Pump shotgun

S

sbryan

Well-known member
Hi all,

I'm looking for a blank firing pump shotgun. "Why not get an air soft gun?" is what I will be asked so I might as well answer it: First, I don't know of anybody good enough to pull off a convincing kickback reaction. Second, I'm not too confident in my ability to make the gun and effects look convincing in post.

I was looking at this model, but $480 is really steep, considering the prop/weapon budget for a 15 minute short is $400 out of $1,500.

Shotgun

Is there a cheaper place to buy a similar gun online? For reference, it's a modern story, but the character has a certain appreciation for the tried and true.

Thanks.
 
Well, just an FYI... Any blank firing gun that can be used for "theatrical" purposes that you can buy legally, is going to be in accordance with United States Federal Law, which means that the barrels are plugged and there's an orange tip on the end. So, if you were hoping for muzzle flash from it, it's not going to happen.

And $480 for a blank firing shotgun is actually pretty decent. I think the only way you'll find one cheaper is if it's on sale.

Personally, I'd say go get an air soft shotgun, and whoever's gonna be the character using it, get them to practice recoil. Search the web for some footage.

Making a gun look real on camera is fairly easy. If you think you'll have trouble with the muzzle flash, etc. then ask around here on the board or ask some friends. Someone's always willing to help out.
 
Any shotgun will fire blanks, but you'll probably have to either make up the shells yourself or get next to a reloader type. If you're gonna do that, you might as well borrow his shotgun too. If you ask nice, he'll probably even be in your movie as the shooter.

A quick call to your local trap/skeet range will probably turn up several suspects.

fyi - blanks are still dangerous - the wadding will be ejected with considerable force - very hazardous to eyes etc. Be sure they don't use the plastic plugs - they can do serious damage at close range. Blanks also tend to be even louder than regular shells. Protect your mics (far,far away - like in the car). If you're going for effect, let your reloader know - he can play with the powder mix and give you several feet of flame if you want it. Most reloaders will get a kick out of playing.


Here's an idea of what you can do . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon's_Breath

Enjoy!
 
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http://www.modelguns.co.uk/ has blank firing shotguns that use high powered caps that eject sparks and smoke and have shells like the real thing. no recoil though like the non-guns and airsoft. take your friend to the trap range and rent a gun and shoot some trap,(after a safety course) and video tape him, then he can watch what he looks like, practice and act accordingly.
thanks
keith
 
Thank you guys for the responses.

I'll check into the non-guns from ISS first, and if that doesn't work out, I'll keep my eyes open for a pump action from modelguns.co.uk that's in stock.

Whatever I decide, a trip to the firing range and an intro to gun safety course isn't a bad idea for me or the actor.
 
sbryan if you want to check out a story we did on I.S.S. Props. Please go to
www.2nd-unit.tv click the past episodes tap. Episode 7 Season 2. I used them for a pilot we did this year with a cool sawed-off shotgun (Non gun) it worked out great! Good luck!

P.S. feel free to tell them Scott C. Chambers from 2nd-unit.tv sent you, you never know. I always ask for a discount.
 
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