Do such props exist ... for minimal price?

For "Tangled Web" we used two guns -- a pistol designed ONLY to shoot blanks, and a starter pistol. But we didn't put ammunition in either one. We added the flash and sound in post. It's the only way to go. Anything else is just too dangerous.
 
Customizing and aging is actually simpler than it sounds. But it can be time consuming and is very detail-oriented.

One, the orange tip (follow all laws in your area pertaining to this). For film use, it has to go. Unless you are filming people playing airsoft, purposely.

For example, with a New Out of the Box M4. You have several options:

1. Paint it still on the prop if you cannot remove it (lesser cost AS's have orange plastic flashhiders) (could be tough to exactly match the barrel color) You may need to paint the entire barrel to match. Carry extra paint for touch ups on set.
2. Replace it, if removable. Most airsoft shops sell the flashhider in guntmetal.
3. Or remove, strip and repaint, if made of metal and removable.

That is the first step on the cosmetics. Normally, while the paint is drying, I pop open the body of the prop and remove both the brass barrel and clip the battery leads (sorry, Chapel, this is even safer than blank guns). This guarantees set safety. Then put it back together. That airsoft will never function again without serious work.

Okay now a bit of aging. If plastic body, you will need some silver model paint, gray model (flat) paint, and black (flat) paint. Very little will do you for this. The technique is similar to "dry-brushing". I put a drip on a piece of cardboard of whatever color I need, and using a soft rag, pick up a little. Then wipe off the paint on the cardboard, so that it is only leaving a little bit of a trace on the board. Now, lightly wipe any area on the weapon that would normally see wear (the edges/knurling on the forward assist, edges of the upper receiver handle, edges of the front sight.

Now if the AS you bought is a metal one, 0000 steel wool does the same as painting.

Okay, once that is done, I take the same grade steel wool to the plastic parts not just painted. Knock the shine down. Go easy, it is easy to go too far.

This is lesson 1. I'll add a few more lessons involving pistols and simulating the woodgrain on weapons furniture.

I am looking at a prop I just got, maybe I'll post a step by step pictorial of how I work on them.

If you use my info, please, just give me credit for it, that's all I ask. I am sharing what many consider trade info.
 
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I've been looking for firearm replicas for the longest time now, and this has been a pickle. Been working on a western set in Beirut for a while, and the guns have me stuck. I can order the holsters, but it is legally near impossible to order fake guns from abroad. We don't have them here in beirut, and here's the zinger.

It is easier and cheaper and more available than getting a fake approved for a film. It makes no sense, but I can pick up an arsenal of arms now, but can't get permission to fake money (white paper on one side with a hundred printed on the other with film prop written there) or to fake guns.
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If you have easy access to real firearms, but trouble getting the fake ones into country, just make your own.
1. Purchase the (real) firearms you want to use in your film.
2. Take to a competent gunsmith.
3. Have the gunsmith permanently deactivate the firearms.

The South Australia Police has good guidelines on how to deactivate various types of firearms. It generally involves welding a plug in the barrel, boring out the chamber so it won't accept a round, welding up the trigger mechanism so it can't be activated, cutting out portions of the bolt so it will not function, welding up the gas system where applicable, and generally making a mess of the insides while keeping the outside appearance intact.

If it's done well, from the outside the firearm should be indistinguishable from a fully functional one (so be extremely careful if you have a mixed armoury of live and deactivated firearms). However, the actions will not move and you can't get any muzzle flash or smoke out of them. But if you just need them to look good, this is a pretty easy way to go.

Legal disclaimer - the laws of Lebanon are not the same as the laws of South Australia. Make sure you're in compliance with your local laws as well.
 
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