As someone who has a License to Carry Concealed Weapons Class A in the state of Massachusetts I must tell you to BE VERY CAREFUL. Especially in your home state of New York. New York gun laws are VERY STRICT and handguns (pistols and the like) are pretty much outright banned, you can't get a Carry Concealed Handgun permit in NY without going through some crazy loops. It's almost completely reserved for Police Officers. If I were you I would do as ruinexplorer said and use an unloaded gun with a 1x4 slap stick.
That being said, here at NNHS we DO use blank firing prop guns with real blanks. However BOTH MYSELF and MY BOSS have
LTC's in the state of Massachusetts with extensive firearms training and we have permission from the school administration and STRICT handling and training policies are enforced. Not only that but the guns we have (We have .38 Caliber Magnum revolver pistols) are specifically PROP guns, they cannot fire real bullets, the barrels are plugged and non-blanks will not fit in the chambers. They were purchases specifically as prop weapons.
NEVER USE A REAL GUN AS A PROP WEAPON!!!! This is how people CAN DIE and HAVE DIED. People use real guns as prop guns without proper training or technique and even though they may be blanks, they can still fire small shrapnel from the casing as well as the powder itself at HIGH velocity. If any of that shrapnel leaves the
barrel it will be propelled at the same velocity as a REAL bullet. Please look up the death of Brandon
Lee (Bruce
Lee's son) for an example of this.
STRICT PROCEDURES MUST BE FOLLOWED (These are the procedures we use)
1. The firearm must be specifically a prop firearm! Plugged
Barrel, Unable to accept real rounds.
2. The firearm(s) are kept UNLOADED in a locked safe up until about 20 minutes before use. Only myself and my boss have the combination/key
3. ALL students are lectured (ALL OF THEM, not just the ones firing) about firearm
safety throughout the ENTIRE rehearsal process.
4. Any misuse of or fooling with the weapon during the show or rehearsal process WILL result in disciplinary action NO IF, AND'S, OR BUT'S.
5. The firearm when not on
stage is handled ONLY by myself or my boss, the firearm is handed to the student(s) using the firearm on
stage ONLY by myself or my boss already loaded and ready to go. No other students are allowed to touch the firearm.
6. The firearm is prepped and loaded ONLY by myself or my boss.
7. When the firearm comes off
stage it is IMMEDIATELY handed to myself or my boss
8. When the firearm is used for the last time during the performance, it IMMEDIATELY comes off
stage is handed to myself or my boss and immediately UNLOADED and placed in the safe and LOCKED.
9. The firearm is NEVER pointed at ANYONE directly, it is ALWAYS aimed to the left or to the right of the intended "target." From the audience, no one can tell if the firearm is aimed upstage or
downstage of the intended "target" so in case a piece of shrapnel does somehow come out of the
barrel (even though this is theoretically not possible with a
prop gun) it will not hit anyone.
10. ALL personnel within 20 feet of the firearm while it's firing is wearing ear protection.
11. The firearm is NEVER pointed in the direction of the audience.
12. When the firearm is on
stage but not being used, it is ALWAYS pointed in a safe direction, usually the floor or the ceiling.
Firearm
safety is NOT a joke, I AM a licensed firearms user in the state of Massachusetts. I do IPDA shooting around New England and I DO NOT recommend using blanks UNLESS you yourself (which I guarantee you don't) or someone on your crew is also licensed in YOUR state. Especially considering you are in New York State where handgun licenses are VERY difficult to procure. Also knowing New York and their detailed
theatre laws, there is most likely a weapons master requirement for any
theatre that wants to use a blank firing prop firearm. So unless you or one of your fellow students has a father who is a police officer and is willing to supervise. I would definitely recommend the No blanks and a 1x4 piece of wood method.
Seriously...do not screw with this stuff, inform your administration of what the teacher is doing. This is serious stuff, I'm giving you this information because I figured if your are informed about the proper procedures you will realize how much of a bad idea this is and others will too. Also if you do ignore my warnings (WHICH YOU SHOULDN'T!!!) and go ahead with this at least your will KNOW the proper
safety procedures and hopefully follow them.