Now, as to the "blanks" and their design and function. The first website I visited made it clear that this particular "model gun" could be made to "function" by utilizing "paper caps" to recreate the "blowback" operation of the real gun. I have attached two pictures of the "blanks" that came with the M1A1. See Figures (3) and (4). One of the pictures shows a blank that has been taken apart. Following the disassembly of a "blank", a "cap" is placed inside over the "primer". On top of the cap is placed a small valve to which is attached an 0 ring and through which a very tine hole has been drilled. The two parts of the "blank" are then screwed back together and loaded into the magazine. The "bullet" end of the "blank" is hollow and I believe this is clearly visible in the picture. When the bolt slams the "blank" forward, it is driven up against a steel pin located inside the "firing chamber". The back- ward motion of the valve against the "cap" causes it to detonate. The gases that are generated must escape through the restricted orifice within the valve. The escaping gases create sufficient pressure to force the bolt backwards and eject the spent shell. If the selector switch is set on single, the bolt remains back until the trigger is pulled a second time. If the selector is set on full auto, the bolt moves forward again and the process is repeated until the trigger is released or the magazine is empty. If there has been any disappointment in my model, it is that while the weapon functions nicely in either single or full auto mode, the caps make very little noise. When I first fired the model, I actually thought it had not worked. It wasn't until I noticed the empty blanks on the floor of my garage that I realized the weapon had functioned properly.

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