[SnakeDoctor]

Its like a starter pistol. Blank is a round with gunpowder, but no projectile.

Just makes a big bang ... like a movie prop gun. Put it near enough to someones head, and you can burst an eardrum, or cause hearing loss.

SnakeDo

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

A big enough caliber round can do more damage than that.

“During a scene where he is lying in bed, in between takes, he was playing around with a .44 Magnum revolver that was on-set for use as a blank-firing weapon. Shortly after 5:15 p.m. he put the pistol (according to witnesses, it was loaded with three empty cartridges and two blanks) up to his right temple. As he pulled the trigger he smiled, and supposedly said, “Let's see if I got myself with this one.” He was apparently unaware that at close range, a blank can cause great damage. The explosion drove a quarter-sized piece of his skull far into his brain. The paper wadding of the straight-walled blank cartridge went straight into his temple and forced a bone chip to lodge in his brain.”

http://propguys.com/gundanger/

[W. W. SMITH]

There have also been occasions where a blank fired too close to the head was the cause of death.

[GOYAKLA]

A revolver such as a Taurus Eight revolver 22 can fire 8.
I was commenting on 10 shots, jokingly, poorly.

[Calvin Locke]

Back in HS, I happened to be at the finish line at a meet. The volunteer timers discussed what they were going to use to start their watches. They all agreed to use the puff of smoke from the starter pistol, since most of the sprinters had started before the "bang" hit the people at the finish line.

I was watching some UK movie about a soap box derby. The constable was quite upset with the sponsor having, and using, a starter pistol for the race.

[Still Thinking]

Just makes a big bang ... like a movie prop gun. Put it near enough to someones head, and you can burst an eardrum, or cause hearing loss.

Or kill yourself. Some moron actor shot himself suicide style with a pistol loaded with blanks. Turned out he wasn't acting. Oops.