First off I want to say it’s hard to trouble shoot technical or mechanical problems over the internet regardless of if ithas to do with guns, cars, computers or pretty much anything where unless you are there in person it’s really hard to figure out the problem.

But I will attempt to address some of the more common issues why a blank gun may not be functioning properly.

Why is my Semi Auto Blank Gun Not Cycling or Ejecting Shells?

One very common reason a blank gun may not be cycling the shells properly is because the owner has removed the barrel restrictor plug. People usually do this to make the barrel opening look more realistic but the barrel restrictor is a necessary component to increase the back pressure allowing the slide to cycle fully to the rear position so it can eject and pickup a new shell.

The blanks you are using may not have enough gun powder in them. Some blank guns require banks with more gun powder than others, again this additional internal pressure forces the slide all the way back, if the blank does not have enough gun powder in it then only a partial slide motion happens and so the discharged shell may not eject properly, in this case the user would have to clear the blank gun manually so another shell can then be picked up and loaded into the breach.

If your blank guns is dirty or not lubricated then it may act sluggish again restricting the full movement of the slide which will effect correct operation. Make sure to thoroughly clean and lubricate your blank gun, that may be a quick fix for you!

You may have a faulty extractor? The extractor is like a hook that grabs the discharged shell while the slide is in the reward position pulling or extracting the shell out of the breach. If the extractor is worn or broken then the empty shell will not be ejected from the breach so when a new shell is picked up from the magazine it has nowhere to go and usually you will get a jam-up in the ejection port area.

One final situation that can cause your blank gun to not cycle properly is to strong of a slide spring, some blank guns out of the box just come with a really heavy slide spring, so much so that even blanks with lots of gunpowder in them are still not strong enough to make the slide operate full motion. Your only option here would be to replace the heavy slide spring with a lighter one.

Why Are My Blanks Not Firing?

This is a situation where you pull the trigger and nothing happens. Lets get the obvious causes right out of the way here… Did you put blanks in your gun and are they new blanks? Did you chamber the first round in your semi auto pistol?

So now that that’s out of the way let’s look at some other reasons why your blank gun may not be firing a blank. Perhaps the firing pin is broken? Most blank guns are not made out of carbon steel and even the firing pins can be lesser quality than what you would find in a real gun so blank guns are more prone to breaking than real guns. I have seen broken firing pins in blank guns first hand so make sure to check the firing pin and that it is fully operational.

Try changing up your blanks to another brand? Again blank gun ammunition is not made to the same higher standards that real firearm ammo is made and some primers may require a little more pressure than your gun is providing. Even with real guns an ammo change may help the gun operate better.

Why is the Trigger or Hammer Not Operating Properly?

I have come across blank guns where there are mechanical problems in the trigger and hammer areas, you may be able to address this yourself but I would recommend taking your blank gun to a gunsmith since you will have to take the gun pretty much full apart to fix a problem in the trigger and hammer areas.

Of course make sure your gun is clean and lubricated, this can help a lot with the mechanical areas of your blank gun.

One problem I saw with a few EKOL Special 99’s was specifically with the single action potion of the trigger, when I would pull the hammer back it would not lock back and the hammer would often slip and fire randomly, this is rather dangerous. When I took the gun apart I found that the table top or step that the trigger was supposed to catch on was worn down on the edge so it would simply slip off. I was able to fix this by filing a new edge on the step area. Again this can happen because blank guns are not made out of as high quality metal materials as real guns.

Why does the Flame Come out the Top of My Blank Gun and Not the Front?

If you find that the flame or discharge comes out of the top of your blank gun and not the barrel, this usually does not mean anything is wrong with your blank gun. All it means is you own a top venting blank gun and not a front firing blank gun. In some countries front firing blank guns are not allowed but front venting blank guns are. The same may also be reversed in some countries, for instance here in Canada we can only import front firing blank guns with flare adaptors since our blank guns are imported under the assumption that they are to be used as signaling or flare devices.

Can I Convert my Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun?

I really don't recommend altering a blank gun in any way as it may be a violation of your local laws and it could cause the blank gun to malfunction in a very bad way causing serious injury or even death!

In theory I suppose it may be possible to convert your Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun but again you would need to allow for just the right amount of back pressure so a wide open barrel would not work unless it was a revolver. You can not simply remove the red plug and bingo you have a front firing blank gun because in most cases the barrel will be completely plugged in the frontal region. Not only would you need to drill out the plugged portion of the barrel but you would also have to somehow fill in the top venting area and again makes sure to allow for just enough back pressure to cycle the slide back and forth.

Hopefully this has helped some of you with blank gun issues. If you’re looking for a blank gun make sure to come down to www.ReplicaAirguns.ca and www.ReplicaAirguns.us and have a look in our blank gun area of our online stores.

Type: Blank front firing pistol.

Manufacturer: SM.

Model: Mod 110 8mm.

Materials: Mostly metal with plastic grips.

Weight: 11.75 Ounces (332 grams) Unloaded.

Barrel: Front firing.

Propulsion: Gun powder.

Action: Semi auto, single action only

Ammunition Type: 8mm P.A.K. blanks.

Ammunition Capacity: 5 rounds.

FPS: NA.

Trigger Pull: The trigger on the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is single action only so you will need to rack the slide to not only chamber a round but also cock the internal hammer / striker, follow up shots will case the slide to cycle on it own allowing for single action shooting. The trigger is rather nice with just a slight bit of take-up followed by a light release.

Accuracy: NA.

