Weapons Policy

No functional weapons are allowed at the Cincinnati Comic Expo. Simulated or costume weapons are allowed as a part of your costume in compliance with the following guidelines:

1. All costume weapons must conform to state and federal law.

2. All weapons must be easily distinguishable from real weapons and must be constructed from safe, lightweight material. Approved materials are: rubber, plastic (PVC, worbla, etc.), foam, cardboard and papier-mâché.

3. All prop firearms must be incapable of firing projectiles and have an orange cap on the barrel. Projectiles or any type of ammunition are forbidden. BB guns, paintball guns, dart guns, blow guns and water guns and their accompanying ammunition will NOT be permitted.

4. Nerf guns are allowed, but ammunition of any kind (foam or otherwise) is prohibited. Nerf guns must have triggers zip-tied to prevent guns from firing.

5. Plastic air-soft guns are permitted with several requirements: No ammunition or projectiles of any kind will be allowed. Air-soft guns must be rendered completely inoperable

beforehand, that is the gun shall not have any batteries installed, nor gas/propellant in the chamber and the chamber must be filled with wax or similar material. All air-soft guns

must have a clearly visible orange tip on the barrel. All air-soft guns must have their triggers zip-tied to ensure that the gun is incapable of firing.

6. Heavy and sharp metal weapons of any kind are forbidden, including hammers, scissors, screwdrivers, saw blades, weighted chains, nunchucks, brass knuckles, and the like. No “live steel” is allowed, such as sharp or functioning metal swords, knives, or blades of any kind. Prop and dulled weaponry is permitted as long as it is sheathed and fastened or ziptied to a sheath at all times and cannot be drawn.

7. Small, lightweight, metal objects like Sonic Screwdrivers, Lightsaber handles and umbrellas and wooden wands a la “Harry Potter” are allowed, but must not be used as functional weapons. These items will all be subject to weapons check.

8. Costume bows are allowed, insomuch as they are not strung that they cannot shoot projectiles of any kind. All types of bows must have bowstrings removed.

9. Costume swords/daggers made from approved materials are allowed and must not have any sharp edges. Wooden and metal swords are allowed, but must be tied to your costume in such a way that they cannot be drawn or unsheathed. You must zip-tie swords to their sheaths to ensure that they cannot be drawn. If you wish to draw your sword to pose for a picture, it must be made of approved materials.

10. No wooden or aluminum/metal bats are permitted. This includes baseball bats, cricket bats, clubs, paddles, golf clubs and similar objects. Bats made from approved materials are allowed.

11. Staffs (staves), similar to those found in “Lord of the Rings,” for instance, will be allowed, insomuch as they are used for walking and/or decoration, and not as a weapon. Wooden staffs are allowed, but must be lightweight and may not have any sharpened edges or tips. Beards are highly recommended for those carrying staffs.

12. Exhibitors may sell prop weapons at their booths. No pocketknives or sharp blades are permitted to be sold at the event. All metal knives, daggers, and swords must be non-functioning and have prop or dulled blades. All metal knives, daggers, and swords must be ziptied to the exhibitor space. Fans may touch the item, must not able to draw or remove it. No sales of such items to anyone under the 18 years of age is permitted. All sold items must be wrapped and packaged, sealed in a box in tape.