Are movie prop revolvers fully functional reproductions?

[JCKelly]

My first thought is this idiot pointed a gun at the lady and pulled the trigger. If YOU did that you would be guilty of one form or other of murder. Baldwin of course will not, probably because he is Baldwin, possibly because such idiocy is regular practice in his business. Really, would you actually trust someone's life to another guy telling you the gun is empty?????

Did no one ever hear that it is the UNLOADED gun that kills ("accidentally")?

OK now closer to home. I believe I first fired Dad's .38 in 1947, for the 4th of July. I began shooting revolvers, Civil War Whitney .36 cal at age 16. Been shooting pretty much since. More recently I did something harmless but thoughtlessly stupid. It involved two Unmentionables, lever action and revolver. Harmless, but also done without conscious thought. At that point l decided to stop carrying my Unmentionable revolver. Realized that I was no longer alert enough to have a loaded pistol with me at all times. No, no, no - I never said that! But I fear it is true.

Should I even mention the embattled police? And the guys I shot muzzle loaders with?

I like guns. Too many thoughtless idiots around, for me to enjoy being with random armed guys, thank you.

 

[Defender]

Are movie prop revolvers fully functional reproductions?

I am looking for opinions about the accident in New Mexico.

Baldwin who is fiercely anti gun was handed a real revolver with a live round in it. This was not his fault BUT had he just a very small amount of knowledge about gun safety he would have known to treat every firearm as if it were loaded and checked the pistol himself, although I'm pretty sure he has no clue how to do that.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Baldwin has frequently spoke out against and trashed the NRA ....and then he completely ignores all the gun safety rules the NRA has been teaching for more than 50 years. Maybe he needs to be trashed now.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Springerpanhead]

Not too many semi autos in the old west….

1896 Broomhandle Mauser

 

[user 48702]

1896 Broomhandle Mauser

Don't forget about the the Bergmann 1894 in 7.5mm

 

[shorthair]

2 questions I have: ( someone may have asked & I may have missed them....)

1. Why is there live ammo on a movie set anyway?

2. The camera girl & another behind the scenes person was hit.
Why on earth Is Baldwin shooting the prop gun at them & not at another actor in front of a camera?

I bet this story gets swept under the nearest bear rug in New Mexico.

View attachment 101019

#1 they were killing time and went plinking with the prop guns that morning according to reports.
#2 other actors are more expensive and have better attorneys than working folks.

I might be a little negative in regards to the care celebrity's place on the lives of us little people but past history would seem to support my beliefs.

 

[Boston Bill]

It appears that one was? I never cared for Alex Baldwin,(spelling)? I do feel sorry for him this time. Killing someone is something you never forget and the one thing you try hardest to get out of your mind. He can use our prayers!

I'm not wasting sympathy on Alex. My sympathy rests with the family.

 

[Billy Boy]

Based on the info provided by @Loyalist Dave , detailing the Brandon Lee accident, I think they will find that the gun had real ammo in it and that it will be a tragic laps in attention from the guy in charge of the guns, as well bad procedures for making sure the gun/s were safe before handing it to someone who knows little or nothing about gun safety. But as you say, it’s speculation until the facts are published.

Too bad the declared the NRA a terrorist organization, 4 hrs of basic NRA firearms safety training would no doubt, made a difference

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I remember seeing at the end of a made for TV western series shot in Canada, a credit that firearms and expertise provided by Uberti. I was impressed. I spent a day with a consultant on the set during filming of Young Washington, starring Barry Bostwick. The soldiers in the front row were carrying reproduction Brown Bess muskets, The ones in the second row were carrying trapdoor springfield altered slightly to lock like flintlock muskets. The ones in the following rows were carrying broomsticks. Got within a few feet of some of the trapdoors and they were poorly cared for.

Heard the story that in one or two of the Spaghetti westerns, Clint Eastwood had a couple of multiple discharges from cap and ball revolvers used as props, so from then on they used conversion guns with cartridges.

It is strange how some movies strive for tid bits of accuracy and other don't give a crap. In how many westerns was John Wayne carrying that model 92 Winchester decades before it was developed. Or even before any Winchester was ever made. (The Commancheros)

At the end of the movie the cowboys, during the shoot out, one of the little guys is shown shooting a Dragoon revolver, but when the muzzle is shown, the bore must be about a 30 caliber. Or in some scenes of Gunsmoke, and other movies, they obviously had a special long barrel colt made. Some of the guns the prop companies must have should be in a museum themselves. In El Dorado, Arthur Honeycutt carried a massive revolving rifle that has got to be worth a fortune today.