Build Quality: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol was made in West Germany sometime back in the Mid 70's so this pistol is 30-40 years old and still looks great. Mine does have some slight pitting on the right side I am assuming from sitting in the box up against the manual which more than likely may have an acidic property to it. Even so this pitting is minor and the gun is in good condition overall. Like most blank pistols much of the gun is made out of pot metal (a zinc alloy) but it does have hardened steel parts where they need to be (Barrel, ejector, hammer, pins, screws and magazine).

Realism: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is not a true replica as far as I can tell is not an actual replica of any real steel semi-auto pistol in production but it does look a bit like the American Derringer LM5. In terms of looking like a gun it looks like what you would expect a small caliber sub compact pistol should look like and all operation is exactly like a semi auto pistol with the exception that the SM Mod 110 only shoots blanks since the barrel is obstructed with a metal rod.

ROHM Guns Available in the: Canada Replica Airguns Store

Pros:

• German made with high quality materials.

• Very small and compact.

• Front firing.

• Nice light and short single action trigger. 

Cons:

• Hard to find one in North America.

• Only holds 5 rounds.

• Slide does not stay back when empty.

Comments:

I really like unique blank guns since they are so hard to locate here in Canada. When I saw this sitting on the table at my local gun show I kind of wondered if someone had accidentally left out a prohibited firearm but once I inspected it I quickly realized it was a blank shooter and decided right there and then I had to have it. I did pay close to $200 for it but to me it is worth it simply because this little blank shooter is a rare find and it was also in really good condition and even came with the original 8mm self defence pepper blanks. The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is for sure a blank shooter I will be holding onto for some time...

My Vimeo Table Top Review for the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol:

Buy ROHM Blank Guns in Canada

I try and make it to my local gun show which is held in Chilliwack BC about this time each year. It is put on by the Historical Arms Collectors Society of BC and there are generally a lot of used long guns (rifles) some pistols, lots of accessories, knives, hunting gear, knick·knacks and even some antique items. I tend to be looking for airguns or blank guns that are rare or a good deal.

This year I came across a few items that caught my eye. The first item was a Daisy replica 4.5mm BB pistol, I am not a big fan of Daisy replica gun in general as they are usually a far cry from the originals but this Daisy Powerline Model 400 was actually a really good copy of a Desert Eagle in size and looks. Sure it had a lot of plastic in it but it was made in Japan and even being around 20 years olds was holding up really well. This Daisy Powerline 400 even had Blowback which back then was not all that common.

The Daisy Powerline 400 BB Desert Eagle has a 20 round removable magazine that fits along the top of the barrel and it has a claimed fps. It is almost all high grade plastic with the exception of the single action only trigger, safety, hammer, barrel and several internal parts.

The next interesting item I found was a little compact 8mm blank shooter originally made in West Germany. So this blank gun is close to 30 years old. The SM Model 110 8mm Blank Pistol kind of reminds me of my EKOL Tuna in terms of size and functionality since both have the same half slide and magazine release system.

The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is front venting and pretty much all metal with reinforced steel areas, it has a 5 round single stack magazine and shoots in single action only.

My last purchase for this show was a new item, here in Canada we generally are not allowed much in the way of items specifically labeled for self defense. There are some work arounds for instance we can carry a knife as long as it is not concealed entirely and we only intend to use it as a tool. We can also carry pepper spray again only for use on animals. Generally speaking we have not been allowed stun guns or tasers here in Canada and even importing them can land you in a lot of trouble! Again it seems a work around has been made, as long as the Stun Gun or Taser is at least 480mm in length then it is not considered a concealable weapon and as long as you have it out on display and only intend to use it on animals that may be a threat to you then all is good :)

The Stun Gun I purchased is basically a baton with a flashlight on the front and a 1 million volt taser on the front of it. You have several options with this device if harm is eminent. You can try blinding the threat with the built in flashlight which is not all that powerful but good for finding your way in dark areas, you can give the attacker a whack with the baton baseball bat style and if none of that is working well let em have the 1 million volt sandwich! We should be getting some of these Stun Baton Flashlights in our Canada Replica Airguns Store at some point so stay posted for that item.

I will be showcasing here on the Replica Airguns website and over on the Replica Airguns YouTube channel a series of videos I will be making for the purpose of selling some guns out of my personal collection. I simply have no more room for the new guns and in some cases I either have duplicate guns or very similar versions so there is no need to have both. Some guns I am less attached to and as I already stated I need to make room for some of the new stuff I will be reviewing.

To start this series off my first video is to highlight the blank guns I am selling, there are only 4 of them, all of which are really hard to get here in Canada so I am not going to let them go cheap. By the way I am only selling to Canadian residents since shipping cross borders is a little sketchy.

Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see the blank guns I am selling and instructions on how you can take part in the sale and purchase of them.

Here is a list of the blank guns I am selling from my personal gun collection:

EKOL ASI 9mm Full Auto Front Firing Blank Machine Pistol $725

EKOL Lady Chrome 9mm Front Firing Blank Pistol $400

EKOL Arda 8mm Blank Front Firing Compact Revolver $200

Bruni ME Ranger 1873 SAA .380 Blank Revolver $300

When I say Airguns, I am referring to pretty much all BB, Airsoft, Pellet, Paintball and even Blank guns for most of the topics listed here.

Do’s:

1. Treat your Airgun just like you would a real gun. If something goes wrong, perhaps the outcome will not be as severe but do you really want to take a trip down to your local emergency ward to get a BB or Pellet removed?

