5-in-1 blanks (commonly called "five-in-ones" in the film industry) are

blank cartridges Blank or Blanks may refer to: *Blank (archaeology), a thick, shaped stone biface for refining into a stone tool *Blank (cartridge), a type of gun cartridge *Blank (Scrabble), a playing piece in the board game Scrabble *Blank (solution), a solutio ...

that can be used in a variety of firearms. They are specifically made for theatrical use and are commonly used in real firearms for dramatic effect. Since the loud report and flash of ignition, and not the projection of a bullet, is the goal of the cartridge, it can be used in firearms with different bore sizes. These cartridges can be loaded with different charges, ranging from quarter-load charges for indoor scenes and scenes around animals, up to full-load charges for outdoor firing. 5-in-1 blanks can be used in firearms chambered for the .38-40 Winchester, .44-40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .44 Magnum, and .44 Special because, although the bores differ in diameter, the chambers are of similar shape. They were called a 5-in-1 blanks, because, when they were originally introduced, they could be fired in the five different firearms commonly used in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

, namely .38-40 and .44-40 Winchester

lever-action rifle The toggle-link action used in the iconic Winchester Model 1873 rifle, one of the most famous lever-action firearms Picture showing a Volcanic Pistol A lever action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cockin ...

s and .38-40 Winchester, .44-40 Winchester, and .45 Colt

single-action revolver A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a tra ...

s. 5-in-1 blanks are also called a 3-in-1 blanks for the three weapon calibers in which they are fired, namely .38-40 Winchester, .44-40 Winchester, and .45 Colt. The 5-in-1 blanks in use today have been redesigned and are made with plastic cases that can be used not only in .38-40 Winchester, .44-40 Winchester, and .45 Colt calibers, but also in .44 Special, .44 Magnum, and .410 bore

shotguns A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...

revolvers A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

. They are available in crimped and open-ended (balloon) varieties and are made using both

black powder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

and

smokeless powder Finnish smokeless powder Smokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to black powder. Because of their similar use, both the original black powder formula ...

. The black powder blanks produce not only a loud report and flash, but also a cloud of white smoke.

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Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI, pronounced "Sammy") is an association of American manufacturers of firearms, ammunition, and components. SAAMI is an accredited standards developer that publishes several Am ...

{{Rimmed cartridges Rimmed cartridges Special effects Blank cartridges

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