The Set of RUST What Happened and Why
By Gregory Kielma
In what scenarios could a firearms "expert" accidentally load a bullet instead of a blank into a gun magazine?
In what scenarios could a firearms "expert" accidentally load a bullet instead of a blank into a gun magazine?
Gregg Kielma
Expert? Only ignorant journalists have used that term to describe Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She was only about 23 years old when the shooting incident occurred on the set of Rust,
so I'm not sure that her limited experience qualifies her as any kind of expert. Her stepfather is an experienced motion picture and television armorer, which is how she got into the business and became a set armorer at such a young age.
Modern firearms are not loaded with bullets. Cartridges are used, instead. Cartridges can be non-functional dummies, blanks, or live. Dummies and live ammunition contain bullets as part of the cartridge. Live ammunition and blanks have primers and propellant powder. Live ammunition should never be anywhere near a film set. Dummies look real enough, and blanks make all the noise, smoke and flash that is needed.
There was no magazine involved. The firearm was a replica of a Colt Single Action Army revolver, also known as the Model of 1873. This firearm does not have a swing-out cylinder like modern revolvers but instead uses a loading gate at the back of the frame. This means that the cylinder cannot be easily checked without rotating the cylinder by hand while inspecting each chamber through the loading gate. There is also no way to determine if the cartridge in a chamber is a blank or live with a bullet unless it is ejected from the gun.
The problem started when people were allowed to use prop guns for plinking (casual target shooting). Guns on a film set should never be used for this purpose. Live ammunition was intentionally loaded into the gun and then it was not properly cleared by the armorer before being used on the set again.
There was no accident. This was a series of negligent behaviors by multiple people:
1. Live ammo on a film set.
2. Plinking with prop guns.
3. Failing to clear the weapons properly after plinking.
4. Allowing non-armorers to handle firearms and give them to the actors.