2. Always assume your airgun is loaded, for some reason it always seems those empty guns are the ones that do the most damage.

3. Be discrete, If it looks like a gun other people will think it is a gun so don’t flash your airguns around in public. Keep it in a case when transporting and shoot it in an area that will not alarm other people.

4. Always wear eye protection when shooting your Airgun. Do you really want to shoot your eye out? No Joke!

5. Be aware of your surroundings like windows, hard objects that could make your ammo bounce back at you. Make sure you are shooting your Airgun in a safe direction at all times, know your target and beyond.

6. Use Airguns to teach others and learn how to safely and effectively shoot a gun. Airguns can be less intimidating then a real gun (Not so loud and very little recoil) and make for great start out and transitions guns.

7. Use Airguns to get more inexpensive trigger time and become a more experienced shooter. Airguns cosy only pennies per round to shoot and can be shot in way more areas than a real gun can, practice makes perfect so get shooting!

8. Use Airguns in areas where real guns may not be allowed or safe to use. Again, Airguns can be shot in all kinds of places, in your back yard or even in a properly setup indoor home range.

9. Use Airguns with adequate power for safe and humane pest control where real guns may be prohibited.Airguns are quiet and less likely for the bullet to travel long ranges which makes them ideal for close range pest control in areas where real guns are too loud and to powerful.

Don’ts:

1. Do not assume because it is an airgun it is not dangerous or simply a toy. Many Deaths have been caused by Airguns along with a lot of pain and suffering so treat your Airgun with respect. It is not a toy or you would find them in the toy department at your local store along with yo-yos and stuffed animals.

2. Do not point or shoot at people unless of course you are using an Airsoft gun in an Airsoft field or facility. Yes Airsoft guns are meant to shoot at each other (with appropriate attire like eye protection and full body clothing), but steel BB and Pellet can cause serious injury especially at close range and on direct skin contact.

3. Do not leave your Airgun loaded, you never know who is going to come across it and accidentally discharge it. Remember, a loaded gun is a dangerous gun in the wrong hands. You may know better than to assume the gun is undulated but children and even adults without any gun training will most definitely handle the airgun without consideration of the danger it poses.

4. Do not use an Airgun for self protection. See my related video. Simply put, Airguns are not practical for self defense because they rarely have enough Stopping Power. The ones that do have enough power need to be pre-charged and in most cases are only single shot meaning if you miss or don’t get the job done no the first shot then you are done.

5. Do not use an underpowered Airgun for pest control. See related video. Using a low powered BB pistol for pest control is cruel, you will only injure the animal making it suffer unnecessarily. Use a high powered pellet rifle to get the job done.

6. Do not take your gun apart, in most cases this will void the warranty and the reality is that airguns rarely need to be cleaned since no dirty gun powder is used. lead pellet rifles may require occasional barrel cleaning to keep the rifled barrel free of debris.

7. Do not over oil your Airgun, a little goes a long way and too much oil will just attracted dirt, use the right airgun oil and just enough to keep part functioning smoothly.

8. Do not over pump an Airgun. Over pumping an Airgun can cause damage to valves and seals and in a worse case situation a rupture the air pressure reservoir or even cause the airgun to explode!

I'm getting close to uploading 600 videos now over on the Replica Airguns Vimeo channel, so there are bound to be a lot of similar questions and popular discussions. In this Replica Airguns Vimeo Video I address what I feel are my Top 10 Most Common Airgun Questions and Discussions.

1. Can I shoot my CO2 gun without CO2? (1:00)

2. Can I refill CO2 Cartridges? (2:08)

3. Will XYZ BB gun kill a bird, rat, rabbit, gopher…? (3:33)

4. Can I shoot Airsoft BB’s in my BB gun? (5:58)

5. Can I use my Airgun for self defense? (7:47)

6. Do Airguns & blank guns have recoil? (10:42)

7. Why play around with Airguns, just buy a real gun?(12:50)

8. Can I have a free gun? (17:15)

9. Which gun should I get? (19:10)

10. Mike, can you do a review of such and such a gun? (20:05)

What is a Blank Gun?

The best way to describe a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a real gun in just about every way except one… There are no dangerous bullets flying out the front of it. That’s right, a Blank Gun just like a real gun uses a brass or metal shells, loaded with a primer and gun powder, but for what ever reason reason, some rocket scientists forgot to put a bullet at the end of the Blank shell. 

Why Would You Want a Blank Gun?

Isn’t the entire purpose of a gun to shoot something? So why on earth would you buy a gun that doesn't  shoot anything at all, what purpose would it serve? Even Nerf guns, water guns, potato guns all shoot something…

One way to look at a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a cap gun, but for grown ups. Similar to how kids like to shoot their cap guns because they go bang and sparks and smoke fly out of them, Blank Guns do the same thing but on a much grander scale and in most cases they look and sound a lot more like a real gun than a cap gun does.

So Blank Guns don’t actually do the main function of a real gun (that is to shoot a bullet), but they do look and sound the part of a gun. So how could this be of practical use to anyone?

Signalling Devices:

First off, have you ever heard of a Starter Pistol or a Flare Gun? Blank Guns have been historically used to signal the start of races. Many Blank Guns also have the ability to shoot flares by adding a flare adaptor to them so a person can shoot a flare into the air to signal distress if they are lost or hurt.

