Live ammo VS. blanks and the law.

[Bang]

In basic training (US Army) the instructors demonstrated that a blank .30-06 could penetrate a #10 can. To ensure the demo was a success, they put a plug in the neck of a piece of cut tree branch. (I caught 'em do it. Of course, I kept my mouth shut).

[Statkowski]

“Loaded.” A firearm is loaded if the firing chamber, the nondetachable magazine or, in the case of a revolver, any of the chambers of the cylinder contain ammunition capable of being fired.

Is blank ammunition "ammunition?" Yes.

Is such ammunition "capable of being fired?" Again, yes.

Ergo, ipso facto, et cetera (and a few more Latin terms or phrases), you can't carry a loaded rifle in a vehicle.

[ItchyTick]

Just remember blanks can do a lot of damage at close range. As many marines found out the hard way.

[Bang]

I have attended four military ceremonies at Washington Crossing National Cemetery. In each case there were seven rifles, each fired three times. I thought it was a different version of a 21-gun salute, 3 x 7 being 21 total rounds fired.

[Manxdriver]

These Honor Guards do an important job I believe. And they run on volunteers and VFW's are for the most part struggling to find people.
Esp younger folks.
They do what they can with what they got and often go out of their way to help their community and members in it .... often with little given back.
A little off track I am getting but I am not here to kick them around but I think because they are blanks .... maybe they get a little complacent in the handling of the rifles.
Often VFW's change who is in charge of the rifles due to the last person passing on.... and maybe the new guy doesn't realize , etc , etc.
But I have probably come across more rifles loaded with blanks .... than not loaded with them.
Kind of surprised me at first to be honest ... but I've come to expect it.
I think some Honor Guard Captains or Quartermasters have listened to what I've said ...but I'd like to have accurate info before I pass it along.
And so here I am...........

The VFW would be in great shape if they hadn’t decided to exclude Cold War Veterans ! I tried to join a long time ago, they laughed and said, “ your service is not considered a REAL war.” Well, okey dokey, y’all can kiss my curvy white ass.
For the record, my unit, 63d MAW, lost more guys after Vietnam, and before that little two day kerfluffle in the sandbox, than all other windows of time COMBINED. Peacetime isn’t really all that safe a time to be in the military. But, hey, what do I know? I didn’t serve in a “real war”.

[Gunsnwater]

Oh look a legit adult type response.
Very rare at times here ..... as one can see.
But THANK YOU for your reply and I'll address your thoughtful and informational response.
Most everyone else can safely return to their bag of Cheetos and cartoons.
Nothing to see here.
In my dealings with a few Veterans groups I have found for some reason many like to keep their M1's loaded including one in the chamber. Both while in the safe and traveling.
Call it laziness or complacency I am not sure , maybe a bit of both.
A lot of Honor Guard members are often older gentlemen and fumbling with trying to load the rifle is something they like to avoid , is what I am told.
I've mentioned they could have one man loading and unloading the rifles at the cemetery but I try not to preach as that isn't what I was there for.
A lot of their safes are usually jammed full as you may know and the potential for a trigger hanging up while being pulled out of the safe and someone catching a blank in the face is something I wouldn't like to see.
I have mentioned that I was not even sure that traveling with them loaded with blanks would even be legal.
In future conversations I would like to be able to pass on any legal aspects of traveling with them loaded with blanks ....should that apply to them.
I have test fired many rifles in areas outside of a VFW where the local police would not be ok with someone firing live ammo obviously but have been ok with the use of blanks ..... although that hardly means it's legal or otherwise.
And it's been a question in the back of my mind so trying to ask some of the more intelligent individuals here came to mind.
And I appreciate your response.

The opening of the book to ride shoot straight and speak the truth describes how a man committed suicide with a rifle blank. Some actor killed himself with a pistol blank to the head. Sometimes you got to man up and tell it like it is even to someone who you respect and who will not be receptive of that truth. That is the meat of true respect. Every oh fuck gun related incident is one more propaganda story to aid the destruction of our rights.

[57springer]

AwJeezLiberalCrapAgain.jpg

[JenniferG]

Bottom line is this, don't ride around with a rifle in your vehicle that is loaded with a blank firing cartridge. It's an unnecessary thing to do. Load the rifle for the ceremony in a safe location with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction when you get to the location of the ceremony. What the hell else needs to be said? No more excuses do it the right way. Halfassery gets people injured.

[Bang]

Boondox, great contributions.Thanks.

[streaker69]

I believe there has been a few "famous" people. Someone already mentioned Bruce Lee's son and I recall another guy who I think was playing russian roulette and I think someone died in recent history "past year or so" ......I don't think blanks are thought of as harmless by most intelligent gun people .............. non-gun people may think all kinds of different weird stuff. As a kid I seen a civil war re-enactor take a smoke pole hit to the back of the head ............. Fort Roberdeau is where it happened I believe. Not sure had he died or not ..... I know the medics carted him off the field

John Erik Hexem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon-Erik_Hexum

On Friday, October 12, 1984, the cast and crew of Cover Up were filming the seventh episode of the series "Golden Opportunity" on Stage 17 of the 20th Century Fox lot. One of the scenes filmed that day called for Hexum's character to load bullets into a .44 Magnum handgun, so he was provided with a functional gun and blanks. When the scene did not play as the director wanted it to in the master shot, there was a delay in filming. Hexum became restless and impatient during the delay and began playing around to lighten the mood. He had unloaded all but one (blank) round, spun it, and—simulating Russian roulette with what he thought was a harmless weapon—he put the revolver to his right temple and pulled the trigger.[6]

Hexum was apparently unaware that his actions were dangerous. Blanks use paper or plastic wadding to seal gunpowder into the cartridge, and this wadding is propelled from the barrel of the gun with enough force to cause injury if the weapon is fired within a few feet of the body should it strike at a particularly vulnerable spot, such as the temple or the eye. At a close enough range, the effect of the powder gasses is a small explosion, so although the paper wadding in the blank that Hexum discharged did not penetrate his skull, there was enough blunt force trauma to shatter a quarter-sized piece of his skull and propel the pieces into his brain, causing massive hemorrhaging.[1][7]