[SML] Prop Weapon Question - Legality

[Dale Farmer]

On 1/9/2015 12:10 PM, Jeremiah Minh Grünblatt via Stagecraft wrote:
>
> Sorry to bring this back around to my original post so late in the thread,
> but I have a moment for a few more details.
> Thanks for all the links, I will certainly reach out to my local PD when I
> get back to NYC, and decide whether to pursue the licensing process.
>
> At the moment I am trying to loan some personal props to the company I am
> working for in Houston. They are happy to accept the free rental but have
> informed me that they can not ship the items back to me because FedEx will
> not ship "firearms" and NY will not allow me to receive them if they did.
> Hence my theoretical offer to sell them locally and be done with the
> headache.
>
> Alternatively, any recommendations for prop-weapon rental solutions in
> Houston might solve the issue. We need a pistol of proper weight and size
> but have no need to fire or operate mechanically beyond releasing the
> magazine. Also need some replicas that will never leave their shoulder
> holsters, weight not an issue, really more of a costume piece.
>
> Thanks as always all.
>
> J. Minh
>
>
For the prop guns that never leave the holsters, if you cannot find a 
local rental shop for them, then you can try these two ideas.

airsoft guns.  They have lots of models are made to be visually similar 
to various actual firearms, with the exception of the blaze orange 
barrel marking at the muzzle.  IF they don't leave the holster during 
the show, then there you go.

If you need one that is more realistic, you can purchase training gun 
shapes from places that specialize in firearm training.  They are 
accurately molded solid shapes of various handguns and long guns.  They 
are weighted to have the same weight and balance as the actual firearm 
they are imitating.   Usually orange or blue plastic material, you can 
also find them cast from pot metal.   Some paint and detailing and they 
will be indistinguishable from the real gun from a few feet away.   Once 
you do paint them up to look very realistic, they should be locked up 
and kept out of the hands of irresponsible children of all ages.  Unless 
you want them to be shot by a real cop thinking that he just had a real 
gun pointed at him.

   --Dale