Gun Handling and Training:

Since many Blank Guns look, operate and feel almost exactly like real guns, Blank Guns are a great place to start out when training a person on proper gun handling and operation. If they make a mistake while using a Blank Gun, the consequences are far less severe than with a real gun. There is also much less kick from a Blank Gun so shooting a Blank Gun is less scary or intimidating for new shooters.

Dog Training:

Dogs used for police, military and hunting are required to stay calm around loud noises like gun shots, trained dogs also need to get used to the presence of guns and even how to attack the gun hand of a person who could be a potential threat. Again using Blank Guns in this training situation is a much better option than using a real gun for obvious reasons.

Movies, Video TV and Stage:

Introducing live ammunition on a movie set would be ridiculous, there is absolutely no need to shoot a bullet in this type of situation. Blank Guns make perfect stage props since they again look the part and sound the part without the dangerous bullets flying all over the place…

Collectors:

Many collectors want to own guns but for reasons like gun restrictions in their area, they may not be able to own a real gun or certain types of real guns. Blank Guns can offer a person with heavy gun restrictions in their area the ability to own similar Blank Gun versions. Perhaps they can own real guns but just simply don’t want to go through the licensing and registration hassle of owning a real gun. Blank Guns can generally be purchased for far less money than a real gun which is appealing to collectors who in many cases may not even shoot them.

Celebration:

In places like Turkey, people celebrate holidays and events by shooting Blank Guns into the air, at one time they actually shoot real guns, but people where getting injured or even killed by the falling bullets. Because of this, Blank Gun production became an industry in places like Turkey as Blank Gun manufacturers like EKOL, Retay and Zoraki (also know as ATAK Arms) are Turkish companies.

So now you know some of the reasons why a person would want to own a Blank Gun. I have Blank Guns and I also own real guns too. One reason is because there are many Blank Guns I own that I can not own in their real steel versions because of Canadian gun restrictions so obtaining a similar version in a Blank Gun allows me to own these models.

If a Blank Gun is not for you, then by all means get a real gun, but please understand that there is a place for Blank Guns, and in those environments, a Blank Gun is actually a better choice than a real gun.

My last Blank Gun Shooting video went really well, my iPhone 6 plus 720p 240 frames per second slow-mo video worked awesome and so did my newly acquired ME8 General 1911 Front Firing 8mm blank pistol.

I was hoping my Bruni Mod. 92 Top Venting 8mm PAK Blank Pistol would also perform just as well and as luck would have it, it did :) I did notice on the last round the shell kind of stayed in place and got re-chambered, not really sure what happened there but all 4 rounds fired which was my main goal and of course I caught it all in slow-motion HD!

Enjoy my Shooting Test Video of the Bruni Mod. 92 Top Venting 8mm PAK Blank Pistol and if you have not already checked out my Table Top Review of the Bruni Mod. 92 then make sure to do so.

Buy Blank Guns in the Canada Store 

Buy Blank Guns in the US Store

I was really looking forward to not only shooting my recently acquired Front Firing ME 8 General 1911 8mm PAK Blank Pistol and making sure it worked as promised, but I also want to checkout the new 720p at 240 frames per second slow motion video feature on my new iPhone 6 plus!

Everything went pretty much as expected, all rounds chambered, fired and ejected without a hitch. No slide lock back on the last round but this blank gun is not designed to do that so I was not expecting this to happen :)

Enjoy my Shooting Test Video of the Front Firing ME 8 General 1911 8mm PAK Blank Pistol and if you have not already checked out my Table Top Review of the ME 8 General, then make sure to do so.

Buy Blank Guns in the Canada Store 

Buy Blank Guns in the US Store

Type: Blank Pistol.

Manufacturer: Bruni.

Model:Mod. 92 (Beretta 92).

Materials: Mostly Metal with some steel parts.

Weight: 2.8 pounds unloaded. (1274 grams)

Barrel: Top Venting. (No Red Tip)

Propulsion: Gun powder.

Action: Single and double action.

Ammunition Type: 8mm P.A.K. Blanks.

Magazine Capacity: 15 rounds.

FPS: N/A.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Bruni Mod. 92 Top Venting 8mm PAK Blank Pistol is fairly decent on both single and double action with a fairly long take-up in double action and of course a much shorter lighter take-up in single action mode.

Accuracy: NA.

Build Quality: The overall build quality of the Bruni Mod. 92 Blank Pistol is good, mine does show some wear since it is an older previously owned blank gun but for the most part the wear and tear is cosmetic only, the mechanical parts all seem to be in excellent working order. Most of this blank shooter is made out of a zinc based metal with a few steel parts, mainly the screws, pins and springs. But it has an impressive weight to it! The grips seem to have been replaced with wrap around rubber grips that may actually be for a real steel Beretta M92.

Realism: The Bruni Mod. 92 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is a very realistic looking Beretta 92 in terms of overall looks and true to scale size and weight. Most of the parts work as you would expect them to on the real steal version including the double and single action trigger, safety, locking slide catch release and magazine release button. The only exception really is the fact that this version is top venting so there is a small hole just in front of the breach that allows the full discharge of the blank round to escape out the top of the blank gun. The barrel is actually fully plugged but seems to have been partially drilled out to give the impression of being a front firing gun.

Purchase from: A private collector.

Pros:

• Well made, materials fit and finish is all very good even though very little use of hardened steel.

• 15 round double stack magazine is nice hi-capacity.

• For a used gun it is in very good working condition, some minor wear mainly on finish.

• Barrel has been partially bored out to look like a front firing gun.

• Grips have been replaced with what looks to be real Beretta grips.

