Whether blank-fire or simply props, these are not real guns. With all of my replicas, there is no muzzle flash possible.
[Before I continue, I want to emphasize the cardinal rule of theatre: Don’t allow a real firearm into the building. EVER. Borrowing an actor’s cousin’s revolver for a waive-around prop can get someone killed.]
Every gun-related death that has ever occurred in rehearsal or performance, for stage or for film (and there have been many), was caused by firing a blank from a real gun or from someone sneaking in a real bullet into a real gun. Not one death from using a stage-appropriate blank-fire gun. For more information, look at this YouTube video.
Are You Making a Film? Then click that highlight, read the page, and save yourself some time.
G36 – SHORT BARREL REVOLVER
Just a good generic blank-firing handgun.
This stage-safe .22 caliber double-action NEF starter pistol. It is dressed with a false barrel and a black resin grip.
Hammer to barrel tip = 6″. Diagonal measurement (barrel tip of end of grip) = 9″. Weighs 1 lb, 9 oz.
to rent:
G36: 22 cal blank-fire – [$35/month]
G57 – INFANTRY MUSKET – BLANK-FIRING
These are wood and steel shells that hide an NEF blank-fire starter pistol. Each gun can fire up to 9 shots before needing re-loading. No exterior moving parts and the ramrod cannot be removed. But there is no discharge from the barrel either, so they’re safe and practical for any theatre. You can get away with using these for shows set from the mid 1600’s to the mid 19th century. A good choice for Cyrano, Three Musketeers, Our Country’s Good, etc. , and I believe I have about 20 in stock. length = 46″, weight – 10 lbs. Originally $800 [for loading instruction video – https://youtu.be/RyWltlfc6rM] Because the gun is large, I recommend using the louder Winchester blackpowder blanks. A smaller sound might seem incongruous.
22 cal blank-fire rental – [$ 87.00] or buy one today for $425
G68 – INFANTRY MUSKET – NON-FIRING
That’s right, the same as above except that there is no starter pistol inside. Perfect for The Crucible.
I only have a few of these. No exterior moving parts and the ramrod cannot be removed. But there is no discharge from the barrel either, so they’re safe and practical for any theatre. length = 46″, weight – 10 lbs.
Non-firing, prop only rental – [$ 59.00] or buy one today for $124
G76 – WARNER RIFLE
A blank-firing version of the earliest rifles of the mid and late 1800’s, or whenever you need a generic blank-firing civilian rifle. Originally $780, they safely fire from NEF starter pistols that are inside the replica – nine shots before reloading. Hands down the most requested firearm replica we carried, and from the hundreds we built I have about a dozen left. Excellent for Carmen, Tosca, Les Mis, etc., although they still look nondescript enough to use as modern sporting rifles. 47″ long; 22 cal blank-fire. [for loading instruction video – https://youtu.be/RyWltlfc6rM]
rental – [$ 79.70] or buy one today for $168
K53 – CZ-24
Historical artifact – a fantastic piece of the past. Used by the Czech army from 1948, tons were also exported to a score of countries. They still surface in large quantities on the black market. Shown with and without the removable shoulder stock. Can be used with a strap. The basic layout was the inspiration for the Israeli Uzi. Length – 28 inches (when butt-stock is attached); weight – 8 lbs. completely non-firing I believe I have 10 left.
[original price – $343]
to rent – [$ 49.00/month] to buy – $81
All of the props herein are simple reproductions with no or few moving parts. Blank-fire means that it can make noise, but the visible barrel is false. There is no discharge down the barrel, therefore no smoke or flame effect (muzzle-flash) either. All of my blank-fire guns are both block-barreled and “block-chambered”, so a real bullet cannot even fit inside the gun.
Are you making a film? Then save yourself some time and click this link before reading on.
[Rental prices listed below are for the first 30 days and are subject to change. For more information, click here for an explanation of our rental prices. Certain cities and states have restrictions on who can receive modern replicas, even non-firing ones.]
