Serowbot wrote on 11/07/21 at 07:30:07:" ... my understanding that a "cold" gun has no ammo in it, blanks or live. ... "
I do not believe the word, 'cold', is used to describe a unloaded firearm.
A firearm is described as, 'loaded', or, 'not loaded'.
If it is 'loaded', the word/s describing the rounds it is loaded with, is added.
If it is 'UN-loaded', it does, Not, have any, 'blanks', 'dummy rounds', 'live rounds' in it.
Someone using the word, 'cold',
(in describing the state of a Firearm)indicates that the person saying that word,
is not versed/familiar/skilled/etc/etc/etc/ with firearms.
If, a person wished to use the word, 'cold', in describing the state of a firearm.
Then that person needed to have, memos/meetings/gatherings/etc,
with EVERYBODY,
that could possibly interact with a Firearm, in that situation.
telling them,
What your meaning of, 'cold', means in describing the state of a Firearm.
Don't know of that ever happening.