Anyone know if Hollywood has to adhere to the same ATF rules?

[SilentStalkr]

I’m just curious, as to if Hollywood has to jump through all the same hoops us regular guys do? Anyone know? I mean a lot of these aren’t exactly all functioning weapons but they could be relatively easily. So, with all the SBRs and all kinds of other crap they use in movies that aren’t rubber guns, do they have to submit the paperwork and wait and blah blah like we all do?

 

[Blue Sky Country]

I believe the movie guys obtain whatever firearms that they need for their projects through special equipment rental companies. These companies are more in resemblance to armed private security contractors than a regular support company for a movie studio. They have to abide by all NFA paperwork, keep logbooks, and are subject to constant government audits. Think Knob Creek, without the actual firing range. They have personnel that are present at all movie shoots that have rented weapons from them, to make sure they are used properly and the guns don't suddenly go missing...

Before Bannerman and Sons went bankrupt and sold off all their assets in the 1990's, they were one of the No. 1 American contracts for movie and TV production firearms. At one point, their warehouse contained everything from Kentucky rifles and Springfield Trapdoors to M1 Garands, grease-guns, Tommy guns and even some crew served automatics and anti-tank cannons. Almost all of the great cowboy-western movies produced in the Golden Age of the horse opera, and popular police TV dramas like The Lineup, used firearms rented from Bannerman's.

 

[FS1]

When I was younger I worked as a teamster driver on Miami Vice production. I drove the special fx truck sometimes. The guy that owned the fx co had a M2 used for production. It was mounted on a Jeep.

When that was on the set he always had a guy within sight of that MG that had the tax stamp for the weapon. He would freak if the guy even went to the Bathroom without first getting someone to watch the gun. So I think he had to do what we would.

But I’ll bet his stamps came through quicker.

PS I got to see a lot of cool explosions and the set up for them. It was cool.

 

[Redmanss]

They don't own the firearms used in their filming, they rent them with a special permit that includes a background check.

2010 California Code :: Penal Code :: Chapter 2. Entertainment Firearms Permit

law.justia.com

 

[FS1]

The production co does not own them. The prop men and efx guys did though. They rent them as part of their service. There may be others but on vice that’s how it was.

 

[biffj]

Most of the hollywood stuff is dummy. Sound is done by going to a range and having someone who knows what they're doing or at least has the guns they need and recording shots, burst etc. A friend did quite a bit of shooting for "Saving Private Ryan" and the crew carried a lot of dummy guns. What few guns they do use on set are owned by a company who is licensed to own the guns and they are present during all operations... or legally should be. No stamps needed since almost all the machineguns are post 86 dealer samples and the rest are owned by class 2 manufacturers or class 3 dealers. Stamps don't go any quicker for dealers in any case . . . and aren't used for transfers between dealers/manufacturers. We pay a yearly tax to deal in NFA firearms and transfers are tax exempt. In any case you're not after the stamp when you do a transfer, its the paperwork you want. A form with no stamp is valid proof of legal registration and therefore keeps your butt out of jail in many states. A stamp with no form is worth about ten bucks on ebay. It protects you from nothing and proves nothing unless its attached to the form proving your legal possession. In that case it only proves you paid the tax. I'll go for the forms.....

As someone else noted cash is king and it appears hollywood gets away with stuff we'd be tossed in the can for the rest of our lives for. Can't name anything that would be provable so it doesn't matter anyway.

So the answer to the original post is that Yes, they are supposed to comply with the same regs we are but I don't think they always do. But also remember that its cheaper to do computer graphics for a lot of the stuff and gives them more control of sound and video as well. That is one reason Stembridge got out of the biz. That and the fact that most of the stuff they used was transferable and worth a lot of cash.


Frank

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

Most of non firing replicas and are rented.
Here is one rental company that list its' inventory on their website.

Movie Prop Guns Los Angeles | Mike Tristano & Co. | Welcome

Mike Tristano & Co. Weapons and Special FX, in Los Angeles, is one of the largest suppliers of movie prop guns in the industry. Call for more information.

moviegunguy.com

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[EddieNFL]

In case anyone missed it, the firearms are rented.

 

[FS1]

The production company rents them. On vice it was from the prop guy except that M2. The prop co owner does not work the set or get paid hourly. He has folks that work for him but get paid by the production co while they are on the set. Usually 2-3 prop guys were around. But only one would be authorized to handle the weapons. The set decorations were all fake replicas. If it moves it is a prop, if it does not move it is a set decoration.

The weapons guy was responsible for the loading, prep and security of all weapons. The blanks they used were just regular brass with the ends crimped shut instead of a projectile installed. They were sealed with a white paste over the crimp. They also had what they called dummy rounds that had the primer hole drilled out and a bullet in the normal place. These were for any shots where you actually saw a bullet.

If they got caught with a live round anywhere in their possession on the set, they would be black balled and never work again. The accident in Hollywood where that guy got shot with a live round during filming changed everything according to the gun guy. They were super cautious and the rules were zero tolerance.

I am no expert but that is how it was on the Vice set.

 

[stello1001]

Pretty sure they're rented

 

[MtnCreek]

With it being CA, if I rent a couple of mg’s and turn into a deadbeat, will the owner have to waste a year or so and a lot of money to get his property back?

 

[Steel head]

They don't own the firearms used in their filming, they rent them with a special permit that includes a background check.

2010 California Code :: Penal Code :: Chapter 2. Entertainment Firearms Permit

law.justia.com

This.
There’s a few businesses that specialize in it.