western prop guns

CookFX Productions

CookFX Productions

Well-known member
I know there are plenty of places out there that sell replicas and blank shooting pistols. But the looking im gooing for is the smoking gun look from the 60 westerns. Do they make shells that just smoke or were those made by hand? And I dont want to composite anything, I want that El Topo, and Man with no name look. I know it can prob be accomplished or come close to with videocopilolets actions dvd which I have but theres something about doing it the real way. Anyone know if they accomplished the large smokey barrel with a different type of blank shell?>
 
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Do you need it to actually shoot? In my last film, R.P.D.M. Joe rigged a tube to blow smoke out of a shotgun that had just been fired. Worked great. Though we ran out of time on set and I wound up compositing it anyway. The compositing came out great, but the gun is moving slowly and out of focus. So it was fairly easy:

shotgun_smoke_cu.jpg


But if you just need the shot of the gun smoking, rig a tube up and light up a butt.
 
Well Im looking for muzzle smoke, when firing. I know it can be composited but Im trying to figure out how to do it possible classically as it can. Id like to make it look like a pekinpaw movie, or a leone style. Thats how I'd like the muzzle blast to look, theres gotta be a way to do it with out digital influence. This whole movie is going to be shot in the biggest dunes in michigan and looks like a desert so Im sure i can get away with blanks, if there is a shell like i said before that when fired only gives off smoke when the hammer hits it and ejects the shell. This may be a long stretch, but what did they use in the wild bunch, and Good, bad, and the ugly? Those are the type of smoke if not more like the Alejandro Jodorowsky movie El Topo.
 
I would hire a firearms and practical effects guy. Blanks are EXTREMELY dangerous. They've taken quite a few lives on shows.

I would seriously consider compositing or hiring it out.
 
Mattykins said:
I would hire a firearms and practical effects guy. Blanks are EXTREMELY dangerous. They've taken quite a few lives on shows.

I would seriously consider compositing or hiring it out.
Click to expand...

I agree with Mattykins. In order to get the effect you're looking for, you'd have to use REAL guns shooting blanks, not BLANK guns shooting blanks.

Shooting blanks in a REAL gun is extremely dangerous, and should be done with professionals on-hand to oversee everything.

Proceed with caution.
 
I was thinking this myself as I went out for a ride on my motorbike, were I do my thinking, if blank shooting guns have a plugged barrel, smoke wont get out anyways. I have someone in town thats a weapons expert, he trained Rangers in the Army to use tactical night weapinery and more than that im sure i dont know about, he'll prob be the only one that wont mind being stuck in the middle of miles of sand for hours. But now I have to either find someone who owns a colt peace maker 45. or get one that isnt gonna drain my wallet, reporduction of some kind that still isnt out of this world.
 
You might look around and see if there are any Civil War re-enactors active in your area. Many of those soldiers carried pistols very similar to the western Colts. Might be worth a try.

Good luck! Be careful!
 
Chapel-Not a bad Idea, Living in michigan theres alot of war reactment in the upper portion of the state by the Bridge to the upper Pennisula. Thats where I plan on looking to shoot the second and third scenes of my film anyways, Im taking a bike run up there soon so good call. Im also in contact still with a Blank gun manufacture and talking to him about the plug at the end if its a total plug or is there a gap at all. So will see. Thanks for caution tips. I dont need a Brandon Lee situation on my hands. Total saftey first.
 
I can't add much to this - Dave pointed out some great blanks- even the .22's make pretty good smoke, but those .32s are wild. The only problem is those are made for purpose-built blank guns and I haven't yet seen one in a Western style.

Consulting with your Ranger is probably as good of a way as any. The Civil War reenactor guys would have earlier models than a Colt Peacemaker .45 type, although (as Dave pointed out) the look is fairly similar. The good news is that those Civil War guns are black powder and will make tons of smoke.
 
For what it's worth, my brother did the dvx sci-fi fest a while back. He bought a musket gun with a plugged hole that he had to drill out.

That gun uses a wick that when triggered, places the burning wick into the chamber that ignites the powder. The same stuff you buy in a can at your local gun shop. I'm looking for the DVD which I own, not sure if someone took it. It gives the look you want. Huge amounts of smoke.

How you could adapt that to modern guns is up to you, if it 's even possible, but just tossing it out here. The smoke is incredible though.

//I've asked bro for another copy. I'll post a pic from it asap.
In the meantime, I guess they are called flintlocks...
http://gun-sword.stores.yahoo.net/flintlock.html
http://gun-sword.stores.yahoo.net/flintlock-pistol.html

He used blackpowder packed with a bit of paper. I remember him saying the size of the hole that's drilled out is important. And you wouldn't want to aim it at anyone ofcourse.
If you would like to talk to him about it, send me a PM and I'll send his e-mail address.
 
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I may be drilling out the lead plug so that the smoke is able to come out the barrel. I found a 22. colt peace make reprodution on a website for a pretty good price. But right now Im waiting to hear back from the people who sell the props. Because I was reading and they sell a 357. Dirty Harry revolver, thats what they call it too, that has a vented barrel that isnt plugged all the way so that you can use blank rounds that smoke. So Im hoping they may be able to tell me which Old West gun possible has a vented barrel, If they do I will fill you guys in on the website and type of gun. If not I will be doing what rapters brother did and drilling out the lead. But yeah the best thing for me to be doing when I shoot this is to have my Friend who's the night weapons expert. And as far as it goes for the drilling im gonna have to be dead on with that. I may take that to a machine shop and have that machined instead of me trying to go at it with a power drill. A drill press is a far better idea.
 
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