BLANKS
Blanks are only shipped using UPS ground service. This can take from 1 to 10 days in transit time.
By federal law they cannot be sent via the US Postal Service, nor any expedited [air] shipping.
THESE ARE THE LOWEST PRICED BLANKS – NATIONWIDE!
described below, from left to right
6mm crimped– (rim-fire). sometimes misnamed the “super loud”, but more aptly the “acorn”, it is the smallest amount of sound you can find in a commercial blank. I no longer carry them.- 22 caliber crimped – (rim-fire). order # S22 [I have 20 boxes left]. These CCI noise blanks are designed for starter pistols, unlike their “power loads” which must never be used in any type of firearm. They are one and a half times as loud as the above 6mm crimped, and slightly deeper in tone. about $0.19 per shot : $18.82 for a box of 100.
- 22 caliber blackpowder – (rim-fire). order # S33 [I have roughly 250 boxes left] don’t confuse this with the above crimped loads. It is three times as loud and much deeper in tone. These Winchester .22 cal black powder short blanks are in stock and ready for shipment. This is what all but the largest houses or outdoor theatres require. about $0.28 per shot. : $13.94 for a box of 50.
For rentals of blank guns I routinely send out more blanks than you can use. You are not obligated to use them, but they’re there if you need them. Use what you need, and at the end of the run send back the rest (even opened boxes) with the returned guns, and you are only charged for the blanks actually fired. But I only offer the refund/credit if the blanks were originally purchased from me.
NOTE: You are not obligated to use my blanks, but you must use blanks that are designed for starter pistols. Under no circumstance must you ever use “power” loads from hardware stores made for nail guns or decoy launchers. Those blanks destroy starter pistols and put the actors in grave danger of injury.
[“How about those .209 primers? They’re cheap and they fit in .22’s don’t they?” Yes, but they are center-fire, not rim-fire, so you get a whole bunch of mis-fires.]
- rimmed 9mm (.380) primers – The .380/9mm revolvers require larger cartridges. But larger cartridges might hold a lot of gunpowder inside, often
too much for a small theatre. These primed casings have no gunpowder in them at all! The primers are louder than those found in other blanks, so the sound produced is similar to the light 6mm above. (Because the casing holds no gunpowder, the manufacturer doesn’t need to bother with crimping the end. Selling elsewhere – when you can find them – for $35 a box!
$10.06 for a box of 50! And yes, that’s only $0.20 each shot! - rimmed 9mm (.380) FULL-load – For use in outdoor theatres, or when you want to replicate the sound of a cannon going off (I am only
slightly exaggerating). The shooter must wear ear protection. ) Selling elsewhere for $40 a box!
$4.38 for this box of 50! THIS IS THE LAST BOX OF THESE BLANKS REMAINING !! And yes, that’s only $0.09 each shot.
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Looking for blanks that I don’t carry? Try Collectors Armoury, first. They carry many blanks for most blank-firing replicas, including semi-autos.
- Can you legally fire a blank in your theatre? I don’t know. It all depends on your theatre building owner, your local law enforcement agency (in this country there are about 18,000), and your local fire department (in this country, over 30,000). So even if it is legal in your state, it may be restricted in your locale.
- Use ear protection when firing any blank. The sounds produced by even the smallest of blanks cause hearing damage to the operator of the gun after multiple firings. And half-load does not mean half as loud. A full-load 9mm blank is 89 times as loud as the 9mm half-load.
- Caps and blanks are two different animals. Blanks are cartridges filled with gunpowder and also have primers built-in to set them off. Caps have no gunpowder and no cartridge; they’re just little primers. Only blanks can be used in blank-fire guns. Only caps can be used in percussion (ball-and-cap) guns.
- There is one other type of “cap” – those used in toy cap guns. No starter gun or stage pistol can fire those kind of caps. These have a small amount of gunpowder and sometimes also a primer. Because toy caps are made to explode right at the point where the hammer makes contact with them, toy cap guns are less safe than blank guns for the person firing them. Go here for more information.