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Schieten met losse flodders infographic
Graphic shows difference between live rounds and blanks used in movie-making.
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Schieten met losse flodders in films

By Duncan Mil

October 22, 2021 - A “prop gun” loaded with a blank cartridge still has the potential to harm or even kill, because while it does away with a bullet, the gunpowder remains with its associated explosive power.

Firearms safety coordinator Dave Brown says that a good firearms expert is not just there to supply guns; we also help tell the story. “To do that, we use everything from fake firearms, designed to look acceptable from a distance to real firearms that both look authentic and can fire blanks when desired.”

In the case of a real firearm, the blank does away with the metal projectile -- bullet -- altogether. Instead, the shell that usually houses the bullet is crimped over or covered with soft wadding, often paper, plastic felt, or cotton.

What a blank doesn’t do away with is the propellant in the shell. Firing a gun containing a blank will give a convincing gunshot noise and muzzle flash. There isn’t a projectile to emerge from the barrel of the gun.

Brown explains that some blanks can be loaded with more propellant than a live cartridge, giving them more explosive power, gunshot noise and muzzle flash for the camera.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 22/10/2021; STORY: Graphic News
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