Non Guns

"Non Guns" are prop weapons that are manufactured and rented by Independent Studio Services (ISS) and frequently used for scenes in movies or television shows in which the use of real weapons firing blanks is deemed unsafe for the actors or stuntmen. They are electronically-operated and discharge small explosive squibs that make a flash and produce smoke, but they do not eject shell casings or have any moving parts besides the trigger. The discharge of the squib can be loud or quiet depending on set noise regulations. This makes Non Guns safer and quieter than real weapons firing blanks; it also means that they can be used in filming locations with strict gun laws where permits to use blank-firing weapons might be prohibitively expensive.

While they have many advantages for film crews, most Non Guns bear only a loose resemblance to their "real steel" counterparts, and thus stand out as fake to audiences who know what to look for. However, some film directors evidently do not take this in mind, and thus, it is plainly obvious in some movies or TV shows when Non Guns are being used. Some directors even film them up-close. Examples of such productions are seen below.

Note to IMFDB editors: If you see a Non Gun in a movie or TV show, you don't necessarily need to make a separate entry for the Non Gun on that page; it can be included under the entry for the gun it replicates. If a Beretta Non Gun appears in a movie along with its real counterpart, for instance, just include it under the Beretta 92F entry for the page.

The following are some of the Non Guns available from ISS, as well as the films and TV shows in which they have appeared.

Colt 1911

Colt 1911 Non Gun

A Non Gun replica of a Colt 1911 that can be used to simulate any full-size 1911-type pistol.

Film

• Ed Harris as Parcher in A Beautiful Mind

Glock

Glock Non Gun

A Non Gun replica of a Glock; it can be used to simulate either the full-size or compact Glock models.

Film

• Nate's killer in The Negotiator

• Mark Wahlberg as Danny Wallace and several NYPD officers in The Corruptor

• Seen obviously in the schoolhouse rescue scene when Denzel Washington takes out a terrorist in a room full of children in The Siege

• Switched with a real Glock 19 occasionally in Light It Up

Beretta 92F

Beretta 92F Non Gun

Beretta Inox Non Gun

Non Gun replicas of the Beretta 92F and Beretta Inox.

Film

• One of Tapia's men in Bad Boys II

• Chow Yun-Fat as Nick Chen and Byron Mann as Bobby Vu in The Corruptor

• John Travolta as Howard Saint in The Punisher (2004)

• These also show up on the soap opera "General Hospital" in the hands of various actors

• La Femme Nikita Section 1 operatives

SIG-Sauer

SIG-Sauer Non Gun

A Non Gun replica of a SIG-Sauer pistol that can double for the P220, P225, P226, P228, or P229 if necessary.

Film

• Used by the recruits in testing in Men in Black
• Used in Fargo

Ingram machine pistol

Ingram Non Gun

A Non Gun replica of an Ingram-type machine pistol that can simulate a MAC-10 or MAC-11, depending on the needs of the scene.

• Used by "Samuel Anders" on Battlestar Galactica

AK

AK Non Gun

A Non Gun replica of an AK-type assault rifle.

Television

• Sons of Anarchy; appears in Episode 6 of Season 1, "AK-51"

M16A2

M16A2 Non Gun

A Non Gun replica of an M16A2.

Film

• U.S. Army soldiers in Cloverfield

Heckler & Koch MP5

A Non Gun replica of a Heckler & Koch MP5.

Television

• John Leguizamo as Jake "Mr. Wolf" Mendez in The Kill Point

Desert Eagle

"Non Gun" Desert Eagle

Film

Mark Wahlberg as Bobby Mercer in Four Brothers