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DOCTOR B’s SHOOTING THE SILK
EFFECT: The magician places a silk into the barrel of a pistol. Taking careful aim at his assistant across the stage, he fires the gun. The audience can see the silk fly through the air. The assistant catches the silk with her teeth. The magician removes the silk for the assistants mouth and places a small dish below their chin. The assistant spits out the bullet into the dish.

PREPARATION: To perform this dynamite effect, you will need to obtain the following items: (1) two nine inch squares of silk of the same color, (2) a reel, (3) a small saucer, (4) a ½ inch in diameter ball bearing and (5) a gun to vanish the silk – more on the gun and reel later in the "CURTAIN CALL". Fasten one of the silk to the end of the reel. Your assistant places the ball bearing out of the way in their cheek. Next the reel is placed into your assistant’s mouth. This may seem like a lot of items to hide in one’s mouth, but it can be done without discomfort. The reel is stretched and the silk is hidden in their hand.

performance: They hold the hand holding the hidden silk at arms length. Place the silk you intend to vanish into the barrel of the gun. If your gun does no pull the silk into its barrel, use a dowel rod to stuff the silk into it. Aim the gun at your assist and fire. The assistant should throw their arms upward as they stumble backwards when "catching" the bullet and silk. At the same time, your assistant releases the silk and it flies to their mouth. You remove the silk, with the reel hidden in its folds, from their mouth. Placing the saucer under their chin, the assistant spits the ball bearing (simulated bullet) into it.

CURTAIN CALL: You can use an expensive reel if you wish, but I find that an inexpensive bill snatcher will work fine. As for the gun, I have used many to pull the silk into their interior, including a Joseph Silk Gun, one from Magic Hands, one from El Duco and a pre-WWII German made model. While it is the most expensive, I like one from Magic Hands, best because it used blank ammunition instead of caps and makes a much more impressive sound.

If you don’t wish to spend the money on one of these guns, make your own. Fasten a piece of ½ inch water pipe (or brass) to the barrel of a 22 blank gun. You might want to shorten the barrel to allow for the maximum space in it without making the entire gun too long. Paint the tubing flat black to match the rest of the gun. Stuffing the silk into the barrel does not detract much from the effect as the audience will still see the silk fly through the air. In the alternative palm off the silk as you simulate loading it into the barrel of the gun.

Timing is all important to the success of this illusion. Practice the timing. You will find that as you point the pistol at your assistant you say, "On the count of three – One – Two – Three" will help. Fire the gun and release the silk on the count of three. If you wish, you can do the catching and your assistant can fire the gun. Finally, I always dye the silk before I perform the effect. It adds a nice touch to the act. Take a different colored silk from your pocket and transform it into the silk to be fired at your assistant. CLB

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