[SML] Stage pistol?

[Duncan Mahoney]

Mac asks

"Can anyone recommend a good, reliable stage revolver and where they can be purchased?"

Assuming by "stage revolver" you mean "blank firing only revolver"  the short answer is that there is almost no such thing.  90%+ of blank firing guns are made from a very weak cast-able alloy, usually based on zinc.  Sooner or later those will all start to fail, one common problem is that the firing pin will leave a deep enough dent in the hammer that the gun will no longer fire.  Alternately some of the moving parts will wear "out-of-spec" and the gun will no longer line the cylinder up properly with the firing pin.  Frequently though someone will drop the gun and it will break long before it wears out.  

That said, the "Smith & Wesson chief's special" by Umarex is better made than most, and the price reflects that.  I usually hit the net and look for the best price for that particular model.  Unfortunately this particular style won't do for every production...

If you can use revolvers from the time period 1850-1860, Pietta makes replicas of 2 different 1851 models, an 1858 and an 1860.  These are made by modifying their black powder replica revolvers to take a modern blank.  They are made of steel and brass, robust, extremely reliable, and expensive.  BTW you can't take them apart to clean them, because if you could they could be converted to "real" guns.  I usually buy these from EMF, but they are available a few other places on the net.

If your budget allows, paying a gunsmith familiar with the process to convert a "real" revolver to fire "blanks only" is an option.  The result will be as reliable as the gun it was made from and you can specify where you want it ported if there is a particular direction needed to fulfill the fight choreography.  However, as far as the state and Federal Bureaus of Firearms  are concerned, it will still be a real gun and subject to all the pertaining laws because you could take the action and a whole bunch of new parts and turn it back into a functional weapon.

If your local laws allow, and you are willing to take the chance on a used gun, old "gas cartridge & blank" revolvers come up on sites like Gun Broker occasionally.  Being made from steel, they might be reliable, but they might also have 70 years of wear...

When dealing with blank guns, always assume 1 or more will fail during the run and have spares...and a back-up sound cue

Another thing with "blank firing only revolvers" that can really matter is your choice of blank brands (or primer brands if you load your own).  Some blanks have weak primers that will bulge backwards towards the firing pin when fired.  Given that tolerances of many blank guns are "looser" than those of real guns, surfaces are not polished as smooth and burr free, and some blank guns allow the hammer to rest lightly against the firing pin when the hammer is down (keeping the firing pin from fully retracting), and you have a combination of factors that can cause the gun to jam when the actor has to fire more than once.  Alternately, most blank guns have lightweight hammers that do not hit the firing pin as hard as "real guns" do, so primers made from thicker/harder material may not reliably ignite when struck, leading to a different type of miss-fire.


Duncan Mahoney
Director of Technical Direction
Associate Professor of Theatre Practice
University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts