would like to know more about it, maybe find a few of the appropriate blanks for display.

[Bill Ricca]

Be very careful when describing US Carbine Blanks. Production was very limited and was only for use in the development of a BFA, which never was adopted. After 1946 the decision was made to not adopt the carbine BFA. The crimped blanks look very much like Grenade Cartridges, and unfortunately only Grenade Cartridges are around. Other than in a few cartridge collections, US Carbine Blanks do not exist.

Grenade Cartridges have a full powder charge and will blow up the carbine and the shooter if fired with a BFA attached.

[browningautorifle]

Thanks Bill, I was looking through Ruth's book but wasn't aware the U.S. had never adopted the BFA. That makes sense though because I`ve never seen them in use in photos. The further script indicates other countries use of them. The diagrams show several examples of brass blank. I know the power of grenade launching cartridges because I personally blew up an F.N. in 1974 with a C33 launching cartrige and BFA. Quite by accident and ignorance I assure you.

[Bill Ricca]

Back in the 1970's Texas Armament made BFA's. Many SGN advertisers ran them as "Original US GI", not knowing Ordnance never adopted BFA's for the carbine (I thank those dealers for being ignorant).

Foreign countries used only their own production, like the West German BFA's produced in Holland. Those had their own unique blanks. A GI Grenade Cartridge will be a disaster. A Carbine Club member, years ago, published an short warning/article in the American Rifleman about his blowing up a carbine with a US M6 Grenade Cartridge by mistake.

[INLAND44]

I found a small lot of Dynamit Nobel carbine blanks in '94. They have a brass head and red plastic body with a round nose for feeding. I also had one of those European BFA's you're talking about. Everything worked together fine. I did this because I was doing the reenactment for the 50th anniversary of D-Day that they put on at Ft. Story VA. That was my first and last reenactment. The guys acted like children playing army. I was looking at it like an acting gig where you're not 'on' until the curtain goes up. Anyway, since there are no US blanks and the US never standardized the BFA, there's no need to have one with your display of US Carbines.

[Bill Ricca]

Here is the European BFA. They have been around since the 1970's. I have several hundred of them but have severe restrictions on how they are purchased, for safety reasons.

[technova]

Here is the European BFA. They have been around since the 1970's. I have several hundred of them but have severe restrictions on how they are purchased, for safety reasons.

That's what mine looks like, it has a date of '54 or '58 on it and what looks to be a Danish crest.
Nice to know what it actually was, never got the chance to ask my Dad.

[Bill Ricca]

All were 1958, as can barely been seen.