A blank-firing adapter or blank-firing attachment (BFA),[1] sometimes called a blank adapter or blank attachment, is a device used in conjunction with blank ammunition for safety reasons, functional reasons or a combination of them both. Blank firing adapters are required for allowing blank ammunition to cycle the bolts of most semi-automatic and automatic firearms. It can also be a safety feature designed to break up the (wooden or plastic) plugs replacing the bullet in military blanks (with the added benefit that a live round mistakenly fired will expend most of its energy upon colliding with the BFA, reducing both the range and damage inflicted) as well as divert the hot gases from a blank discharge out to the sides, reducing the risk of injury to the target of an aimed shot.[2]
- ^ Royal Air Force Common Core and Deployment Skills Aide-Memoire AP 3242B VOL 5, ABBREVIATIONS
- ^ Robert E. Walker (26 November 2012). Cartridges and Firearm Identification. CRC Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-4665-0206-2. Retrieved 6 June 2013.