- First
and foremost - Never point it at anyone at any time. It cannot more strongly
stress the importance of developing sound firearms safety practice among
this nation's actors. Always treat every prop gun as though it were a
true and loaded gun, and if necessary to give the illusion of pointing
the weapon, aim upstage of the other actor. The audience will never know
the difference, and perhaps slowly we can all work together to prevent
more senseless tragedies from occurring. This can only start with each
and every person who sees any weapon, real or fake, to simply assume that
it is loaded, white-hot, and ready to kill.
- Second
- Do not "dry-fire", which is pulling the trigger when there
is no blank in the chamber. Most guns break in rehearsal from actors dry-firing
(playing) backstage. No gun, prop or real, is designed to be handled in
this fashion. If it is necessary to the play that the gun dry-fire, then
by all means rehearse as needed. But otherwise, why risk costly damage?
- Third
- Don't take it out of the theatre. Police respond with extreme seriousness
to any possible incident involving firearms, and merely displaying a replica
outside of a theatre is a felony in most states. Any use outside of a
theatre (including any film-work) requires prior notification and consent
of the local police.
- Fourth
- The prop is not part of your costume. It is to be picked up from the
stage manager just before your entrance, and returned immediately on your
exit.
- Fifth
- Perform a "chamber-check" with every hand-off. The person
handing over the weapon to the actor opens the gun to show that there
is no bullet or blank in the chamber or magazine, or some other proof
that the prop is harmless. When the actor returns the gun, the chamber
check is repeated.
- Sixth
- Don't drop it. Real or replica, these are delicate props, and simply
can't survive aggressive action. If the gun must be tossed or dropped,
we suggest that you purchase several for the run of the show, for they
will break. For the same reason, don't "twirl" the gun or force
the working parts.
What about blank-firing props?
Eye and ear protection should be worn when firing a shotgun, rifle or handgun. When
using, always fire with arm fully extended and at a safe distance from
any other person. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction before,
during, and after firing. NEVER point any firearm at any person or animal.
Blank loads are just as deadly as a bullet.
When a blank is fired, very hot gases quickly expand and move away from
the gun, sometimes down the barrel, sometimes to the side of the gun,
sometimes towards the floor or ceiling. Each blank-firing gun style might
be designed differently, and some of the flash powder continues to burn as
it leaves the gun, so find out where the gases go and keep that area clear.
There has never existed a "safe" distance from a blank-fire
discharge.
GUN SAFETY BASICS:
- Always
unload when finished handling
- Never
rely on a "safety" to prevent accidental discharge
- Never
leave a firearm unattended or not in your direct control
- Establish
a rigid protocol for transferring the weapon.
- Perform
a "chamber-check" when transferring a firearm.
- Don't
"struggle" with a loaded gun.
- Never
allow a loaded gun to strike any other object.
- Insure
that the blast from the firearm is clear of all objects, living things,
or flammable material
- Never
carry a firearm with the hammer cocked
- Always
assume that any weapon you see is real, white-hot, loaded and deadly
- Do
not dry-fire any weapon, even pure props. It severely damages the
gun.
- Firearms
must be locked away between performances.
- READ THIS ALSO - All Firearm Props must be cleaned and lubricated after
every performance. Failure to do so puts the user at great peril and
leads to the destruction of the firearm prop.
|
