New article about Hollywood and Guns and we're mentioned

[Excalibur]

Maybe it's the fact that they are "movie stars" and no one has asked made them the exception.

[Jcordell]

Well there were some mistakes, but the big thing is that IMFDB got some great press.

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

Maybe it's the fact that they are "movie stars" and no one has asked made them the exception.

For CYA reasons, I cannot imagine that any armory would want to take the chance that they can get away with it: They are assuming nobody in BATFE watches movies and/or reads IMDB and can figure out that said actors are convicted felons. (This is especially likely to be problematic for movies which cast rap stars and/or feature real gang members playing themselves - i.e. "Training Day.")

I would think this issue has been discussed with and decided by BATFE by now, and a work-around was found.

[SPEMack618]

Bad press, or rather in this case, a bit misinformed press is still good press.

[MoviePropMaster2008]

Originally Posted by MT2008

For CYA reasons, I cannot imagine that any armory would want to take the chance that they can get away with it: They are assuming nobody in BATFE watches movies and/or reads IMDB and can figure out that said actors are convicted felons. (This is especially likely to be problematic for movies which cast rap stars and/or feature real gang members playing themselves - i.e. "Training Day.")

I would think this issue has been discussed with and decided by BATFE by now, and a work-around was found.

Usually no armorer will hand a live gun to a felon. Those guys should have their felonies expunged or pardoned. But there are times when production companies actually 'break the law' Doh!

When Ironman was being filmed, there is a deleted scene where Tony Stark picked up an Air Force M4 and fires it over the hood of a Humvee at his attackers (and eventual kidnappers). The production wanted Robert Downey Jr. to handle the live gun, but the armorer (correctly) refused, being that Downey had not has his inability to handle a gun dismissed (on paper) yet. So the scene where he's firing, he's holding an airsoft gun.

Downey's felony convictions were in 1999 and he wasn't pardoned until December 24th, 2015. So technically any film he did between 1999 and 2015, the productions violated federal law if they handed him a live gun. Oops! But Hollywood productions are notoriously unconcerned with firearms laws. They just expect armorers to break the law, being that Hollywood bigwigs rarely if ever fights against gun control laws in California that actually HURT the film industry.

[funkychinaman]

Well, Wahlberg definitely hasn't been pardoned yet, given the recent publicity regarding his pursuit of one. This makes the Lone Survivor deal really odd, paying money to show off certain firearms in the hands of someone who shouldn't be handling guns.

[commando552]

Originally Posted by funkychinaman

Well, Wahlberg definitely hasn't been pardoned yet, given the recent publicity regarding his pursuit of one. This makes the Lone Survivor deal really odd, paying money to show off certain firearms in the hands of someone who shouldn't be handling guns.

From what I have read he isn't actually a felon due to the fact that the crime was committed in Massachusetts and his sentence wasn't long enough for that state to class him as a "felon".

[Excalibur]

Originally Posted by MoviePropMaster2008

Downey's felony convictions were in 1999 and he wasn't pardoned until December 24th, 2015. So technically any film he did between 1999 and 2015, the productions violated federal law if they handed him a live gun. Oops! .

So....

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Zodiac

Tropic Thunder "Lead Farmer" scene should be a highlight

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

and

Iron Man 3 though he was holding a Mac-10 Non gun at one point

Wow, if those were real guns, how many violations is that for RDJ?

[Spartan198]

I though guns that were permanently adapted for blanks weren't legally considered real firearms? I've seen numerous ads in gun magazines advertising blank guns for sale making that claim.

[MoviePropMaster2008]

Originally Posted by Spartan198

I though guns that were permanently adapted for blanks weren't legally considered real firearms? I've seen numerous ads in gun magazines advertising blank guns for sale making that claim.

Those blank fire guns you see for sale are guns designed from the ground up as non guns (they're called BFONG) Blank Fire Only Non Gun. It takes a good bit of clever engineering (like having the rounds load in backwards and the front flash is the back flash from a round firing in the wrong direction) in order for ATF to NOT consider those to be guns. Those are NOT usually used in movies. The vast majority of what we use are blank adapted LIVE guns. They're more reliable, they put out the big fireball in front, and they're better made and don't use overly soft metals in their constructions.