• It's a very close Beretta Model 92 replica!

• Made in Italy.

Cons:

• Top venting instead of front firing

• No actual take down lever for easy field striping

• Finish is a bit worn.

Comments:

In terms of being a very accurate Beretta Model 92 replica, the Bruni Mod. 92 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is very close in almost all areas. Sure I would have liked it to of been front firing but the reality is, I rarely get around to shooting my blank guns. My blank pistols are mostly for show and since actual replica only guns are prohibited, being a blank gun skirts around our Canada laws allowing for ownership. Don't forget we sell the ROHM Blank guns here in our Canada Online Store and they are very good quality guns so check them out if you are in the market for a blank shooter.

My Vimeo Full Video Table Top Review for the Bruni Mod. 92 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol:

Buy Blank Guns in the Canada Store 

Buy Blank Guns in the US Store

Type: Blank Pistol.

Manufacturer: ME.

Model:ME 8 General 1911 (Colt 1911 A1 Replica).

Materials: Mostly Metal with some steel parts.

Weight: 2.9 pounds loaded. (1355 grams)

Barrel: Front firing. (No Red Tip)

Propulsion: Gun powder.

Action: Single action only.

Ammunition Type: 8mm P.A.K. Blanks.

Ammunition Capacity: 10+ rounds.

FPS: N/A.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ME 8 General 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is exactly what you would expect from a single action only 1911 styled semi auto pistol, short and light. But not super light, it's far from a hair trigger, perhaps more of a medium pull weight for a 1911 SAO.

Accuracy: NA.

Build Quality: The overall build quality of the ME 8 General 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is really very good, nothing fancy at all going on with this pistol and a lot less actual moving parts than you would find on a real steel 1911 so much less to go wrong but the metal quality and fit and finish are very good overall. You will not find a lot of actual steel in this gun other than the magazine, screws, pins and springs but again the metal is good quality and the ME 8 General 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol even sports real wood grips.

Realism: The ME 8 General 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is a very realistic looking 1911in terms of overall looks and true to scale size and weight. As mentioned already, many of the parts are not operational but actually moulded into the gun. Like the Safety, side trigger mounted magazine release and back strap safety. You will find the actual magazine release on the bottom of the pistol grip and even thought the slide catch release is operational, there is no spring assist to lock it in the up and open position when the magazine is empty so if you want to lock the slide back you will need to manually do this.

Purchase from: Private collector.

Pros:

• Well made, materials fit and finish is all very good even though very little use of hardened steel.

• 10+ round single stack magazine is very hi-capacity.

• For a used gun it is in very good condition, not many rounds through it and well kept.

• Front firing and came with flare adaptor.

• Real wood grips.

• Made in Italy.

• It's a 1911!

Cons:

• Slide catch release, must be engaged manually.

• Many working parts are simply moulded into the gun.

• Not easily field strip-able.

Comments:

So the ME 8 General 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is not the most accurate replica of a 1911 in terms of all parts being operational but it hits the major ones for me like: It's front firing, the slide will lock back, it has a true 1911 SAO trigger and for the most parts it looks and works like a 1911. Finding 1911 blank guns here in Canada is super hard and I am a big fan of 1911's so when the opportunity to pickup this gun came around I was interested even if it was not cheap. Blank guns are getting harder and harder to find here in Canada and I guess that's what is making them so appealing. Don't forget we sell the ROHM Blank guns here in our Canada Online Store and they are very good quality guns so check them out if you are in the market for a blank shooter.

My Vimeo Full Video Table Top Review for the ME 8 General 8mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol:

Buy Blank Guns in the Canada Store 

Buy Blank Guns in the US Store

So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.

Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!

2013 BB Pistols

2013 Pellet Pistols

2013 Airsoft Pistols

2013 Blank Pistols

2013 Rifles

I wanted to cover some basic Airgun, Airsoft Gun, Blank Gun and Paintball Gun information on what do they all shoot, what makes them shoot and some other miscellaneous info thrown in along the way...

Your should also watch the video attached at the bottom of this post as it goes into a fair amount of detail.

Let's begin with the types of ammo used:

Airgun Ammo

• Airgun ammo for the most part is broken down into BBs and Pellets, the most standard size BB and Pellet is the 4.5mm or .177 caliber Steel BB and Lead Pellet. You can also get Pellets in other calibers and even other materials other than lead such as steel or aluminum, some can have plastic skirting around a metal interior.

• Pellets also come in a variety of caliber's like .177, .20. 22. 25 and even larger but then I would start considering them to be bullets as they will take on the shape of a bullet when they get into the larger sizes.

• Airgun Ammo is not be fired at people, it is primarily used for target and hunting small game.

• Airguns can use Spring Pistons, CO2, Compressed Air and Multi-pump propulsion systems.

Airsoft Gun Ammo

• Airsoft Guns for the most part shoot round 6mm (.22 caliber) plastic BBs which come in a variety of weights ranging from .12 grams up to .48 grams. There are larger Airsoft BBs such as 8mm and even larger.

• There are biodegradable and even tracer florescent Airsoft BBs available.

• Airsoft Ammo is traditionally used for Airsoft battles and can be fired at people using protective gear. Airsoft Ammo can also be used for target shooting.

• Airsoft Guns can use Spring Pistons, Spring Piston - AEG (Electric Motor) CO2, Gas (Green, Red, Propane) and Compressed Air propulsion systems.

