[samtheman]

Firing squad supposedly has an uncertainty factor that is cited as a plus. One of the shooters has a blank, so no shooter knows with certainty that he killed anybody. Supposedly. I’ve never shot blanks, but can’t you tell if you’re firing a blank?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Not really. When we did field exercises we had an attachment at the end of the weapon called a blank firing adaptor. A blank-firing adapter or blank-firing attachment (BFA), sometimes called a blank adapter or blank attachment, is a device used in conjunction with blank ammunition. Blank firing adapters are required for allowing blanks to cycle most automatic firearms. It can also be a safety feature designed so if a live round is mistakenly fired, most of the energy is spent smashing through the BFA reducing both the range and damage inflicted. A BFA may also divert the hot gases from a blank discharge out to the sides, reducing the risk of injury to the target of an aimed shot. But for firing only one round a BFA wouldn't be needed and I don't think you'd be able to tell the difference.

[driftdiver]

” I’ve never shot blanks, but can’t you tell if you’re firing a blank?”

Not really, at least not with the rifles I’ve shot.

[Rome2000]

Yep

[Quickgun]

A blank won’t have the same recoil that a standard round of ammunition will have. The reduced gas pressure is the reason for the device to make the rifle function. Now whether someone would notice that he had fired a blank when only one round was fired, I don’t know....

[Eccl 10:2]

Seems like it would be fairly easy to have a machine or device fire multiple simultaneous rounds. One switch or button could fire them all. You could even have a timer so no direct human intervention would be required.

[LibWhacker]

A basic law of physics, one of Newton's Three Laws: For every action force, there is an equal but opposite reaction force. To propel a bullet out of a barrel at 2,400 fps takes a tremendous force. The equal and opposite reaction force required by Newton (perhaps minus a little to cycle the rifle or diverted by a muzzle brake, compensator, etc.) is the recoil. No bullet, no recoil.

Oh, you can play games: you can send out some wadding or something similar, not use a muzzle brake, etc., but it won't feel like you've fired a real bullet - unless they've repealed the laws of physics in the last 30 years unbeknownst to me, or have invented some really clever device that delivers a reaction force without an accompanying action force (IOW, repealed the laws of physics). I've fired hundreds of blanks. Never felt the slightest hint of recoil.

[libstripper]

Long ago (1964) I shot live ammo and blanks at ROTC summer camp. Yes, there is a big difference. With a live round the bullet totally blocks the barrel of the rifle, occluding the lands as well as the grooves of the rifling, meaning the propellant applies a huge amount of force to drive the bullet down the barrel. Under the laws of physics, that force goes both forward and backwards, causing the recoil. With a 30-06 or a .308 that recoil can be quite substantial. OTOH, with a blank there’s only a bit of packing at the front of the cartridge case that the charge easily sends down the weapon’s barrel; thus, little or no recoil.

[mosaicwolf]

"but can’t you tell if you’re firing a blank?",/i>

Absolutely!