'The Walking Dead' cast trains with real weapons to take on the dead

Gene Page/AMC

There's a reason Rick and the rest of the survivors have lasted this long in the unforgiving world of "The Walking Dead." They're well trained and very comfortable with the many different guns they use to take on walkers. So are the actors who portray them. 

When Tech Insider spoke with John Sanders, property master and weapons expert for "The Walking Dead," he explained that the cast puts in long hours to make sure they know how to properly use their weapons.

"We try to train them with live guns as well as with the blank guns, just so that they’ll know how the actual guns, when they fire an actual bullet, will feel in their hands," Sanders told us. "We do it with blanks as well so that they understand the difference between the two and we hope at least that it helps them in their acting and the reality of how that weapon really works."

Some of the most action-packed scenes in "The Walking Dead" are also very emotionally charged, so actors need to be both physically and mentally prepared to deliver. Sanders said that the cast has worked with experts to ensure they're comfortable with the weapons and can deliver the best performances possible.

"We have taken them outside to an outside long range with a number of weapons at times," Sanders said. "And we bring training professionals, people from the military, people from the police force, SWAT team. The gun range trainer, Russ Smith, has worked with us for years. He owns a range, he’s also come on set with us on days we have big days, big weapons, such as the 50 caliber."

The .50 Caliber weapon was used in this memorable scene from the assault on the prison in season three. 

Gene Page/AMC

"[Smith] actually owned that weapon and transferred it over so it could fire blanks and operated that gun on set for us in season three when we drove the jeep in and we shot up the prison," Sanders revealed. "So they have real hands-on training with real weapons and then they have real hands-on training with the weapons they use to fire blanks."

Gene Page/AMC

The intense training and dedication to realism is one of the reasons "The Walking Dead" is such a smash hit on AMC.  

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