Live bullets and blanks are identical except that a live bullet has a projectile at the end that, when fired, is designed to kill someone. A blank does not have a projectile but has a crimped end in its place. Blank ammunition is used for training purposes. When fired, the blank sounds the same as a live bullet so it appears real to the soldiers who are practising warfare.
It is true that blanks can kill if fired too close to a person. That is why blank firing is done from a safe distance (more than 10 yards) from 'the enemy' in training. Even then, safety is a priority so the user is always instructed at the start of an exercise never to aim directly at the target. The main warfare effect is the noise.
Sometimes a piece of crimping breaks away from the casing and this can cause damage, especially to the eyes. The broken piece of crimping can cause deep lacerations to the skin as well. Hearing can also be affected, Blanks can sound extremely loud even from a few yards away!
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