Even While Acting, You Shouldn't Point a Gun at Cast's Head

[Draven]

I saw Joe Bowman perform last year, and during his demonstration he told us of a fellow he used to know who had found a blank firing pistol and wanted to scare some female coworkers. So when he showed up he put the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. The concussion fragmented his skull then sent the shards into his brain and he died instantly.

I doubt it was a 'blank firing pistol'. Dedicated 'blank firing pistols' have (at least partially) stoppered barrels and use a micro-load of black powder. Most TV and film work is not done with dedicated 'blank firing pistols', those are usually for theatrical use. Instead, they use real firearms converted to work with blanks. Conversion varies by firearm type- of course, revolvers have no conversion. Semis and machine guns of various types require something to generate enough backpressure to operate the action- with pistols, it is usually a replacement partially stoppered barrel, and with anything assault-rifle-is, it is either a replacement barrel or a replacement flash hider that has the stoppering built into it.

[Flintlock Tom]

Is it to much to ask that firearm safety be taught in public school?

Yes, it is! You see if they taught firearms safety then they'd have to have either a real gun or a gun analog (fake gun, forked stick, finger and thumb) or even a picture of a gun. All of those things would violate the "Zero Tolerance" policy on violence and harm the psyches of the little angels they're trying to educate. So you see, it really is impossible.

<storms off muttering about commies and GFW's taking over the whole world>

It's funny that the same people saying that the only "safe gun" education is NO GUN.
But the only "safe sex" education is all the info we can cram into brochures, videos, field trips, condoms in school, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

[Catbird]

Xavier has a post on the subject with video.

[Cybrludite]

I gotta say, that's taking the Stanislavsky Method a wee bit too far...