Do they look EXACTLY like real guns? Are bullets visible in the cylinder of a revolver? Can you load a round into one for a scene where the good guy is reloading to shoot back at the guy wearing the black hat? If not then I would think they would have limited use in the film industry, which was the context of my question.
Yes on all counts. The cartridges were machined brass and take special-size caps to cycle the action.
They are real guns. They are called a prop gun....just like anything else used would be a prop.