not so much about directing but : buying prop guns

GND

GND

Well-known member
Not sure where to post this, mods may move it to the correct location.
But, I live in canada : toronto Ontario to be exact. and I'm having trouble buying fake guns to use for films.

Every online store I've looked at, doesn't ship to canada - things like blank fireing guns, or airsoft guns.

to be exact, I'm looking for a revolver - with bullets and barrell that opens/shuts, the whole nine yards. Though I don't care if it shoots blanks or air or doesn't shoot at all, as long as it looks real enough and has parts that move+bullets that are separate.

Any idea where I could buy this? online, or a store? ....or does someone here have one I could buy off them (paypal payment?)

thanks a bunch.
 
Actually, no. We use a local guy who is a professional weapons master/stunt man.

But, I thought this would be a good time to preach about the safety of using firearms (even props) on a set.

It is essential to notify the local police. I don't care if the guns are fake, how small the shoot, or where it is. We had an incident here not too long ago where a SWAT team showed up at a shoot and almost killed some actors. No kidding. Guns drawn, fingers on triggers, millimeters away from death because no one told them that bloody screaming girl and the guys with the guns were acting.

Sorry...I couldn't help myself.
 
wow that's insanity, the swat event.

I do intend and have no problem notifying the local police as my cousin, uncle and neighbour are all policemen.


anyway, the question remains...anyone from canada/toronto have any idea? We plan to shoot in a couple weeks and need that revolver.
 
Jim Brennan said:
We had an incident here not too long ago where a SWAT team showed up at a shoot and almost killed some actors.
Click to expand...

Holy crap. The actors must have had the living hell scared out of them. Sure makes good behind-the-scenes footage, though.
 
airsoft toy guns with some matte black spray paint for the orange tips, look real, are heavy so the actors fel real, they work, i shot in a police station, and the cops thought they were real.

Jason Miller
 
jason,

airsoft does seem like the best bet for me, but can one get them in canada? I've looked around online and all sites say they don't ship to canada / airsoft is banned or something...
 
man, i can't help ya there, I and most of my actors are all competitive shooters, and alot of times we use our personal weapons(properly checked and cleared by all on set, no live ammo allowed around for safety)

Then again, I am in the states so it's much easier.
 
airsoft guns are the bomb. add the sound fx and spark from the gun in post and you're golden. i got mine from http://airsoftatlanta.com/ but i jus read their policy and it says they dont ship to canada or mexico. with all the new laws on terrorism it'll probably be hard to get something like guns/fake guns from the US.

one of my actors was working on another short film where they used real guns but with blanks and the swat team showed up on them too. they were filming a mobb shootout so the cops were pissed when they found out it was for a short film. i think they got fined. not sure.
 
Just drive over the bridge to Detroit and hit the local Walmart.

Unless you're agoraphobic...

Performance Solutions
29 Basin Street
Toronto
416.410.1102

The Pyro Guys
Tel: 416 233 7976
19 Advance Road
Toronto

Paul Jones Effects Studio
Tel: 519 855 4334
Toronto

Story City
Tel: 416 367 4997
110 Spadina Avenue
Toronto
 
Last time someone asked this question on another site, Google found some airsoft companies in Canada. So shouldn't be a problem.

I'd agree with letting the police know, unless you're entirely shooting indoors on a closed set... last thing you need is for them to turn up with real guns. Also, remind them on the day you're shooting, because I've read of at least one case here in the UK when they were informed in advance but had forgotten by the time the shoot happened and still turned up to investigate.
 
thanks for the help guys!
The sortyUSA site is great...however they don't ship internationally / to canada.

I did find a site Buyairsoft.ca that ships to Canada....I'm pretty sure at least, since they're a ".ca" site.

again, thanks. and I hope no SWAT team shows up on me/the crew...
 
just get real guns and real ammo, cuz it looks way better and more real than the fake digi FX stuff.... keep the guns laying around (perhaps in a duffle bag of sorts), keep the ammo close by in case you ever need to get some quick access to REALISTIC gunfire, also use gasoline in big jugs for REAL explosions, fill big gallons jugs up with gasoline and light them on fire, trust me it looks so real..... and I cant stress enough the use of real and live ammo for your gun scenes, just make sure your actors are wearing some type of kevlar vest, or what not..... thing is, you want it to look real, so dont use fake stuff.... and theres no need to have a "weapons master" because guns dont kill people, people kill people..... so just make sure everyone is wearing a kevlar vest or just outta the way when you are firing.... also, go to gun shows and get AR 15s and AKs, look up directions online for SIMPLE mods to make them fully auto.... cuz fully auto looks better than the semi auto crap

happy shootin!





always do the exact opposite of this advice.
 
Their has to be someone on Canada that will provide the props. All of the X-Men flicks were shot there, as well as many other flicks and shows.
 
Jim Brennan said:
It is essential to notify the local police. I don't care if the guns are fake, how small the shoot, or where it is. We had an incident here not too long ago where a SWAT team showed up at a shoot and almost killed some actors. No kidding. Guns drawn, fingers on triggers, millimeters away from death because no one told them that bloody screaming girl and the guys with the guns were acting.
Click to expand...

Firemen came to my house once to check on a gas leak. Some how they saw my airsoft collection and alerted the cops. It was only three but they came in and investigated. I explained to them that I was a filmmaker and made action films. I showed them some moves and all. So once they saw the guns weren't real (and after a few minutes of them cocking and playing with them) they advised us not to let people in the neighborhood know I had them, then they left. LOL.

Also I think I was put on some kind of list because cops were chasing a guy for pulling a gun on one of them (that's a quick way to get shot in almost any big city) and of course the guy broke the door open and ran into our building. So police were searching apartments and came to ours. They asked if we had any weapons in the apartment. I told them about my props. An officer said something in this walkie talkie to the station about it then was like, "Oh, that this apartment. Okay." And everything was cool. The best part was I was actually editing "Wages of Sin" when they came in my room. One of cops pointed to the screen (in which I was doing my very best Wesley Snipes) showing his friend and they chuckled and left. They caught the guy too by the way. Dude had either jumped off the third floor porch (Ouch) or the roof but they got him.

I know this story has nothing to do with getting airsoft guns into Canada, but I thought you would all enjoy it.

FutureDVXUser said:
Try: shortyusa.com
Click to expand...

Shorty is good but also try a company called Airsplat. They helped us with our first film and sale quality Airsoft stuff at good prices. And they still have those "Tomb Raider" pistols too. I can't find them in too many places anymore.

-Nate
 
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