Blank (cartridge)

When shooting with handguns, ammunition is needed. This ammunition is usually called cartridge. When guns are used in movies, or theatre performances, special cartridges are used. These cartridges are called blanks. Blanks will produce a muzzle flash, and a sound like a real cartridge. They will however not fire a protectile (called bullet, or shot).

Handgun blanks

Blanks are also used in historical reenactments, special effects for theatre, movie and television productions, and combat training.

Blanks are less dangerous than real ammunition. There is still a danger in using blanks: Firing a shot will release hot gases. Any object in the cartridge will be propelled outward and may cause injury and perhaps death at close range.

There is a difference between a blank cartridge, and fake ammunition: Fake ammunition does not contain gunpowder, and will produce neither a sound, nor flash. Fake ammunition is used for the testing if a firearm works as it should. Blanks are also different from percussion caps, used in cap guns. Percussion caps contain only enough gunpower to ignite: as a result, they sound much softer.