"Soldier Shot After Live Round Gets Mixed in With Blanks"

Kind of wonder how something like this could happen:

I doubt a live projectile could make it through a BFA.

Wonder what would have happened if he died.

"I doubt a live projectile could make it through a BFA."

My EXACT thought!

First thing I thought of was the blank adapter.
Automatic guns don't work with blanks unless you have some kind of blank adapter.
Not to mention they are a mess to clean afterwards.

That was most certainly NOT the armorer's fault.
That SAW gunner knew he was not ready to fire blanks.
I'm sure it was firing from a magazine and not a belt.

Must have been the Rust armorer.

Back in my day, in the Army, blank firing adapters included a device that prohibited feeding of live rounds. While live ammunition could be loaded in the M-1 rifle, the blank adapter at the muzzle would have been a disaster if a live round were to be fired.

Bob Wright

M16 and M249 are the same way. You can load a live round into the chamber with a BFA installed, but it would hurt the shooter much worse than the target.
The projectile can not exit the barrel. All of the pressure, smoke and fire must exit through the breach, or make a hole in the barrel.

MHtractorguy said:

Blank Firing Adapter (BFA), Red, NSN 1005-21-912-8997, for M249-Series Machine Gun

The ArmyProperty Store

store.armyproperty.com

I doubt a live projectile could make it through a BFA.

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First thing I thought of. The barrel would burst, same as if you stuff the muzzle in mud.

We had the BFA and blank 5.56 rounds for the M16 back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. As mentioned, the weapon would not operate properly with blanks unless the BFA were used - and if it was, a live round would have been a disaster. Also, a live round looks nothing like a blank; instead of a bullet sticking out of the case, there is a funny looking star crimp on the end of the case.

Funny...I don't remember shooting dinosaurs with my M16.

How did the live round get there?

Something stinks about this story. I smell a hoax.

I agree arfmel. Something is fishy. But then again the Army is waaaay short of rocket surgeons.

arfmel said:

Something stinks about this story. I smell a hoax.

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There is definitely something amiss. An M249 wouldn't cycle blanks without an adapter and a live round would blow up the adapter and flash hider.

KurtC said:

There is definitely something amiss. An M249 wouldn't cycle blanks without an adapter and a live round would blow up the adapter and flash hider.

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Yeah, I'm half wondering if this is typical (i.e., inaccurate, based on erroneous info) reporting, and the guy who got "shot" was firing the weapon, and caught some debris from the blank firing device when the live round was fired. Pure speculation, but it sounds like someone got injured, and it doesn't seem likely that anyone could actually get shot.

As always FWIW, YMMV, somethin' happened to somebody, etc.

MHtractorguy said:

Funny...I don't remember shooting dinosaurs with my M16.

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No, the last ones were shot with the 45-70. Hollywood even made a movie about it.

Oh No...not this live round thing again !

any ruger said:

How did the live round get there?

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No, No, No,No...Please, not this again!