I had the fortunate opportunity to take the SAFD Theatrical Firearms Safety Course (and pass it). It was a two day intensive focusing on safely handling, caring for, and firing theatrical firearm props. It was an incredibly eye opening experience. For this post, I’m just going to focus on one specific aspect of that course, and the less intuitive reasons why it’s so important. I will also say that I think that course is a fantastic primer on gun safety, and if you get a chance to take it, I highly recommend it.
You must treat all firearm props as if they’re deadly firearms, even if they’re rubber dummy gun props. This means never point them at anyone. Never touch them if they’re not your prop to use. Make sure they’re secured when not in use.
Does that sound like an over reaction? I used to think so. But that’s because I didn’t fully consider the issue. I never had a reason to do so.
We’re raised on the presumption that “blanks = safe”. There’s no bullet, just powder, so it can’t hurt anyone. That’s simply not true. It’s still a small explosion, and the gas, wadding, and pressure have to go somewhere. If the prop vents gas from the barrel, and the weapon isn’t cleaned well (which may not be your responsibility, so you have to assume it’s not done right) debris could be carried through the barrel and launched with the force of the shot. Did you know that actors have died using blank firing props? Jon-Erik Hexum fired one point blank at his own head and the pressure wave and some wadding from the cartridge caved in a portion of his skull, killing him instantly. Brandon Lee was killed on the set of The Crow due to about half dozen things going wrong with their props, any one of which being prevented could have in theory stopped that horrific accident. The list tragically goes on.
The rounds can be dangerous for a variety or reasons. Reusing casings is a common money saving tactic, but if you’re using metal crimped blanks, they weaken over time and pieces can be broken off and sent down the barrel. In the case of The Crow at one point hey used rounds with bullets in them and the powder removed, but the priming charge went off and one of those bullets became lodged in the barrel, until it was ejected the next day by a blank, into Brandon Lee. https://youtu.be/BXwPxSB7txk this is a video of a blank being fired into a water bottle at close range.
What about non-firing props like plastic toys or rubber dummy guns? There are a few ways these can cause harm, even indirectly. Not everyone will be aware that it’s not a real weapon. An actor was shot at outside a theater in New York, because he took a rubber gun out of the theater and was practicing with it in the alley. Someone saw him, called the police, and they shot at him.
You shouldn’t point any firearm prop (whether it fires a blank, or nothing at all) directly at anyone. This can be a touchy topic because many directors will say “It’s not loaded, just do it”, or “It’s rubber, it can’t hurt anyone, just do it”. As a fight director, gun wrangler, or actor, you need to decide how much this is worth fighting for. Anyone with an artistic vision can get really attached to it and resist suggestions to change it. They may want to elicit that visceral emotional response from the audience or a member of the cast. The primary issue the formation of bad habits. If it really is just a hunk of black rubber, the director is right in that it can’t shoot a projectile and kill your scene partner or someone in the audience. But it can be easy to get cavalier about gun safety if you’re used to pointing something like that right at someone. And the thing is, you almost never have to do so. You can play with sight lines and build good habits without compromising your performance and the director’s vision. It might take a little creative thinking, but it’s possible.
What if the scene requires the weapon to be held against your (or your partner’s) head/body/inside a mouth? This is super tricky, and sometimes necessary. The only mechanically safe way to do this is with a non-firing prop. If the weapon needs to fire before or after it’s held to a body, you realistically have 2 choices. #1: You use a non-firing prop the whole time, and simulate the shot with a sound cue. This is the safest option for using a gun in your show period. #2: You have a non firing prop and a firing one, and you find a creative way to do a prop switch in the scene, so that the firing prop isn’t what gets held against you or your partner. Option 1 is the safest, and least expensive way to get it done.
The thing that I’m ashamed to say I gave zero thought to is the harm that even a non-firing prop firearm can do to the audience. If you have a good looking rubber dummy of a Glock and you through the course of your performance point it at the audience, there is a very real chance you could send someone into a panic attack or trigger PTSD. Having a gun pointed at you is a visceral experience for most people, let alone police or military personnel. They didn’t come to your show to have a panic attack. They didn’t come to your show to flash back to a traumatic incident. It’s dangerous and irresponsible to risk your audience in that manner.
At the end of the day, you need to decide if (and how far) you’re willing to compromise. Artistic vision is a hill some directors are willing to die on. It’s their show. And in those cases all you can do is mitigate the danger the best you can. Sometimes there’s just no way around breaking some of these rules. You just need to make sure you and your director are educated about the very real risks and take all possible steps to manage that risk appropriately.
So what are the bullet points (see what I did there)?
- If at all possible, hire a fight coordinator who has been through this (or any other) firearms safety training course, especially if you’re using blank firing props. I promise you there are things you haven’t considered about the processes involved in handling these props.
- If it’s not your prop that your using to rehearse or in the scene right now, don’t play with it.
- Never point any replica firearm directly at anyone. Actors, audience members, yourself, anyone.
- Always assume a gun is loaded, and if you’re sure it’s not, still treat it as if it is.
- Blank firing props can injure or kill (and have done so.)