Regardless of what the police say, or Baldwin says, the incident could only have happened through carelessness. Every kid that takes a hunter safety class learns the mantra of always point the gun in a safe direction, loaded or not. Always check to make sure a gun is unloaded. millions of 12 to 16 yr olds across this country know better than the Hollywood idiots.

 

[1clayguy]

No way that was a simple accident to take out two people.

The bullet that killed the female went thru her and struck the guy, according to the news.

 

[1clayguy]

They can be and frequently are originals. Hollywood used Winchester 92's and Colt Single Action Armies by the truck load. Spaghetti (Italian) Westerns were the first to employ modern reproductions in numbers I believe for legal and economical reasons. YMMV

Many years when I lived in SoCal I had a friend who owned a small gun store. He bought about a dozen guns from BATJAC at an auction. BATJAC was John Wayne's studio. All of the guns were originals, mostly SA Colts and Winchester lever.

 

[1clayguy]

If you can believe ANY media at all these days, the LA Times reports it was a single live round but did not specify caliber. Also said the Union complained of inadequate safety measures and at least 2 accidental firearm discharges in previous days before the shooting.
I might be wrong but I think a prop gun is just a gun.

According to one news source, there were 500 rds of live ammo at the movie set, as some of the crew would go hunting in spare time using studio guns. I imagine there is bumper to bumper traffic of lawyers heading' to New Mexico.

 

[1clayguy]

In a sane and responsible world, Baldwin was the LAST person to handle the firearm, so it was HIS responsibility to check it was safe BEFORE he pointed it at someone and fired.

It seems Baldwin SHOULD be charged and found guilty of at least Involuntary Manslaughter, if not criminally Negligent Manslaughter.

Penal Code 192b PC - Involuntary Manslaughter in California (shouselaw.com)

Also, don't forget that an Anti Gun Liberal Progressive is responsible for this homicide with a gun.

Gus

The "spin" on this from the lefties will be, "see why guns need to be outlawed"!

My response would be, "outlawed only for careless people like you".

 

[1clayguy]

He gets no sympathy from me.
I remember him raggin’ on a police officer some time back who had to shoot and kill a suspect; asking how it feels to know you have taken someone’s life.
He has always been rabidly anti-gun and I read somewhere that he has been opposed to the Boy Scouts and others getting and teaching firearms safety classes.
Appears he could have used one of those classes and taken it to heart.
He needs to man-up and take responsibility.
Those are things are not in his DNA I’m guessing. Or his lawyer’s either, guessing again.

Yes, that was determined to be a lawful shooting by the Huntington Beach, CA cop. Baldwin doesn't deserve sympathy, he was grossly negligent.

 

[Artificer]

The "spin" on this from the lefties will be, "see why guns need to be outlawed"!

My response would be, "outlawed only for careless people like you".

My response would be, "Outlawed by Criminally Negligent People like you who have carelessly ended one or more innocent lives!"

Gus

 

[1clayguy]

Baldwin will escape conviction for murder because he did not have intent to kill. Not because he is a star.
Intent is required for any criminal conviction, and I have no doubt he would hire a competent lawyer who will point that out..

But I agree that he will not escape liability in a wrongful death suit. $$$. He almost certainly has liability insurance, and i expect the insurance company will do a financial settlement with the family. I doubt whether he will be able to get another liability policy after this, though it's not the first fatality in the history of film.

You can be criminally neglect without intent.

 

[Wolfman0125]

Alec Baldin big anti gun activist, had he taken one single NRA gun safety class she would be alive today. People should also hire competent armorers with years in the film industry, not appoint some twenty five year old girl and say here is a position for you. You can handle all the gunplay.

 

[Johnnyntrain]

Are movie prop revolvers fully functional reproductions?

I am looking for opinions about the accident in New Mexico.

Depends. Blank guns only are safest for firing because will not accept real bullets due to different caliber chambers.

 

[BadDaditood]

Too bad the declared the NRA a terrorist organization, 4 hrs of basic NRA firearms safety training would no doubt, made a difference

The first 30 seconds would contain “treat Every gun as if it’s loaded” and “Never point a gun at something you do Not want to destroy”
I’m thinking if that dipstick actor had 1 minute of NRA instruction that young talented mother would be alive today, and hopefully would never have to work another chaotic Low Budget POS again.
Actually all they needed ( but wouldn’t pay for) was a qualified union Armorer on set.

 

[James Kopp]

To me it sounds like this Pietta was converted to 45LC with a conversion cylinder and either a live round was left in the chamber or something else was loaded.. I doubt it wash a BP cap and ball.. there would have been too many warning signs to ignore, like percussion caps on the nipples.