blank/prop guns

Question
Is it illegal to carry a non firing handgun such as a blank gun or prop gun on your person in public?

Answer
Ki,

It really depends on where you live.  If the state you live in permits 'open carry' of a firearm, then yes.  If not, then no.  

Here's the issue...in most states if you are carrying a 'realistic' looking prop or blank gun, there is no way the casual observer could possibly know that it is not a 'real' gun.  Because of this, you could find yourself in difficulty if you tried to carry a prop gun on your person in a place like NYC.  You would be having a conversation with police in no time flat...

There is another issue regarding carrying a realistic looking fake, even if you do so where it is legal.  It is the same issue that I discuss with my students when we talk about open carry of a firearm here in Arizona.

If you are observed to be carrying a firearm by a criminal during commission of a crime, you will be the first target since you will present the greatest threat to the success of their criminal act.  I would not want to attract that kind of attention unless I had a 'real' firearm and was prepared to use it.

If you can give me a little more background on what your intended purpose might be and what state you live in, I could probably be a little more precise in my answer, but with the info provided , this is about as complete as I can be.

Hope you find this helpful...

Doug