Blank firing guns

[APTYP]

How are they different from real prototypes? Can the barrel plug be removed, or the barrel replaced? Will a firearm with such modifications be able to load 8mm or 9mm blanks with a bullet (slug, or ball, doesn't matter) in the barrel?

If anyone has any opinions, suggestions, or better yet - experience, please post your thoughts here.

Disclaimer: I am not trying to turn such a gun into an illegal firearm. I am curious about the possibility of criminals obtaining blank-firing guns and modifying them into weapons.

 

[Rogue Hex]

There is very little difference. They just have somthing taken out so that they are no longer operational, or a plug put in.
I dont know if the barrel plug can be removed but the barrel can be changed.
My uncle has two colts that are both blank firing. (They are to go with his country dancing costume!). All he has to do is take the barrel of and replace it with somthing, or another barrel and the weopon can fire normal rounds.
There trying to get them banned over here because too many are being bought as there not illegal and then being converting.
I dont really no the process to converting them though. This is just what i've heard from my uncle and news.
But yea, criminals can legaly buy them and then get them canged for pants all.

 

[Gunslinger]

First off, the barrel is not grooved. It cannot compensate a real bullet. Secondly, depending on the gun, the chamber cannot carry a full sized round. The blanks that are fired are traditionally stubby and shorter in length, though the same caliber. One a blank firing revolver, if the chamber breaks to the side, you could possibly load a real bullet (but, I having never used a REAL bullet, am not sure). But then there's the whole barrel issue again.

Of course, you can always switch the barrel. I've never heard of the barrel being replaced with a real on since the gun is usually piecemeal and melded together. The actions for most of the blank firing guns follow realisitically with the actual guns so I suppose it *could* fire a real round. But then, it would be too much of a hassle to hew off the barrel and construct an actual won. I think the more modern looking blank firing guns have fail safes for this very reason.