Miss Saigon Needs You!

So I just got a PM from a lady intown who is a part of the Miss Saigon show coming up later this fall. They are looking to borrow some weapons for their shows as they can't get their hands on anything close with their budget.

I have not commited anything personally to them and I am still talking with them about what they are looking for, garuntees of care for stuff/replacement for broken guns, fees (they want them for free) and some other concerns about who uses them, where they are stored etc.

Please post your thoughts and I will chat with her about them. If you happen to have guns you know you want to lend them post that up to.

If you are wondering what they are looking for just read this list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_the_Vietnam_War#Small_arms

And what exactly is a Miss Saigon show? Like something at the playhouse? I guess my Scar is not of the ERA.

Will Miss Saigon be put on by the same people that did Tommy earlier this year and the Nutcracker last winter? Both great shows... even if the wife did have to drag me to the Nutcracker!

I believe if they are using firearms or simulated firearms they require a weapons master or maybe just a property master to be responsible for proper handling, storage, etc... although I'm not sure how common those positions are in local theatre? If someone local has time perhaps they could volunteer for the position, I'm sure they'd be credited in the production if they volunteered. It only runs for a couple weeks in October and I'd do it myself if I were a bit more local. It'd also be good for the club to get some publicity for helping out with theatre in PG as well. Never hurts to get some good publicity for airsoft!

I love the idea of getting the club credited as the prop supplier, having the website up would bring a few new faces for sure.

It's put on by Excalibur apparently

The only ones i can think of with a Vietnam era rifles is Mr.Buddley with his M16 and Spork of Death with his M1. (locally that is)

No one has any M14's?

The was a Thompson or two intown but I think they are all long gone. There PILES of AK's around. A few 1911's but not quite the right look, I am sure they are flexible.

I never thought of the m14, I know that there was lots but I am not sure what happened to them.

The m16 has the wrong hand grips. They would need the triangular one but again I am sure they don't really care. Does anyone have the M16 Vietnam style mags? If you put a longer muzzle and a vietnam mag in the m4 you could fake a XM177E2.

Hortons Heros wrote:

The was a Thompson or two intown but I think they are all long gone. There PILES of AK's around. A few 1911's but not quite the right look, I am sure they are flexible.

I never thought of the m14, I know that there was lots but I am not sure what happened to them.

The m16 has the wrong hand grips. They would need the triangular one but again I am sure they don't really care. Does anyone have the M16 Vietnam style mags? If you put a longer muzzle and a vietnam mag in the m4 you could fake a XM177E2.

The M14 was used through the start of the Vietnam war until they started switching to the M16A1. M14s were then switched to a sniper/marksmen role.

Besides the 20 round mags and longer flash hider you'd also need a carrying handle to "pass" it off as the XM177E2.

There WERE the "banana" style 30 round M16 mags available later in the war but they were pretty rare.

But Im sure any M16 with a carry handle would be fine for them to pass off, they don't need to be 100% correct.

I doubt they are after the precision that we'd demand. But then, we are all freaks here. i went and painted up my 16 though so now it looks too goofy. I have a VN mag and it does change the overall appearance, so minus the paint, it would probably be OK for an audience.

I am now in contact with a gentleman who is the asst director or something like that. He is wanting to know what we would be looking for interms of rental fees for the extent of the show (oct 15-nov 1). They would like to get their hands on them before that for practices as well.

So for close to a month what would you want for rental fees if anything? Another option is that I can say we will provide a certian number of guns for a certian number of tcikets and we can use them/give them to our partners so they can go with their friends and we can play more AIRSOFT!!! Without our guns though....hmmm

Something else they are looking for is vests and gear. I have one Chicom Chinese vest but I know a few more of you have them. Would you be willing to rent those out as well?

What are you going to do about damaged or broken guns? I know the times I've lent my guns out they were treated a little less careful than I would have treated them.

If it looks and feels like the real thing... it'll probably be treated like the real thing. I'd be concerned about dropping or throwing of guns. I know it sounds cheesy, but if its your money that is being treated like that its a little different.

Anyways that's my 2 cents.

I would think they would treat them pretty well if they ever want to have the opportunity to use them again. But I'd offer them without batteries so people can't fire them which should reduce the chances of them being damaged internally at least.

