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Greenwolf

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This is just a random question completely out of curiosity... but what's the policy of blank firing weapons and ammo in Canada? Is it even possible to legally get them unless your with a film armorer's company?

I only ask 'cause my friends and I were discussing Hollywood vs. Independent filmmakers and it occurred to us that none of us knew the process involved in converting a weapon to fire blanks or what the legal ramifications were here in Canada. I did a search here and nothing noteworthy came up. Google got me some legal documents that indicate that they qualify as replicas, but that does not address conversion of a real firearm into a blank gun, or what kind of hoops you must jump through to acquire a already blank-firing weapon.

BTW I am aware of the existence of Zoraki blank-firing pistols. I looked them up after seeing that god-awful Jean Claude Van Damme movie "Universal Soldier: Regeneration". I'm more talking about real weapons converted to fire blanks: For example, if someone had the money to spare, a RPAL, and the know-how, could they legally convert an AR-15 into a blank-firing weapon for a film? If not, how would one acquire a blank-firing AR-15?

(P.S. Before someone says "don't try it" or something equivalent, I'm NOT thinking of doing this myself. This is just a case of curiosity that's been bothering me. ;))

*edit* also, specifically a question about blanks: Is it legal to buy them in something other than the 9mm that the Zoraki pistols use?
 
Get a BFA (Blank Firing Attachment) and fix it to the muzzle of an AR by means of the threaded locking screw and have at her'.

Some of the dealers here sell blank-only handguns and they are considered non-firearms in Kanada.
 
Shifty2 said:
Get a BFA (Blank Firing Attachment) and fix it to the muzzle of an AR by means of the threaded locking screw and have at her'.

Some of the dealers here sell blank-only handguns and they are considered non-firearms in Kanada.
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That's not what I asked, perhaps I should clarify:

I meant more movie style blank guns, where a BFA is hidden out of sight in the flash hider or the barrel.

Also I was asking about the legality of such weapons. Do you need a PAL to own one, or some sort of special permit? I know they qualify as replicas, but then so do Airsoft guns and that's a completely different bag of legal issues.

I also asked about buying blanks, from what I've seen browsing places that sell firearms and ammunition (planning ahead for when I get my PAL) I've only ever seen 9mm blanks meant for the Zoraki blank pistols.
 
Greenwolf said:
That's not what I asked, perhaps I should clarify:

I meant more movie style blank guns, where a BFA is hidden out of sight in the flash hider or the barrel.

Also I was asking about the legality of such weapons. Do you need a PAL to own one, or some sort of special permit? I know they qualify as replicas, but then so do Airsoft guns and that's a completely different bag of legal issues.

I also asked about buying blanks, from what I've seen browsing places that sell firearms and ammunition (planning ahead for when I get my PAL) I've only ever seen 9mm blanks meant for the Zoraki blank pistols.
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Anyone over the age of 18 can buy a blank gun in Canada. Also, they are not weapons unless you use them as a club :p

Still not a good idea to be caught with one randomly in your possession. Police will try to make your life difficult. Also, I think that the same discharge laws as regular firearms apply. ie you cant just go around firing it anywhere.
 
Plus we don't call real or blank firing guns weapons, we call them firearms. A movie blank gun is a real gun, and in Canada would still be classed as a firearm I believe. The main difference/change is that the gun is altered is several ways to not be able to accept normal ammunition with a projectile. They only need to create a small flash (usually in a special colour) so the visual/digital effects can add or take away from the real flash, and the blank has to cycle the action (on automatic loading firearms) so as to track/depict for the foly guys to add the shot sounds, and for visual acting of recoil, and time coding. A lot of blank guns (regardless of any caliber) will only have a small hole in the barrel as that is all that is needed for the effects to track what is needed visa vis the flash etc..
 
deets said:
Anyone over the age of 18 can buy a blank gun in Canada. Also, they are not weapons unless you use them as a club :p

Still not a good idea to be caught with one randomly in your possession. Police will try to make your life difficult. Also, I think that the same discharge laws as regular firearms apply. ie you cant just go around firing it anywhere.
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Very good points. If you carry it around obviously or point it at someone you will not only get hassled you will get arrested.
 
This thread confuses me a bit.

I'm looking to get some blanks and I always thought they loaded and fired like live rounds/snap caps.
I've never actually used blanks before, but ever since Brandon Lee was "accidentally" shot with a live round instead of a blank, I always assumed this is how they worked.

Does a real 9mm handgun need to be specially modified to properly fire a 9mm blank without damaging the gun?
 
Movie/TV companies and companies supplying stuff to movie/TV production companies have a special licence that allows 'em to have FA etc blank firing firearms. All semi-auto or FA firearms are heavily modified to cycle with blanks. Either with an external device(BFA) or the barrel has a set screw with a hole drilled through it(has to be just the right size hole too.), plus, in the case of a pistol, the locking lugs are removed or modified. Otherwise, they're real firearms.
The sound is irrelevant as that is added in editing. Movie types don't think real gun shots sound real enough. The huge muzzle flash seen in movies is added too. Remember that nothing seen in movies or TV is real. It's all about the visual effect.
Lee was supposedly playing "pretend Russsian Roulette" with a .44 revolver and a blank when he died. Most actors shouldn't be allowed to touch any firearm.
 
Right, I understand movie studios typically heavily modify firearms to get around laws of owning/using certain guns. My confusion is if these modifications are mandatory to using/cycling blanks from a mechanical standpoint, not a legal one.

Like if I just took a standard semiautomatic handgun, stuck blanks in them and pulled the trigger, what would happen? Would it fire and cycle normally, fire but not cycle, or will it run a crapload of debris into the gun potentially ruining it or parts of it?
 
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