Prop Guns For Cosplay and Costuming
For many people, cosplay has become the soul of their convention experience. Cosplayers gather from around the country to display their costume and prop-making talents, and many fans love to take pictures with them. These cosplay costumes frequently use weapons as props such as guns, swords, spears, axes, hammers, and bows.
Choosing the best prop gun for your cosplay costume can be a daunting task. It is essential to understand the different types of prop guns and the rules you may encounter when traveling.
Types of Prop Guns
At Armory, we carry many different styles of prop guns. These include blank firing, replica guns, and airsoft guns.
Blank-firing guns are the closest to real firearms and are regulated accordingly. They fire blank bullets that are a shell with no projectile and mimic real guns so closely that they are not suitable for conventions.
Replica guns are a type of prop gun made from metal, plastic, resin, rubber, and other materials. Replicas look realistic and close to standard firearms, but they have no firing pin and are not regulated as strictly as blank guns. They often have an orange plug in the barrel, making then safer to transport or take to conventions.
Airsoft guns can fire and are often prohibited at conventions unless you prove that they have been disabled and have no moving parts. Many cosplayers like to use airsoft guns as they are easily modified to be unable to fire, and the plastic versions are often less expensive than a more realistic replica gun.
Convention Safety
Many conventions have strict rules about how props are to be carried. San Diego Comic-Con, for example, only allows prop guns that look like they are from a different universe, whereas Dragon Con in Atlanta has less restrictive rules about the type of replica gun you can bring in.
Each convention will have some screening for props, including prop guns. Most will have a checkpoint where the weapon is examined, and if the security staff deems that it is safe, they will often tag it with a colored tag or zip tie.
The most important feature your prop gun should have at conventions is the orange tip. The orange tip serves a dual purpose. First, it indicates to convention staff and to police officers that the gun is a prop. Second, it also tells them that it is non-firing. Without this tip, staff, convention security, and law enforcement have no idea if it is a prop gun or a real one.
Conventions frequently require that any prop weapon is secured to your body. Most seasoned con attendees will arrive at the convention with their prop handguns and other weapons already zip-tied or peace tied to their costume.
It is also important to note that even if the prop gun has an orange plug and cannot be fired, it should still be treated as a live weapon. Do not wave the prop gun around or point it at anyone without their permission.
Practice standard firearm safety and never have your finger on the trigger unless you are going to "shoot." Prop guns make for great photos but unless using them for that purpose, leave them holstered. If you are at a convention and police or staff approach, do not draw your weapon or point it at them.
Traveling With Prop Weapons
Fake or real, prop weapons can seem dangerous to other people, and it is important to respect that fact. When traveling to and from the convention, please keep them stored away and do not display them in public.
A long container or bag provides space for you to carry your costume and accessories safely out of the public eye. Using public transportation with your prop gun is a bad idea, and if you need to take public transit to the convention, it is better to leave prop weapons behind.
Check Ahead
Check with your convention before you leave. All conventions have rules regarding how they deal with prop weapons, but it will vary from con to con and usually depends on the city or state's laws. It is easier to check ahead of time to see the rules and regulations, so you do not get rejected at the door. Most shows will tag your weapon with a colored tag or zip-tie.
Armory has many styles to suit all your cosplay needs.
Check out our huge selection of replica guns, non-firing replica guns, airsoft guns, and blank guns.
