Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Conrad on December 27, 2011 at 9:32pm

Hello Katherine,

It's impossible to say for sure by pics online, but the first looks like a starter pistol, and the second is too blurry for me to tell. If the second looks the same from the side then it probably is also. Most blank guns use 22 ammo, but there is a difference between regular 22 and 22 long rifle. If it's really old it could be 32 caliber, but that would be more rare. Inspect them for any markings on the body or barrel that may say what caliber it is or that shows a make or model number. They could be the same or different types of guns. Also look down the barrel to see if there is a bar to keep them from being used with real bullets. That's a bar that will stop a bullet from leaving the gun, but will also probably injure the person who fires it. Thats only with real bullets though.

Please don't try these guns without knowing for sure what they are. Also if you determine what they are, don't use them if the blanks don't load easily. They could be damaged.

You might take them to a local gun shop to have them looked at. If cost is a problem, tickets to a performance sometimes works wonders.

Good luck, and do be careful.

Permalink Reply by Ian James Anthony on December 27, 2011 at 9:47pm

David Conrad is a wise man. Everything here is totally right.

Permalink Reply by Katherine Hunt on December 27, 2011 at 10:15pm

thanks for the info!!

Permalink Reply by Ian James Anthony on December 27, 2011 at 9:42pm

Yeah, those are definitely starter pistols, and they look like .22 caliber, since most starter pistols are. Now, I am in no way a firearms expert, but have worked with firearms on the stage, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Also, I'm not trying to be condescending, I just don't know how much you know, so I'll explain everything from the bottom up.

When you buy blanks, be sure to get crimped ones, which means the end of the cartridge has been crimped closed to hold the power in. The other type are called 'wadded' loads, which means a small wad of some sort, usually paper, is holding the powder in. Though rare, the wadding may come out when the blank is fired, and may harm an actor. You can make that a non-issue, however, by getting crimped loads.

Another thing to be aware of is which direction the gun vents in. When a blank is fired, it produces gas. This gas had to escape somewhere. In some semi-automatic pistols, the power of this gas is harnessed to power a mechanism that ejects the spent round and chamber another. In any case, every gun vents this gas in a slightly different way, and it can harm an actor. So you'll want to do what are called 'paper tests' on whichever gun you're using, to see how it vents. Get one of those giant pads of paper, like the ones Demetri Martin uses in his standup. Rip off a sheet, and suspend it in the air next to the gun. Load and fire the gun 1' away from the paper. You may or may not notice some tiny holes in the paper, which have been caused by the venting gas. This is normal. Repeat this process with sheets of paper in front of, to the left of, to the right of, and on top of (you can hold it sideways, gangsta-style), in order to see where it's venting. If you want to be extra thorough, and since these are firearms, you do, repeat this process with the sheet of paper at 8" to 1' intervals. This will give you a good idea of where around the firearm it will be safe for actors to stand, and will give the actor firing the gun a much better idea of what he or she is handling, which just makes everything safer for everyone.

Also, is the barrel of the gun in the second picture plugged? Because it really should be. If not, I'd use the solid barrel pistol, just to be safe.

If you'd like, I can email you some firearms handling guidelines that I drew up for a show I worked on two summers ago. You can then use that as a guide for writing your own rules. I also have some material that was given to me by a firearms expert whose seminar I attended a couple of years back, and would be more than happy to send it all your way.

Hope that helped!

Permalink Reply by Ian James Anthony on December 27, 2011 at 9:46pm

Oh, and .22 rounds are usually pretty quiet as far as gunshots go, but depending on the size of your space, you may want to consider buying half-loads, which will be quieter.

Permalink Reply by Katherine Hunt on December 27, 2011 at 10:16pm

I would love to see the guidelines you drew up. Any info would be helpful.

Permalink Reply by Ian James Anthony on December 28, 2011 at 10:15am

Sure thing! I tried sending you a message to ask for your email address in case you didn't want to post it on here, but we have to be friends first, which I'm cool with, but didn't want to be a creeper.

Permalink Reply by Ken M Hupp on December 27, 2011 at 9:49pm

Katherine,

It is hard to say from the picture but my guess would be yes they are starter guns. I recommend you take them to a gun shop and ask a professional. They can also advise you on the proper blanks to use.

Permalink Reply by Katherine Hunt on December 27, 2011 at 10:23pm

thanks yeah I probably will end up doing that, once I find one around here

Permalink Reply by Ian James Anthony on December 27, 2011 at 9:50pm

Relevant: http://www.communitytheater.org/articles/act_di_cr/GunsOnStage.htm

Permalink Reply by Katherine Hunt on December 27, 2011 at 10:17pm

helpful info thanks