blank charge questions

[zimmerstutzen]

I started gathering parts to build a German style SchaftBoller, a short barreled rifle stocked salute gun. They were used historically to sound alarms, or to fire salutes.    Today they are used to begin festivals and shot at Christmas eve to salute the "Christkind"    In Germany, they load corks over the powder to get the loud bang.      Then I saw a video on Youtube of two guys loading blank charges and using wooden dowels and mallets to apparently pack down the powder.  The dowels were all black and dust came up as they were hammering on the dowels.  They did not appear to be loading anything on top the powder. 

I thought at least some sort of wad was necessary to get the bang.     My barrel is 2 inches round and bored to 4 ga.   

what do people at re enactments and other demonstrations load to get the effect from a blank charge? 

[T*O*F]

what do people at re enactments and other demonstrations load to get the effect from a blank charge?

Anything on top of the powder becomes a projectile that can injure.  Most places allow only powder.
Hammering the powder reduces the grain size making it akin to mixed granulation including 4F.  Not smart, especially in a large bore gun.

[Mike R]

Most reenactors who fire blank loads load with loose powder only for rifles/muskets.  In a typical gun the bang is plenty loud enough [tho' some use relatively large charges to increase the noise, I find mild loads amply loud].  For cannon, however, we load foil "cartridges" which are loud and which do send out small projectiles of foil and powder granules, as well as a pretty long flame--thus noone is allowed within 50 yds of the bore.

[WadePatton]

... I saw a video on Youtube of two guys loading ...dust came up as they were hammering on the dowels... 

Although the comments on videos can be rather useless (like a lot of videos) sometimes you can find better information in them than you do in the video itself.

I'm never hammering on gunpowder.  It's that dust that is extraordinarily sensitive (just like the organic dust in grain bins that have been exploding periodically for 100 years).

A lot of bad information passed by example on the YT, but also lots of good.  I've always used some wadding over a "blank" charge.  Paper wasp nest might be good.

irritates the heck out of the wasps.

[Bull Shannon]

I can't speak towards war or battle reenactments but for several years I did a living history presentation at a local pioneer festival which included firing my muzzle loaders.  I'd use 10-15 grains of powder with a cleaning patch over the powder charge.  While the patch did get ejected at high speed it didn't go far and the rifle wasn't allowed to be fired until pointed in a safe direction.  Such small powder charges gave a very nice report that the people loved.  The problem with blank charges is that the fouling builds up quickly and I found that I had to wipe between each firing or cleaning became difficult at the end of each session.  My rifles were .50 and .54, cap and flintlock.

[CDgun]

For Civil War reenacting we use Cream of Wheat over the loose powder in our revolvers.  We just fill the chamber on top of the charge and compress it with he loading lever.  The cereal will compact well enough to hold the powder in place even when the pistol is carried in a holster.  When discharged, it falls to the ground as dust a few feet from the muzzle.  I know this for a fact because I have been the recipient of such.  Also, it does not burn.  I don't know if it will give you more bang, but it's perfectly safe and worth a try.