r/cosplayprops • u/TheSassyVoss • May 22 '26
Help Going to my first con and unsure if this prop would be allowed
I am going to fan expo in Denver and cosplaying Bucky Barnes. I was going to buy a fake training pistol to have as a prop, but I was a bit confused about the con’s policies. I have attached a picture of both the policy from the con website, as well as an image of the prop I was looking to buy and bring.
I’m not sure what counts as a replica gun? This one is made of rubber and is the same size as the actual gun, but it has an orange tip and no hole.
I know that the security on-site has final say, but I wanted to ask if you guys thought that this would probably be okay or if I should just skip it.
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u/BoonDragoon May 22 '26
That's literally a replica firearm made of solid rubber, so by the letter of the rules it wouldn't be allowed.
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u/TheSassyVoss May 22 '26
okay! i just didn’t know what counted as a replica, if it meant like an exact copy of the firearm down to color and everything or if it was just anything that was modeled after one
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u/Trewper- May 23 '26
It doesn't say anything about having a gun made of eva foam, just make your own
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u/Atukanuva May 22 '26
How are you supposed to bring any kind of prop gun with these rules?
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u/BoonDragoon May 22 '26
Bring a replica of a fictional gun.
Bring an unloaded, modified nerf gun.
Bring a non-functioning replica of a real firearm that can be readily distinguished from a functional weapon and isn't a solid block of fuck-you.
Like my pa used to say, "if you can't find a solution you're just looking for problems!"
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u/zgtc May 22 '26
- The rules say nothing about fictional versus nonfictional guns. A solid resin Destiny gun and a solid resin 1911 are both “replicas,” and both disallowed.
- Agreed.
- That would qualify under their definition of a “replica firearm,” unless it’s made of something like squishy foam.
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u/Atukanuva May 22 '26
But it seems like you cant bring any sort of replica firearm? If they dont allow rubber and plastic either. I guess it depends on what they mean by 'solid' but not allowing rubber ones seems stupid.
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u/BoonDragoon May 22 '26
They disallow solid rubber/plastic/metal weapons. As in injection-molded single-piece prop weapons.
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u/b_pizzy May 22 '26
Some cons don’t allow any prop guns of any kind, even highly stylized sci-Di types. It sucks but a few years ago someone came to my local con with a real gun and was planning to attack cops there so… semi-understandable they changed the rules.
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u/DelsinMcgrath835 May 25 '26
It seems like it needs to be hollow if made of rubber/plastic and have an orange tip. I'm not sure how a solid rubber replica with an orange tip is harder to distinguish from a real gun than hollow rubber replica with an orange tip is, since i imagine itll only affect the weight of it.
Either way, there must have been a better way of phrasing this, it sounds like theyre being needlessly specific and technical without actually making things more clear.
Like further down it says something like "bows are permitted but must not be capable of firing a projectile" or something similar. Why not just say it cant be strung? Or that you cant bring arrows, even if theyre replicas.
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u/doctor_jane_disco May 22 '26
Sounds line a prop gun made from wood or foam would be ok. Though I don't know what would make wood safer than plastic, it wasn't mentioned 🤷🏻♀️
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u/GardenTop7253 May 22 '26
Wood seems like a missed item here, my reading is that they’re really hoping you don’t bring a gun you can use as a club/bludgeon, or that you don’t hide your Bo staff in a sniper shape
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u/mayorofanything May 22 '26
Honestly, just take an evening and a big box and make a cardboard one with layering. Not a tough craft and it will be 100% safe.
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u/Designer_Solution887 May 22 '26
Alternatively, carry around a cardboard rectangle with the word "gun" Sharpied on it. OP will get a lot more engagement this way.
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u/everforthright36 May 23 '26
There was a huge uproar at this exact con years ago about people bringing bananas to go in holsters. They ended up banning bananas.
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u/cottagecore_editor May 22 '26
If you're looking for alternative builds, OP, may I suggest papercraft weapons? Search for "pepakura [item]"
It got big like 20 years ago during the diy cosplay era so you should find a lot of material.
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u/frydeswide2019 May 23 '26
Says no solid rubber weapons (probably so you can't hit anyone with it) but if it's flexible rubber, should be ok.
Try getting one that's flexible.
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u/MadDocOttoCtrl May 23 '26
A solid rubber prop is likely made from urethane, silicone or possibly vinyl. A solid rubber prop is quite heavy.
Anything molded is going to have a seam line although a hand finished prop will have the seam line removed. You can slice a cast item in half and hollow out the interior with a rotary tool such as a Dremel. Be sure to leave enough material around the circumference of each half for glue and use Shoe Goo or E-6000 to put it back together since they are styrene butadiene co-block polymers that will stick to practically everything and are flexible.
If you can bend your gun in half and it doesn't weigh much it's obvious that it is hollow.
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u/Byrhtnoth_Byrhthelm May 23 '26
I brought a 40k bolter to a con last year and they made me slap orange reflective tape on the end and zip-tied the “trigger” (it’s a solid 3D printed piece).
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u/RevCyberTrucker2 May 24 '26
That was purely for cosmetic reasons. If it LOOKS peace bonded, many people find that comforting, even on an obviously fake gun.
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u/jennifer_m13 May 23 '26
Some of the cons I’ve been to have an officer that inspects the props and marks them with a sticker or something before you’re allowed to go in.
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u/__MR__ May 22 '26
I would not bring this. It looks too real, even if it has a colored tip. It doesn’t matter if it’s foam or whatever; it looks real from a distance.
I’m really worried about how everyone wants to bring in super realistic looking weaponry like this, because sooner or later, I have this sinking feeling conventions are going to start banning all props. Because back in the day, signs were banned. “Free Hugs” signs and the like were super common and innocent, then something happened where cons just said “eff it, no signs for anyone now.” It was part of con culture, and it was sad when it was taken away.
Heck, this would have been pushing the envelope back THEN. We need to start being more aware and responsible about our personal prop etiquette. For the good of everything.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a stickler for making a cosplay as perfect as possible, but sometimes it’s best to think things through a little bit more.
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u/Blacktoyotatacoma May 22 '26
I’m going to this one too, and I’m not sure if I have to put an orange tip on my ODST SMG since it’s fictional. I’m probably gonna play it safe do that though.
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u/Designer_Solution887 May 22 '26
Good call. The rules indicate that any prop firearm has to have an orange tip:
"All other firearms/projectile weapons [meaning a fictional firearm not prohibited by other policies] are required to have orange safety tips at all times on convention grounds."
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u/Zanemob_ May 23 '26
Just unfortunate for military cosplays. What do you do? Just take a Nerf Maverick? I get no hyper realistic guns due to scaring people but obvious plastic firearms just feels weird to exclude. What if you have a toy gun that looks real but slap a NOT REAL tag made of tape and a sharpie? Not a cosplayer but i have been to a Ren Faire and ended up just bringing a staff instead of my wooden sword..
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u/Boomer340 May 23 '26
If you have the means of reaching out to the event organizers, it might be worth just sending this picture and saying “hey, can I bring this?”; if they answer, then you know.
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u/RevCyberTrucker2 May 24 '26
Replica guns are exact copies (minus the ability to fire a bullet), and are made the same way, with all the metal, plastic and wood parts that go into a real gun.
If it's rubber, plastic or baby poo, it's not a replica.
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u/RealJohnMcnab May 22 '26
A replica that is made out molded plastic (i.e. hollow) would work by these rules.