Paintball Gun Ammo

• Paintball Guns or "Markers" have been historically used for the sport of Paintball but their whereabouts came from the need of ranchers and forestry workers to mark trees. Hence the name "Marker"

• Paintball ammo comes in a variety of sizes ranging with the most common being .43 and .68 caliber. They are generally made from a gelatin outer coating containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye, they are usually biodegradable.

• Paintball Guns can also shoot a variety of Paintball Ammo that can be made out of Rubber, Plastic, Glass and they can also contain Powders and even Pepper for use in non lethal defense.

• Paintball Guns can generally use either CO2 or Compressed Air as their propellant.

Blank Gun Ammo

• Blank Guns are just like Real Guns but without the dangerous bullet at the end of the brass shell. Other than that they work exactly the same as a Real Gun!

• Blank Guns are used when a bullet is not required or even wanted. For instance... Gun safety, gun training, training animals to be around guns and/or loud noises, Props for Movies - Stage -  Film - TV, Collectors that do not want the red tape associated with owning a Real Gun or when owning a Real Gun is prohibited.

• Blank Guns can shoot a variety of sized ammo, most common are .22 caliber crimped, .380 crimped, 8mm P.A.K. and 9mm P.A.K.

• Blank Guns use gun powder as their means of operation.

Here are the most common forms of propulsion used in the guns we discussed earlier:

CO2

• CO2 is the most common propellant in Airguns (BB and Pellet), it is also used in Airsoft Guns and Paintball Guns.

• CO2 is a compressed gas which expands when released, it requires a warm environment to fully expand and tends to cool it's surroundings quickly when shot fast or in full automatic which can slow the velocity of the projectile and even freeze up the gun being used.

• The most common reusable CO2 cartridges are 12 and 88 gram but you can get larger CO2 tanks in a variety of sizes that can be refilled with CO2.

Gas

• Gas is used primarily in Airsoft Guns, I have not personally seen an Airgun that is made to use Gas other than CO2.

• Gas is similar to CO2 in that it is a compressed gas that expands when releases, it also cools down the gun it is being used in and requires a warm environment.

• Gas comes in a variety of names, Green Gas, Red Gas and Propane Gas. Green Gas contains Propane as it's base but has additives in it like silicone for lubrication .

• Red Gas is know to be a bit more powerful than Green Gas as it has Chlorodifluoromethane or HCFC-22, R22 or Freon 22 used in refrigeration which turns to a liquid under a slightly higher pressure giving you slightly higher fps.

• Many people use propane gas with an adapter that allows the mixture of silicone as propane is cheaper to buy.

Compressed Air (HPA)

• Compressed Air (HPA - High Pressure Air) is most commonly used in Airguns and Paintball Guns but some people use it for their Gas based Airsoft guns.

• The compressed air comes from high PSI tanks that can be purchased in a variety of sizes and contains compressed air at pressures up to 5000psi.

• These tanks are reusable and usually need to be refilled at a paintball or scuba shop, some people buy their own compressors or large scuba tanks for refilling purposes.

• Some Compressed Air (HPA) guns have their own built in tanks that can be filled with a compressor or even a manual pump.

• Compressed air does not cool down the gun it is being used in and is a great option for high output or fully automatic guns.

Multi-Pump Pneumatic

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic systems are most commonly used in Pellet and/or BB guns.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns use the same principle as HPA - High Pressure Air guns in that they require pressurized air as the propellant. The main difference with Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns, is that you do all the work by pumping the gun between shots. Generally speaking you pump the gun 3-10 times, take a shot and repeat this process.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns are not effected by air temperature and are great for target and small pest control.

Spring Piston

• Spring pistons are generally found in Pellet Rifles and Pistols but some Airsoft Guns also use a Spring Piston System and generally speaking Spring Piston Guns are single shot only or in other words, the Spring needs to be drawn back before each shot. Spring Piston Guns can have magazines that allow for quicker repeat shots.

• Spring Piston Guns come in many cocking configurations, Brake Barrel and Side lever to name a couple.

• The Spring can be a Mechanical Spring or a Gas Spring.

• Spring Piston Guns are not effected by temperature and are often used for small game hunting and target shooting.

Automatic Electric Guns (AEG)

• Automatic Electric Guns  are generally found in Airsoft Rifles but there are some Airsoft Pistols (AEP) that use this same system.

• Automatic Electric Guns use a similar system to a Spring Piston gun but have an electric motor that does all the work of drawing back the spring. You can even have fully automatic AEG guns.

• The power for the electric motor comes from removable batteries, so it is a combination a battery supplying the motor with the power to draw back the spring that creates a pillow of air that shoots the BB.

• AEG Airsoft Guns are great for situations when you require high capacity magazines with full auto capability. 

Gun Powder

• Gun powder is used in Blank Guns, in the same manor that it is used in a Real Gun, the charge from the Gun Powder supplies the force required to operate the blowback in most semi auto Blank Pistols, it also creates the sound of a live round along with the muzzle flash which makes Blank Guns great for training and as Props for Movies and Film.

• Because the kinetic energy from a blank gun is the same as a real gun, blank guns can be very dangerous when used in close proximity to an object, see my "Are Blank Guns Dangerous Video"!

Some other Gun Relevant Terminology:

Blowback

• Blowback operation is when some of the force of the propellant is used to move the slide backwards, which in most cases cocks the hammer for single action and can also pickup and chamber a round into the barrel.

• The slide spring supplies the energy for the return to the forward position of the slide.

