Bullet Catch

The bullet catch is a conjuring illusion in which a magician appears to catch a bullet fired directly at them – often in their mouth, sometimes in their hand or sometimes caught with other items such as a dinner plate. The bullet catch may also be referred to as the bullet trick, defying the bullets or occasionally the gun trick.

The trick usually involves a gun which is loaded and operated by someone with a knowledge of firearms to demonstrate that no deception is being used. In most instances, the bullet is marked by an audience member so that it can be identified later. Great efforts are usually made to show that the person firing the gun does not come in contact with the person catching the bullet. When magicians Penn and Teller perform the bullet catch, in which each simultaneously catches a bullet shot by the other, a line is drawn down the center of the stage, demonstrating that neither will cross to the other side. When done by Dorothy Dietrich and Ted Annemann the bullets to be used are purchased by a committee ahead of time, kept under guard until performance time, and the bullets are chosen at random at the time of the performance.

The gun is then fired through a target (usually a pane of glass, which shatters) to demonstrate that the gun has actually fired a bullet and the catcher didn't just hide a bullet in his mouth or hand all along. The performer catching the bullet usually collapses, apparently as a result of performing such a feat, and then rises to produce the bullet which is most often spat onto a plate or tray. Historical accounts of the bullet catch describe the bullet being caught in a handkerchief, in a bottle, on a plate or even on the tip of a sword. In more recent times magicians such as Dorothy Dietrich, Criss Angel, and David Blaine have caught the bullet in a metal cup in their mouth that makes it creditable. The guns that Penn and Teller use in their effect are fitted with laser sights to add to the suspense and drama of the trick, and the magicians present the bullets still between their teeth, before removing them from their mouths.

As is often the case with other magic illusions, there is no single way the bullet catch is performed. The method a magician may use will vary from performer to performer. The gun or the bullet is rigged in some way: the simplest form of the bullet catch, the gun is made to fire blanks. The target through which the 'bullet' passes is set to destruct using a squib. All the performer must do is keep the bullet in his or her mouth until ready to produce it.

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Wikipedia