Macgyver1968
Philosopher
The barrel had been filled in and the cylinder bored out, but you could still fire blanks.
If your barrel had been filled in, it most certainly would not fire blanks. Blanks still have a full powder charge. When fired, all of those high pressure gasses have to go somewhere. If the barrel is blocked, there is a good chance the gun could explode....or at the very least be severely damaged.