• Blowback Guns do rob some power from the bullet force and in the case of CO2 or Gas Guns the also reduce the amount of shots per CO2 or Gas fill.

Revolver, Semi Automatic

• Revolver: Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action)

• Semi Automatic:  semi-automatic pistols use the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. Typically recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately.

Single Shot, Repeater, Semi Automatic & Fully Automatic

• Single Shot: A Single Shot Gun needs to be reloaded each time it is shot.

• Repeater: Repeating action Guns are single barreled guns containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically re-cocks the firing action. The term repeating rifle is most often applied to weapons in which the next cartridge is loaded by a manual action, as opposed to semi-automatic rifles, in which the force of one shot is used to load the next.

• Semi Automatic: A semi-automatic, or self-loading, firearm is a weapon that performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing.

• Fully Automatic: A Gun that uses either its recoil or a portion of the gas propelling the projectile to remove the spent cartridge (in the case of a gun-shell), fire again repeatedly, as long as the trigger is held down or until the magazine is exhausted. Automatic Guns are distinguished from semi-automatic Guns in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled.

Single, Double Action, SA/DA

• Check out my post explaining Single and Double action!

• Single-Action (SA): trigger performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled.

• Double-Action (DA): The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer or striker

• SA-DA:  A SA/DA firearm combines the features of both mechanisms. You can pull the trigger in Double Action when the hammer is down which cocks and releases the trigger or you can cock the hammer with your thumb and then release the trigger using Single Action to fire the weapon. 

Lever Action, Pump Action, Bolt Action

• Lever Action: In a classic lever-action firearm, rounds are individually loaded into a tubular magazine parallel to and below the barrel. A short bolt is held in place with an over center toggle action. Once closed, the over center action prevents opening solely by the force on the bolt when the weapon is fired. This toggle action is operated by a hand grip that forms part of the trigger guard. When operated, a spring in the tubular magazine pushes a fresh round into position. Returning the operating lever to the home position chambers the round and closes the breach.

• Pump Action: With a pump-action firearm, the action is operated by a movable fore-end that goes backwards and forwards to eject, extract, and chamber a round of ammunition. Pump-actions are usually associated with shotguns.

• Bolt Action: The bolt opens and closes the breech end of the barrel and contains the firing pin. The bolt is held in place with a lever that fits into a notch. Moving this lever out of the notch will release the restraint on the bolt, allowing it to be drawn back. An extractor removes the spent cartridge, which is then ejected through the lever slot. A spring at the bottom of the magazine pushes up the reserve rounds, positioning the topmost between the bolt and the chamber at the base of the barrel. Pushing the bolt lever forward chambers this round and pushing the lever into the notch locks the bolt and enables the trigger mechanism.

Magazine vs Clip

• Magazine: A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines can be removable (detachable) or integral to the firearm. The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action of the firearm. The detachable magazine is often referred to as a clip, although this is technically inaccurate.

• Clip: A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time. The term "clip" is also frequently used to refer to a detachable magazine, though such usage is incorrect.

We've just added a bunch more US blank Guns to the US Replica Airguns Store:

• M92F Nickel - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• 8mm Mcombat Nickel - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• MVP - Black with Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• MVP Chrome - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• MVP - Gold - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• MVP - Nickel with Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• P29 Chrome - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• P29 Gold - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• P29 Nickel With Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• 8mm Police - Black - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• Python 4" - Blank Firing Replica Gun - 9mm
  
• Rohm RG 3 - Blank Firing Replica
  
• V85 Black with Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V85 Chrome - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V85 Gold - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V85 Nickel with Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V85 Nickel - Blank Front Firing Replica Gun
  
• V92F Magnum Chrome Finish - Blank Front Firing Replica Gun
  
• V92F Compact Black - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V92F Compact Black with Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V92F Compact Chrome - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V92F Compact Gold - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• V950 Chrome - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• VCOMBAT Black With Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• VCOMBAT Gold - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• VCOMBAT Nickel With Gold Fittings - Blank Firing Replica Gun
  
• Volga Chrome - Front Fire Blank Firing Replica Gun

For my Canadian Blank Gun collectors, I'm not going to list these ones as Silent Auction items this time around so if you're looking for an EKOL blank gun, I have one of each of the following versions for sale:

• EKOL ASI UZI Full Auto (Near New)
• EKOL Jackal Dual Satin Full Auto (New)
• EKOL ARDA Revolver Black (Near New)

Act fast if you want one!

Buy EKOL ASI Full Auto Machine Blank Gun in Canada

Buy EKOL Jackal Dual Full Auto Satin Blank Pistol in Canada

Buy EKOL ARDA Black Blank Revolver in Canada

Time is runnig out! Just in cased you missed my EKOL Arda & Dicle - Bruni Mod. 92 PAK Blank Gun Silent Auction video last week or perhaps didn't get a chance to bid on anything, this is your last chance as this silent auction ends tonight at midnight (Friday May 11th).

You can check out the original post and watch my YouTube video for these items located here.

I've been talking a lot about some blank gun offering for my Canada based customers and I didn't want to leave out my US located customers. So I've added a few 1911 styled blank pistols to the Replica Airguns US Store. Now keep in mind these 1911 blank guns are all top venting but they still function and field strip much like a real gun!

