Bullet Catch

Lore & Background

One of the earliest documentations of the bullet catch appeared in Jean Chassanion's Histoires mémorables des grans & merveilleux iugements et punitions de Dieu (1586), translated as The Theatre of God's Judgements by Reverend Thomas Beard in 1597. In the source, the magician is considered to have made himself invulnerable by black magic, but a trick by sleight of hand and prepared equipment is clearly being described. Throughout the 18th century, variations were developed by street performers. In his 1785 book Natural Magic or Physical Amusements Revealed, Philip Astley wrote that he himself had invented the trick in 1762, though two books published in 1761 mentioned the bullet catch as described by Reverend Beard. Around 1840, John Henry Anderson began demonstrating the gun trick in theatres throughout Britain, bringing the bullet catch into mainstream magic illusions.

Reader's Guide

The trick usually involves a gun loaded and operated by someone with a knowledge of firearms. The bullet is often marked by an audience member. The gun is fired through a target—usually a pane of glass—to demonstrate that a projectile was fired. The performer catches the bullet, often in the mouth, and produces it, often by spitting it onto a plate or tray. Methods vary: the gun may fire blanks with a destructible glass pane; a wax bullet may be substituted for a real one; a muzzle-loading gun with a magnetic ramrod may be used; or the shooter may intentionally miss while the performer hides a bullet in their mouth.

Did You Know?

• When magicians Penn & Teller perform the bullet catch, a line is drawn down the center of the stage to show neither will cross to the other side.
• Historical accounts describe the bullet being caught in a handkerchief, in a bottle, on a plate, or on the tip of a sword.
• At least four of John Henry Anderson's rivals adapted and imitated his trick in their own performances.
• The bullet catch is arguably one of the most dangerous and daring illusions a magician can attempt, with legends claiming at least 12 magicians have been killed while performing it.