One of the props you will most often see used in the movies is the prop gun. When an actor uses a gun in a scene, it can be one of several types of gun which are commonly used on screen. These are: a real gun (which fires blanks), a replica gun (usually rubber), a ‘toy’ gun or, occasionally, an air gun. There are various advantages and disadvantages of each of these gun props, some of which are outlined below.
Using a real gun, which fires blanks, will give an authentic sound and look to the scene, but can be dangerous. One famous incident, in which a real gun proved fatal to an actor, is that of Brandon Lee. Whilst filming the popular comic book movie, The Crow, Lee was fatally wounded when a live bullet accidentally found its way into the gun. For this reason, the use of real guns is not recommended.
Replica guns are great for scenes which do not require the actor to actually fire any shots. A good replica prop gun will look just like the real thing, but will not fire or produce any sound at all. Rubber props guns are usually used when a scene requires many weapons in shot, where the actors will not pretend to fire them.
At Keeley Hire, we have a wide range of replica weapons, as well as a huge choice of other stage and movie props, which are available for hire at competitive prices.