Buy the Kimar 1911 Government Reproduction Blank Pistol

• 8mm P.A.K blanks
• 7 round magazine
• 2.5 pounds
• Semi auto
• Single action only
• Top firing
• Includes a hardshell carrying case
• Comes in Black or Nickel

Buy the Smith & Wesson 1911 S Blank Gun Black/Nickel

• Two-tone black and nickel
• 9mm P.A.K. blanks
• 8.7"
• 2.2 lbs
• 8 Rounds
• Single action only
• Includes a hardshell carrying case
• Approved by ATF - No federal license required

Buy the Colt 1911 .45 Government Blank Pistol

• 9mm P.A.K blanks
• 8 round magazine
• 2.2 pounds
• Semi auto
• Single action only
• Top firing
• Includes a hardshell carrying case
• This gun is solid!

It's always good to start the week off with an update video so everyone knows what's happening short-term and long-term...

I recently acquired a couple new items that I will be reviewing in the near future (along with several other reviews that I will be trying to get to ASAP!) First off is the Crosman M4-177 which is basically a multi-pump pellet and BB shooting replica of an AR or M4 styled carbine used by the US military. The Crosman M4-177 is mostly plastic on the outside but on first inspection seems to be built fairly well. It has removable metal sights and the magazine is also detachable but is not used as a magazine but rather a compartment for storage. The unit I have is the Canadian detuned version which shoots .177 caliber lead pellets and 4.5mm steel BB's at under 500 fps.

I don't currently sell the Crosman M4-177 in the Canada Replica Airguns Store but I do have it available for purchase in the US Replica Airguns Store for my US customers.

I also received my first old west blank shooting revolver (M1873), I have wanted one of these for a while and finally got my hands on one :) Unfortunately this one has a plugged barrel so it vents out of the cylinder area which may get a bit messy. I may see about making this one a front venting gun if possible and of course as long as it's within the law as I plan to make sure the cylinder stays semi plugged so no actual rounds could ever be shot out of it. The Old West M1873 Blank Revolver holds six .380 crimped blanks and is an all metal and wood construction. This should be a fun review!

I also touch upon a few other guns on the list of items I need to review and by the way in an attempt to get caught up I will be doing my Table Top and Shooting reviews combined.

Here are some of the guns that I will be reviewing over the next while...

• Gamo P-25 & PT-85 .177 Caliber Blowback Pellet pistols (This one will get done this week!)

• Daisy Powerline 5501 Blowback 4.5mm BB pistol.

• Webley Tempest .177 & .22 Caliber Spring Piston Air Pistol.

• Western Arms Smith & Wesson Shorty 40 Blowback 6mm Airsoft Pistol.

• Kimar Lady K Stainless Steel 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol

• EKOL Lady Chrome 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol. 

THIS SILENT AUCTION IS NOW CLOSED

Another great opportunity for some of my Canadian based customers to get yourself a blank firing gun here in Canada. Today I bring you three models, two front firing blank pistols from EKOL in Gloss Black (Arda and Dicle) and one Italian made top venting Bruni Model 92 in Chrome.

Let's take a look at them now...

First we have an EKOL Arda in Gloss Black:

• Front firing.
• 8mm P.A.K. blanks.
• 5 round capacity.
• Single action only.
• Like new condition and may have never been fired!
• Comes with hard case and manual.
• Checkout my full video review of a similar EKOL Arda.

Second up is an EKOL Dicle in Gloss Black:

• Front firing.
• 9mm P.A.K. blanks.
• 15 round capacity.
• Single and double action.
• Like new condition and may have never been fired!
• Comes with hard case and manual.
• Check my full video review of a similar EKOL Dicle.

Lastly we have a stunning Bruni Mod. 92 in Chrome:

• Top venting.
• 8mm P.A.K. blanks.
• 15 round capacity.
• Single and double action.
• Comes with hard case.
• Excellent condition!

All these guns are up for silent auction and this is how it works:

1. Send me an email with your top price as you will be bidding against others for the top offer. (Taxes and shipping will be added to your bid)
2. If you want more than one of these blank guns, please bid on each gun individually.
3. You have till Friday May 11th midnight to get your top bid in place.
4. Once the top bidder has been selected I will send them an email to notify them that they are the top bidder and Payment will be required within 24 hours or the next top bidder will be selected and notified.

If you live in the US then simply order blank guns from our US Replica Airguns Store!

Checkout my Youtube Video about this silent auction with some closeup video of each blank gun.

I wanted to make a quick video to showcase a few items I will be reviewing and some of which are also for sale in the Replica Airguns Store.

First off we have a few of the new front firing Kimar Model 85's (Orange Slide) left in Canada. I stated out with 9 and I am not down to 3 so hurry on this one if you want one in Canada. If you are in the US, I also have them for sale in my US Replica Airguns Store in both Black and Nickel.

Next up I just wanted to show you a Kimar Lady K that will show up some time down the road in a video review, this item is now in my personal collection and sorry it is not for sale in either my Canada or US store at this time.

I have had lots of requests to review the Daisy Powerline 5501 and to be honest I have wanted to get this one for some time and even though it is available for sale in our US Replica Airguns Store I have not had the opportunity to pick one up until now so look forward to that review again some time down the road...

Last but not least I wanted to give you a closer look at the new Turkish made high powered Webley Tempest I have available in the Canada Store, these ones shoot as hard as legally possible within our Canada limitation to be classified as uncontrolled firearms and they make  great compact pest control pistols that you can keep handy for when required.

OK, so that's it for now and be sure to watch the full reviews of these guns when I get to them shortly!

Buy the Daisy Powerline 5501 in the Canada Store

Buy the Daisy Powerline 5501 in the US Store