I have a one of those cheapo chicom vests as well.

beach_boy wrote:

What are you going to do about damaged or broken guns? I know the times I've lent my guns out they were treated a little less careful than I would have treated them.

If it looks and feels like the real thing... it'll probably be treated like the real thing. I'd be concerned about dropping or throwing of guns. I know it sounds cheesy, but if its your money that is being treated like that its a little different.

Anyways that's my 2 cents.

What I've told him is one mag and no battery or BB. The agreement we would make would have to include replacement or covering of repair. They are already at an understanding on this.

They have one request that is a bit funny, they want one of the 1911's to be able to fire a blank. He knows this is just about impossible but he wanted to see if we had anything like that.

Maybe a GBB with just gas and no bb's would be loud enough in the theatre? I'm not really comfortable lending out a GBB though as they are way too realistic for people that aren't familiar with airsoft... Good way to get a gun siezed by the RCMP.

Hortons Heros wrote:

What I've told him is one mag and no battery or BB. The agreement we would make would have to include replacement or covering of repair. They are already at an understanding on this.

They have one request that is a bit funny, they want one of the 1911's to be able to fire a blank. He knows this is just about impossible but he wanted to see if we had anything like that.

I wouldn't worry about the internals, more the externals. The guns I have got back from 'productions' from school always came back with more scratches than they left. Its just one of those things.

But I agree. They may take excellent care, just need to lay out strict guidelines.

beach_boy wrote:

I wouldn't worry about the internals, more the externals. The guns I have got back from 'productions' from school always came back with more scratches than they left. Its just one of those things.

But I agree. They may take excellent care, just need to lay out strict guidelines.

Then just lend them the guns you game with (which get scratched anyways going through the brush) instead of the "safe queens"

If we are that worried about getting scratchs then we should likely switch to chairsofting. Jk, I don't think I'd be lending them my nicer stuff either, but I can spare a spraybombed Kraken that I use as a loaner anyway.

Drache wrote:

beach_boy wrote:

I wouldn't worry about the internals, more the externals. The guns I have got back from 'productions' from school always came back with more scratches than they left. Its just one of those things.

But I agree. They may take excellent care, just need to lay out strict guidelines.

Then just lend them the guns you game with (which get scratched anyways going through the brush) instead of the "safe queens"

What I need really soon is a list of who is willing to provide what. I need to confirm exactally what they want.

So far they want
AK-47 and variants
M16's-they don't seem to care about what version
Chicom Chestrigs
M14's
Shotguns
revolvers
Vietnam style M series mags
possibly M4s, I have yet to hear back if they care to much about it being 100% accurate or just closer interms of the look of the body etc.

For a price I told them $45 for one gun and mag for Oct 15-Nov 1. $10 for the Chicom chestrigs for those same dates. They would want them for longer before if avialable. Let me know if you think this is high or low. For what I am expecting interms of damage is a few scuffs and scratches are reasonable, breakage of any part will be replaced by the show producer.



Anything else you might have kicking around that fits the era let me know and I will communicate it.

Just making sure people understand what they are getting into.

Dave, I think the prices are fair and as long as they are good with replacing broken stuff it should be no problem.

Any idea of where this sits with licensing? (i.e. what the RCMP will think?)

beach_boy wrote:

Just making sure people understand what they are getting into.

Dave, I think the prices are fair and as long as they are good with replacing broken stuff it should be no problem.

Any idea of where this sits with licensing? (i.e. what the RCMP will think?)

If you mean because airsoft is considered a replica, you aren't selling them just lending them for a play and thus wont be illegal to do so.

Neither do you need an armorers license since none of them are blank firing guns nor being fired in any way. My highschool in Kamloops actually had a decent sized collection of guns (mostly deactivated, replicas, and realistic capguns) for plays and productions.

good to know

I've got my M4 thats available if needed, however, don't the dates coincide with the milsilm in oct? I know lots of people have multiple guns, but not everyone.

If you don't have an extra gun to loan out. Don't worry about it

For those willing to put it is $45 low or high for price?

Sounds reasonable if they agree to pay any repair/replacement costs.

Hortons Heros wrote:

For those willing to put it is $45 low or high for price?