Top Shot - Mad Minute

[Art]

Ok, this explains allot as I thought I saw an Enfield Revolver, a Webley and some type of chrome civilian type on the preview. I often wonder where they get their guns and their "experts"

I think at least two Webley's were used and they were both .455s which may have taken a little, but not much looking. I suspect the chrome job was not factory, LOL.

Now some of the rest of this little post I figure is right on and some, well, is a logical assupmtion, edjucated guess, or an out and out SWAG.

As far as the experts, they are people who are either specialists in a certain style of shooting or with a particular weapon (not necessarily both) who are appearing for a fee. The experts usually do not "teach to the test" so they are there a lot of the time just to teach how to manipulate the weapon in a way that can give the shooters the best chance. They've gotten to the point that former competitiors, especially winners are used for some specific types of shooting, and there are always a good share of exhibition and trick shooters (Jerry Michelick sp? has appeared more than once.) The credentials of the experts/coaches are given at the start of each show and I'm sure that once they got into the loop of these folks getting people to appear wasn't a problem, it is a payday after all. When it comes to some primitive weapons (how many people actuallly know how to use a spear throwing stick) I'm sure the field of experts is really small. As for the firearms my bet is that the modern arms are provided by the manufacturers for a promotional fee, all the firearms get a plug. SIG and S&W pistols for example seem to be used a lot and it wouldn't surprise me if the show didn't have a special financial arrangement with them. The old milsurps and commercial weapons are usually easy to find examples (Nagants, '03s, Winchester lever guns ect.) and since no one gets a plug on them my guess is they are mostly privately owned loaners but that's just a SWAG. What I'd like to know is where they get the machine guns and field artillery, both are now used at least once every year. Boxes of ammo showing the manufacturers name are usually displayed before each stage. In the cases where they aren't I figure the show and the manufacturer didn't come to an agreement so the ammo company dosen't get the plug.

It is supposed to be a money making proposition.

[JB White]

Art, just to jog your memory a bit: A spear throwing stick is called an atlladl.

First time I used one was at an Indian pow-wow a good number of years ago. Took me a while to get used to the blasted thing. My son, (who was about 10 at the time) was a natural. Dang kid really embarrassed his ol'man in front of a crowd....thankfully a small crowd. LOL

[Guamsst]

Art, All I saw in the previews were quick glances from a distance and it was really bugging me. I was set on Webleys until I saw the chrome one then I was unsure about everything...LOL

[John Sukey]

Now just a comment. Many private purchase revolvers for indian service were nickle plated due to the humidity in that part of the world, though I don't know about the one in the show.

[Art]

Now just a comment. Many private purchase revolvers for indian service were nickle plated due to the humidity in that part of the world, though I don't know about the one in the show.

See, that's what I enjoy about this site, there is always another thing to learn. That officers going to south Asia would have purchased nickle plated revolvers makes perfect sense. Also the fact that most of the folks on this sites are gentlemen (and a few ladies) and behave that way is a bonus.

[ACP230]

There are companies that supply weapons to the movie and TV industry. The cannons, MGs, etc may come from one of them.
I own one gun that was sold off by a company like that. I like to think Jill St. John dropped it in one of the Bond flicks.

[Art]

There are companies that supply weapons to the movie and TV industry. The cannons, MGs, etc may come from one of them.
I own one gun that was sold off by a company like that. I like to think Jill St. John dropped it in one of the Bond flicks.

There was a time, back in the day, when most of the firearms used in movies were the real deal. Now, according to a friend of our daughters who is a prop master most of them, especially automatic weapons have been modified to blank firing only. In fact most of the guns seen in movies today aren't even firearms they are rubber replicas. The death of Brandon Lee in 1993 who was killed accidently because a prop gun was accidentilly loaded with "live" ammunition accelerated the process but it had begun before that.

[JB White]

From what I heard, The gun that killed Lee was loaded with blanks at the time. Earlier it had been used for target practice and someone left a squib bullet lodged in the barrel. End of target practice. Nobody thought to mention that or check the bore for obstructions prior to loading up for the scene. The blank got it going again.

The "accidentally loaded live" is the Readers Digest version and was the most popular in the press, or so I have been told.

[John Sukey]

Evern a blank is deadly if you have an actor who knows nothing about guns. Remember John Hexum? Put the blank loaded revolver to his head and pulled the trigger!

[JB White]

Evern a blank is deadly if you have an actor who knows nothing about guns. Remember John Hexum? Put the blank loaded revolver to his head and pulled the trigger!

Like getting hit in the temple with a ball pein hammer, but the non-gun types have been led to think blanks are 100% safe.