The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: alfsauve on July 12, 2009, 07:56:58 PM
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I work in "theatre" and many times the use of prop guns comes up. We, at least my group, are very concerned about safety both on and off stage. For those who may foolishly think that, "blanks" are safe, here is a picture from one of my theatrical pals, of the flash and shrapnel that accompanies a "blank".
Notice on the right hand side of the picture there are still many pieces of burning shrapnel that are still flying fairly level and could do considerable damage to soft tissues like the eye.
(http://www.jeffsalzberg.com/photos/miscellaneous/muzzle%20flash.JPG)
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Wow, duck....better make that, hit the dirt.
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http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/brandonlee.asp
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Blank round is a misnomer, nothing blank about it, plenty of power there, stick the muzzle in a bucket of water and pull the trigger, you will see.
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Blank round is a misnomer, nothing blank about it, plenty of power there, stick the muzzle in a bucket of water and pull the trigger, you will see.
generally speaking, there is more powder in a blank, then you will find in a normal round.( no bullet leaving the gun so they have to up the power to get even a modified gun to cycle.)
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Cowboy mounted shooting is done with blanks. Look at the range they can break balloons at with just burning powder coming out of the muzzle.
I had long noticed and then had it verified on an episode of Cowboys that in the "theatrics" the guns are actually pointed at the ground in front of the other actors.
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http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/brandonlee.asp
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The film was shot in my former hometown town of Wilmington, NC, The primer remained in a shot with so called "dummy" rds.
The old vice on the bench trick, remove the bullet, dump the powder, re-insert the bullet. PROBLEM was the primer remained.
Scene showing close up of revolver loaded with hollow-points, primer had enough to lodge .44 Magnum JHP in barrel when "fired"
Tech never cleared or checked .44 Magnum Bullet lodged in barrel,
NEXT DAY. Full power .44 Blanks loaded into same revolver with bullet lodged in barrel.
Brandon Lee was shot at 4 1/2 feet in the abdomen with a .44 Magnum bullet that left the muzzle at an estimated 926 fps.
A serious "wake up call" to all those in the movie industry, stage, and others.
Quite a pic Alf, I hope you check all "props" yourself..
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http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/brandonlee.asp
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The film was shot in my former hometown town of Wilmington, NC, The primer remained in a shot with so called "dummy" rds.
The old vice on the bench trick, remove the bullet, dump the powder, re-insert the bullet. PROBLEM was the primer remained.
Scene showing close up of revolver loaded with hollow-points, primer had enough to lodge .44 Magnum JHP in barrel when "fired"
Tech never cleared or checked .44 Magnum Bullet lodged in barrel,
NEXT DAY. Full power .44 Blanks loaded into same revolver with bullet lodged in barrel.
Brandon Lee was shot at 4 1/2 feet in the abdomen with a .44 Magnum bullet that left the muzzle at an estimated 926 fps.
A serious "wake up call" to all those in the movie industry, stage, and others.
Quite a pic Alf, I hope you check all "props" yourself..
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Dude......you just seriously stuttered.
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Never had a "double tap" response before,could be the North Korean's on a cyber attack....
Sorry...
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Same thing happened to Kid last night.
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Never had a "double tap" response before,could be the North Korean's on a cyber attack....
Sorry...
LOL ;D
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Never had a "double tap" response before,could be the North Korean's on a cyber attack....
Sorry...
Fell out of the Chair laughing!! Good One!
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Here's an actor who shot himself to death with a blank. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon-Erik_Hexum
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That's a damn shame.
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I've used .22 short blanks for years to shoot 2 pound retrieving decoys quite a ways through a flip open cup with a spring loaded striker. It would also send a coke can far and fast for skeet practice, and crumble the bottom of the can. I've always had a healthy respect for them. That muzzle flash pic (with the burning powder grains) spells a fire or some one losing an eye. they ain't toys, and I sure wouldn't use one in a stage play.
FQ13
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I heard on the radio a couple of months ago about a small time theatrical production that involved firing a gun. Apparently someone from the cast or crew provided a personal gun fpr the show. The actor being "shot" in the show felt a brush on his head when the shot was fired during the preformance. It was then discovered that the gun was loaded. The people involved were joking about it on the radio program I heard that day. Unfortunately I did not hear the whole story and get the details of where this happened.
In the late 60's or at the latest very early 70's I was in a youth bowling league. At the end of the season we had anawards banquet. For what ever reason the league director included a gun safety session in the program that night. I remember the gentleman telling us that blanks aren't blank and demonstrated by shooting holes in playing cards by firing .22 blanks into them. That always stuck with me. A few years later when I first went to college I was joking around with a cap gun that fired the little red plastic caps that were somewhat realistic, and "shot" my dorm mate down the hallway. Apparenlty I scared him a bit and he didn't forget it.
