imfdb.org - Armorers

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How many armorers do we have on this site? I wish we have a lot more so it'll make IDing firearms easier

Ones I can think of off hand are>

Al Vrkljan
MPM2008
Steve Karnes
Brian
Olly Steele

There are at least four who are actually members of either the site or the message board. There have also been a few who have e-mailed me and sent pictures of guns that their companies supplied to particular movies, but don't actually post on the site.

I do know that most of the American armorers (and some of the Canadian armorers) know we exist, and that they've at least looked at our site.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Excalibur (Post 9212)

I wish we have a lot more so it'll make IDing firearms easier

Being an armorer is a pretty tough job, especially when lots of movies are being filmed and require weapons handlers to be on-set. That, plus the fact that they have families, mortgages, and other stuff that the average IMFDB member does not have (and yes, I'm talking about myself) means that their time is limited.

Personally, I'm quite grateful for all of the cooperation we've had so far from them so far, and I would never ask them to commit more than what they're comfortable doing.

Of course, I am not asking more for the armorers we already have on the site. I just wish every movie armorer knows about this place.

How does one go about becoming an armorer?

It's simple,realy. All you have to do is aquire a few hundred fully automatic firearms, mostly AK-47 and clones, M16 and variants, G36s, MP5s, and a grab bag of other guns. Then you go to Hollywood, build a gun vault the size of Manhattan, and hang out your shingle. It's realy simmple, you just need a few million dollars, a few tons of paperwork, and a good contacts with arms dealers. :) Actualy, I have no clue, but that sounds right to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartan198 (Post 9222)

How does one go about becoming an armorer?

You should ask them.

Anyway, a lot of them seem to be ex-military. Many also seem to have started out as LEO/government dealers or manufacturers before they got into supplying Hollywood (and some do both).

Here's what Steve said about his own background in an interview he did a few years back:

Quote:

I ended up as a motion picture armorer through a long route. My family owns a business making firearms for government and law enforcement agencies. I left the firearms business and worked in aerospace for a couple of years then was laid off. I was recommended by a friend to a motion picture prop house called Ellis Mercantile and became their gunsmith until they closed in 2000.

http://www.shadowsanctum.net/screen/...interview.html

Well it's a good thing there are armorers around, otherwise, guns in movies would suck or really hard to get.

I guess I'm sort of an armorer - I filled that role (among others) on the set of a independent action film called "Thick As Thieves".

I had as many as 30 weapons on set at one time, and had to train all the actors in usage and safety.

They were all airsoft (mostly gas blowback) and we inserted sound and flash in After Effects.

It was much less expensive to go this route as opposed to getting the permits for blanks. Plus, we could effectively shoot and shoot wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. Guerrilla filmmaking indeed. After the shoot, I also did the sound effects for the weapons, and a good portion of the foley work.

I would love to hear from a REAL armorer about their beginnings.