Are Blank-Firing Guns Dangerous?

Are blank-firing guns dangerous? YES. Anyone who provides blank-firing weapons for stage and screen should know where their dangers lie, and make sure they are never used in a hazardous manner. But as a demonstration of what they can actually do, the video below should make it clear. Keep it in mind when it comes time to use your weapons, or show it to a director who tries to convince you that you are being overly cautious.

2 thoughts on “Are Blank-Firing Guns Dangerous?”

  1. “During a break between scenes on the Cover Up set on October 12, 1984, Jon-Erik Hexum jokingly placed a blank-loaded .44 Magnum prop gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. The shot sent the wadding from the blank cartridge into Hexum’s skull, driving a bone fragment the size of a quarter into his brain and causing massive hemorrhaging. Hexum was rushed to the hospital, where he eventually was declared brain dead.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_Up_%28TV_series%29

  2. Great video! I’ve been responsible for putting firing weapons on stage and you can never take it to seriously no matter how relaxed others might be. I’ve had the discussion of with a number of directors who want to have a headshot with a blank firing weapon.
    I managed to solve the problem of how to fire a gun at someones head close range without any risk of injury in a recent stage production by mixing electronics with a mechanical effect.

    Using a Blue tooth controller device rigged inside a custom made replica pistol the performer was able to trigger a gun shot sound effect timed to perfection with a syringe filled with powder for the smoke. The result was a controlled gunshot aimed 3 feet behind a performers head and pointed straight at him.
    It does rely on the performer pulling the trigger and to have a good quality sound effect with directional speakers to make it believable but it was 100% reliable and gave the director what he wanted without compromising safety or believability.

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