A few days later he knocked on my door and I told him to come in. He had his hands behind his back and a bit of a smirk on his face. He kind of himmed and hawed for a moment and I figured he wanted to barrow some money, my car, or beer. He took a couple of steps toward me and pulled a Ruger Single Six from behind his back. I raised my hands and said "I give up." About that time he raised the gun up about two feet from my face and pulled the trigger. BANG. There was a brilliant flash and my face stung as I covered my face with my hands, spun around and fell to the ground.
I wasn't quite sure what had just happened. As I rolled over and looked at the shooter he had a ghostly look of shock on his face. I asked him if that was a blank he had fired and he said yes. Had he said "no, or I don't know", or something else I probably would have gone into shock. As it was I soon realized that I was more or less OK. The shooter was not. He was pretty shook up. I had glasses on which saved my eyes, otherwise I believe I would have been blinded. There were some pretty good dings in my glasses. My face was peppered with powder and wadding. It looked as if I had gotten drunk and fell on a pin cusion. I picked bits and pieces out of my face for years.
I took the Ruger from the shooter and explained to him that blanks aren't blank. I then "shot" a cardboard box from about the same distance as he had fired at my face. The blank shot blew a pretty good sized hole in the box with some singing of the cardboard. There was also some peppering around the main impact area. I was able to turn a potentially tragic incidence into a learning situation. The shooter also showed many others on our dorm floor just how dangerouse blanks could be.
Had I been a little quicker thinker I probably could have owned that Ruger. The last I knew, the owner of it, not the shooter, still had it. He is the only person I went to college with that I ocassionally bump into though we live about 30 miles apart. Everytime I bump into him I always ask him if he still has it.
One last note. When my neighbor was in the military, one of the guys in his group was killed by a blank that tore his throat open during a training exercise.
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I heard on the radio a couple of months ago about a small time theatrical production that involved firing a gun. Apparently someone from the cast or crew provided a personal gun fpr the show. The actor being "shot" in the show felt a brush on his head when the shot was fired during the preformance. It was then discovered that the gun was loaded. The people involved were joking about it on the radio program I heard that day. Unfortunately I did not hear the whole story and get the details of where this happened.
In the late 60's or at the latest very early 70's I was in a youth bowling league. At the end of the season we had anawards banquet. For what ever reason the league director included a gun safety session in the program that night. I remember the gentleman telling us that blanks aren't blank and demonstrated by shooting holes in playing cards by firing .22 blanks into them. That always stuck with me. A few years later when I first went to college I was joking around with a cap gun that fired the little red plastic caps that were somewhat realistic, and "shot" my dorm mate down the hallway. Apparenlty I scared him a bit and he didn't forget it.
A few days later he knocked on my door and I told him to come in. He had his hands behind his back and a bit of a smirk on his face. He kind of himmed and hawed for a moment and I figured he wanted to barrow some money, my car, or beer. He took a couple of steps toward me and pulled a Ruger Single Six from behind his back. I raised my hands and said "I give up." About that time he raised the gun up about two feet from my face and pulled the trigger. BANG. There was a brilliant flash and my face stung as I covered my face with my hands, spun around and fell to the ground.
I wasn't quite sure what had just happened. As I rolled over and looked at the shooter he had a ghostly look of shock on his face. I asked him if that was a blank he had fired and he said yes. Had he said "no, or I don't know", or something else I probably would have gone into shock. As it was I soon realized that I was more or less OK. The shooter was not. He was pretty shook up. I had glasses on which saved my eyes, otherwise I believe I would have been blinded. There were some pretty good dings in my glasses. My face was peppered with powder and wadding. It looked as if I had gotten drunk and fell on a pin cusion. I picked bits and pieces out of my face for years.
I took the Ruger from the shooter and explained to him that blanks aren't blank. I then "shot" a cardboard box from about the same distance as he had fired at my face. The blank shot blew a pretty good sized hole in the box with some singing of the cardboard. There was also some peppering around the main impact area. I was able to turn a potentially tragic incidence into a learning situation. The shooter also showed many others on our dorm floor just how dangerouse blanks could be.
Had I been a little quicker thinker I probably could have owned that Ruger. The last I knew, the owner of it, not the shooter, still had it. He is the only person I went to college with that I ocassionally bump into though we live about 30 miles apart. Everytime I bump into him I always ask him if he still has it.
One last note. When my neighbor was in the military, one of the guys in his group was killed by a blank that tore his throat open during a training exercise.
WOW, that is one hell of a 1st hand story.
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I recommend listing to this Aussie Podcast
John Bowring is an Australian film armourer who has worked on movies such as Crocodile Dundee, The Matrix Series, Australia & Wolverine + Many More.
This is a really interesting podcast. A great view of movies from behind the scenes. also goes threw some of the crap laws we have :-[ :'( :'( ( you will see why I was sad when you here about 300 guns )
http://ausvarmint.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/avpcep12.mp3
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At Parris Island before we did our first field maneuvers the Drill Instructors demonstrated "Blanks".
They put an empty C Rat can over the barrel and fired a blank that left a hole through the bottom of the can.