Why would they need to look real if they’re never seen by the camera?
“Dummies are meant to look like bullets but don’t fire, useful in Old West movies in which the camera can see into a revolver’s cylinder.”
“Why would they need to look real if they’re never seen by the camera?”
Dummy rounds used elsewhere are coated in a black coloring. (Maybe lacquer?—I never asked anyone).
Dummy bullets are used in scenes in which the gun is pointed at the camera and you need the appearance of slugs in the cylinder. Dummy bullets are also used in scenes in which an actor is shown to be loading a gun.
Blanks are used in scenes where a flash, a bang, smoke and a recoil need to occur.