Can a blank bullet kill you?
ALEC Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer while leaving its director in a critical condition after shooting a prop gun on set of his new movie, Rust.
But what exactly is a blank? Here's all you need to know...
Can a blank kill you?
Many people assume that firing blanks from a firearm means that it makes a loud boom but can’t hurt you.
However, blanks can injure - and have been responsible for multiple reported fatalities.
A blank round is actually the same as a live round of ammunition, except that it does not have a bullet at the tip.
However, when a prop gun is fired there is tremendous force behind it.
When you pull the trigger, you get the bang, recoil, muzzle flash, and an ejected shell, the same as a normal cartridge, but you do not get the bullet.
Instead you will get the wadding that is used in place of the bullet, which can still cause serious damage as happened in the death of actor Jon-Erik Hexums.
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In 1984, he put a gun filled with blanks to his head, and, jokingly pulled the trigger.
The force of the cartridge was enough to kill him after three days in hospital.
The muzzle flash and gas expelled is also a danger.
In 1993, Brandon Lee was fatally wounded by a prop gun on the set of movie Crow.
The force of a blank round killed him.
On Thursday, October 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins was killed and Joel Souza injured in a prop gun incident on the film set of Rust.
In a statement first given to The Sun, Santa Fe County Sheriff Juan Rios revealed: “The sheriff’s office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of Rust.
"Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography and Joel Souza, 48, director, were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 63, producer and actor."
The officer also confirmed that no charges have been filed yet relating to the incident however, the investigation remains ongoing as witnesses are being interviewed.
How is a blank bullet different to a regular bullet?
Prop guns work by being loaded with blanks - which means blank cartridges are used.
A cartridge is a unit of ammunition fed into the barrel of a gun that comprises of several parts:
- The casing (sometimes called a shell)
- Propellant material (gunpowder) inside the shell
- A firing pin on the bottom of the cartridge
- The actual projectile (bullet) itself
The bullet is the part of the cartridge that flies out of the gun towards the target.
A blank cartridge is when you have all of the above except the projectile (bullet), which is often replaced with paper, wood, or plastic plug called a wad.
What are blank bullets used for?
Blank bullets are used when people need the sound and flash of gunfire - but not an actual bullet.
For example, blanks are used in military training or funeral honours, in movies and in starter pistols to signal the beginning of races.
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Alec was filming a scene on the set of his new Western movie, Rust, that required him to fire a gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks.
But, the gun discharged either shrapnel or a bullet, which hit two people on set including the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins.