Which blank firing gun is the best?

I

Indyreel

Well-known member
I need to buy a Beretta 92F blank firing gun. I purchased one years ago and it was a piece of junk. Every third or forth shot, it would jam. This caused tremendous problems on the set.

Can someone refer me to a blank firing Beretta 92F that is reliable?

Thanks.
 
in my opinion your better off with a gas blowback airsoft gun. the 92f is a pretty common one and can be had for much less than a blank gun and is more reliable.
you just hafta do the muzzle flashes in post. they even make models that eject shells.
they cost a bit more but they look great.
 
You're going to have to add muzzle flashes in post whether you use an Airsoft gun or a blank firing gun -- because the blank firing gun won't expel any blast out the front of the barrel anyway. Blank firing guns have solid metal barrels. The blast usually vents out the top or sides. So as lowercase says, you're better off with an Airsoft.
 
The only problem is that this night scene is shot in low shadowy light and therefore there would need to be a considerable amount of "flash" which covers the shooter and the surrounding area. There will be atleast seventy shots fired and my thought was that the flash out of the ejection port would provide the surrounding flash. I would then only need to add muzzle flash in post. This seems like it would give the most believable results, rather than adding everything in post.

I could be wrong, but is there anyone who knows for sure? I am looking to do what the pros do.

Thanks
 
Actually, the flash from the gun -- if it DID come out the front of the barrel -- probably wouldn't really be enough to light things up the way you're envisioning. When you see that done in movies, it was done in post using some kind of special effects program.

The only way to fire a gun on-camera and have the blast come out the front of the barrel is to use a REAL gun loaded with blanks. But that is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS and I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT AT ALL!!! That's how people die. Is that kind of danger worth risking? (No, it never is.)

Go to www.fxhome.com and look at the EffectsLab Pro program. Fairly inexpensive. There are videos on the site showing some of what it can do.
 
No, the flash would be coming from the ejection port, not the barrel. This is where the empty shell is ejected. This flash is considerable, as I've experienced it first hand with a blank firing gun. That said, do you have any answers regarding the original question? Thanks
 
For Blank guns, I use Brunei. High quality, never had a jam yet. But you have to clean it and maintain it like a real firearm. Indyreel, you are close about the flash, but most have a 1/8" port on the top side that is just down from the chamber, so there is a bit of "barrel" on the ammo side.

But as stated prior, you won't get the flash you are envisioning.

If you are local (So Cal) I might be able to assist you.
 
Indyreel said:
No, the flash would be coming from the ejection port, not the barrel. This is where the empty shell is ejected. This flash is considerable, as I've experienced it first hand with a blank firing gun. That said, do you have any answers regarding the original question? Thanks
Click to expand...

Either way, the flash won't be bright enough to light up the shooter and his/her surroundings. So what's the point? If you're going to have to enhance it in post anyway, you might as well add the flash in post as well. It's really the only way you're going to get a good result.

You say the flash is 'considerable'. Did you view it in daylight or at night? Keep in mind that if you're shooting at night, then you have to light your set with a considerable amount of light in order to get a good image. So the flash of the gun will be competing against the set lighting. It won't be the same as if the gun flash was being seen in true darkness.

No, I have no info about where you can purchase a blank gun like what you want. I was just trying to help you achieve the effect you're looking for. Sorry.
 
Actually, I live in Massachusetts.

The ejection port I have is wide open, just like a regular firearm. So there is consideral flash.

If you have any other imput, I would greately appreciate it.
 
Remember that even a 'dark' scene has to be lit with a LOT of light. The darkening comes from stopping the camera iris down, controlling light/shadow, and playing with brightness and contrast in post. So the question is how much brighter will the gun flash be than the set lighting? My guess is....not much.

Shoot it any way you want. But plan on needing to enhance the coverage of the flash in post to get the effect you're looking for.

For my money, if I'm going to have to add flash effects in post anyway, why run the risk of having anything explosive -- even so-called 'safe' blanks -- used on the set?
 
I have had decent success using photorapher strobes to create a flash on to a face. just color gel it if you want to change it to an orangish color.
 
maranfilms said:
I have had decent success using photorapher strobes to create a flash on to a face. just color gel it if you want to change it to an orangish color.
Click to expand...

I'd think it would be hard to synch a strobe if the muzzle flash is visible in the frame as well. Great idea if it's a closeup, though!

Another thought.....this probably wouldn't work for a rapid succession of gunfire because it takes the typical photo strobe several seconds to cycle up and be ready for another flash.
 
To do what you are wanting will require a 2 angle shot. One on the face of the actor, including the strobe mentioned before, and one including the muzzle of the weapon, which by your description is a PFC weapon, not a blank weapon. There is a big difference in the description of the weapon. PFC's are much more suited to what you are wanting to do, but more expensive than your standard blank guns.

Let me know when you are done with it, and I will buy it.
 
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