Mythbusters & AWs

[alfred1222]

Aww c'mon guys they are able to call in a fighter jet on one of their episodes and you guys are worried about some AWs?

I believe when they film episodes with those AWs they are supervised by LEAs. During the episodes you can tell there are guys behind them with glasses and arms folded. I think those LEAs are the actual owner of those firearms and Mythbusters is just borrowing them.

I agree, it isnt hard for people who have the money and the connections to borrow weapons to use on a tv show

[Merc1138]

Aww c'mon guys they are able to call in a fighter jet on one of their episodes and you guys are worried about some AWs?

I believe when they film episodes with those AWs they are supervised by LEAs. During the episodes you can tell there are guys behind them with glasses and arms folded. I think those LEAs are the actual owner of those firearms and Mythbusters is just borrowing them.

Exactly, we're talking about a TV show where they accidentally launched a cannonball through a neighborhood(I think it was somewhere in Dublin?) without everyone involved being tossed in jail. They have a hollywood pass to do whatever they want, and the connections to get it.

[Cpl. Haas]

Cinematic immunity!

[armygunsmith]

Looked like just blanks so where they just replicas?

I noticed that too. They are most likely real firearms with a integrated BFA(blank firing adapter). I know for sure that he MAC was firing blanks. I'm pretty sure that all the firearms were blank firing models though.

[a1c]

This is not about "having connections." You can have all the money you want, and it won't allow you to do what they did unless you are a production company with the right permits.

How do you think movies get shot? They apply for permits too. Armorers rent the firearms from specialized prop companies that have the right permits and licenses as well. That's it. It's not about "connections." It's about the laws. Which don't apply to us average citizens.

[a1c]

This is not about "having connections." You can have all the money you want, and it won't allow you to do what they did unless you are a production company with the right permits.

How do you think movies get shot? They apply for permits too. Armorers rent the firearms from specialized prop companies that have the right permits and licenses as well. That's it. It's not about "connections." It's about the laws. Which don't apply to us average citizens.

[TheBest]

They often travel to Free States rather than film in occupied Kalifornia.

Except all the scenes filmed last night were either from Richmond Rod & Gun Club or Chabot Range...

[Capybara]

I worked on a Spike TV show. We hired a well-known armorer. I shot a sequence with him at a well known prop house in Burbank. You guys would have all given your eye teeth for weapons that the prop company had for rent. Basically, any and all full auto weapons known to man, hundreds and hundreds of machine guns, RPGs, Bazookas, Grenade Launchers, you name it, they had it.

The producers ended up ordering a Glock 18 machine pistol, full auto AKs and an M16 for the sequence and the armorer was nice enough to let me fire all of them as long as I loaded my own magazines. This was Angeles Shooting Range in LA and next to us was a full LAPD SWAT training day so there were about 100 cops, all with MP5s, M4s, etc. It was a full auto day in LA. That was the closest you can get to a Knob Creek or a Big Sandy shoot in LA.

Point is, armorers can get any goodies because they have a DOJ dangerous weapons permit and often an explosives permit. All the Mythbusters producers have to do is call a good armorer and they take care of everything, it is simple, it does just come down to the budget for the armorer, ammo and gun rentals.

[JackRydden224]

There was an episode where Jamie built a military grade flame thrower...

I guess they can do pretty much anything with the correct supervision and permits?

[Merc1138]

This is not about "having connections." You can have all the money you want, and it won't allow you to do what they did unless you are a production company with the right permits.

How do you think movies get shot? They apply for permits too. Armorers rent the firearms from specialized prop companies that have the right permits and licenses as well. That's it. It's not about "connections." It's about the laws. Which don't apply to us average citizens.

Umm. You realize it takes connections to get those permits, right? They aren't just handed out to everyone who claims to be a hollywood prop company. You're kidding yourself if you don't think money is involved(and that doesn't necessarily mean having to bribe bureaucrats).

Even if you're the company shooting the movie(not the prop company with the armorer), guess how you get a hold of a company to get the props for you? Connections and money.

[bwiese]

Those were FA guns and NOT AWs by Ca definition.

Any FA gun that has a semi mode (and many do) - and is listed or has evil AW features - is also a CA AW. One status does not rule out the other.

If you're popped for FA charges on that you could get double-up charges for AW status as well.

I believe the relevant FA guns needed to be registered as AWs as well. Certainly the Jackson case revolved around *permitted* AWs requiring registration as well.

[ClarenceBoddicker]

Any FA gun that has a semi mode (and many do) - and is listed or has evil AW features - is also a CA AW. One status does not rule out the other.

If you're popped for FA charges on that you could get double-up charges for AW status as well.

I believe the relevant FA guns needed to be registered as AWs as well. Certainly the Jackson case revolved around *permitted* AWs requiring registration as well.

Once again, under Federal law a machine gun cannot ever be a semi-auto, even if it has a selector switch or a semi-auto only trigger group. CA law can't trump Federal law. A gun can't be both a machine gun and a semi-auto, it's one or the other. If it's a machine gun, it's always a machine gun according to the ATF.

[Merc1138]

Once again, under Federal law a machine gun cannot ever be a semi-auto, even if it has a selector switch or a semi-auto only trigger group. CA law can't trump Federal law. A gun can't be both a machine gun and a semi-auto, it's one or the other. If it's a machine gun, it's always a machine gun according to the ATF.

Wrong. CA law trumps federal law all the time, or do you not understand the problem with CAs anti-gun laws and that "shall not be infringed" part of the 2nd amendment? It doesn't matter than according to the ATF it's only an MG, because the ATF wouldn't be pressing charges for a CA assault weapon law.

[CSACANNONEER]

Any FA gun that has a semi mode (and many do) - and is listed or has evil AW features - is also a CA AW. One status does not rule out the other.

If you're popped for FA charges on that you could get double-up charges for AW status as well.

I believe the relevant FA guns needed to be registered as AWs as well. Certainly the Jackson case revolved around *permitted* AWs requiring registration as well.

FA and select fire firearms are not "semi auto". So, how can they be AWs? They do not meet the legal definition of an AW in CA. Even CA treats them differently since one needs a DWP to possess them in CA not an AWP.

[ClarenceBoddicker]

Wrong. CA law trumps federal law all the time, or do you not understand the problem with CAs anti-gun laws and that "shall not be infringed" part of the 2nd amendment? It doesn't matter than according to the ATF it's only an MG, because the ATF wouldn't be pressing charges for a CA assault weapon law.

CA anti-gun laws cannot & do not trump any Federal anti-gun laws. CA anti-gun laws can & often do expand upon Federal anti-gun laws. All anti-gun laws including Federal ones violate the 2A & other parts of the Constitution, such as the commerce clause & state's rights. The real problem with CA anti-gun laws is the enforcement of them & the negative opinions of gun owners in the minds of the majority of CA voters. Courts use strict definitions, case law/precedent. Re-reading Bill's post, I think what he may have been getting at is what a uninformed LEO or DA could do & get away with for a while, by trying to turn a MG into an AW. If it was a registered MG, ATF would step in & yank CA DOJ's chain. They don't like states getting involved with their pets like the NFA registry. Not too long ago CA DOJ tried to bring MG possession charges & destroy a collection of registered MG from a vets estate in CA. ATF stepped in & shut DOJ down. All charges dropped, but DOJ did get a small victory as the Jap MG's had to be DEWATTED somewhat before they released them to be shipped to a C3 dealer out of state.