Peter Sherayko’s new book touches on Senate Bill 132, which took effect Jan. 1, 2025, and created new firearm safety rules for film and television sets following the 2021 “Rust” shooting that killed a crew member and injured the director.  

Sherayko’s advice for filmmakers in the book: “Don’t hire stupid people.” 

“Prove It Safe: Gun Safety for the Movies” is a project that came to Sherayko in the wake of the “Rust” shooting and the legislation that followed. With over 50 years of experience in film and TV as an actor, historical consultant and armorer, Sherayko sought to address the safe handling of firearms in Hollywood, exploring the history of guns in screen media and outlining the best practices for properly managing weapons during production. 

In his new book, Sherayko draws on his extensive experience as a film and TV armorer to explain what proper firearms handling should look like. His goal was to ensure that everyone working on movie and TV sets understands the basic rules and safety procedures around guns. He believes that when everyone knows what a safe set looks like, they’ll feel more confident, and accidents can be prevented. 

Sherayko, 78, grew up watching westerns on TV. He especially enjoyed “The Roy Rogers Show,” “Zorro,” “The Lone Ranger” and “Have Gun — Will Travel.” As a kid, he so admired the horsemanship the characters displayed in those shows and, of course, how they handled guns. 

When Sherayko became interested in acting later in life, he dreamed of working on westerns. 

“I wanted to make westerns,” he said, “which everybody laughed at, because it’s a small, niche genre that not a lot of people care about. But I’ve made a very good living and comfortable living doing what I like to do and making westerns better.” 

Sherayko is most proud of being able to create historical accuracy. Some of the projects he’s worked on over his career include 1993’s “Tombstone,” 1997’s “Rough Riders,” the early 2000’s “Deadwood,” 2015’s “Bone Tomahawk” and 2020’s “A Soldier’s Revenge.” His credits also include a number of documentary series, many of which cover the old West. 

Peter Sherayko

He noted that the majority of the projects he’s worked on have included firearms. In fact, he estimated that around 70% of all movies and TV shows include at least one weapon. In his book, he addressed the widespread use of weapons on sets and the relatively small number of accidents that have occurred throughout film and television history. 

The first firearm mishap took place on the 1915 Cecil B. DeMille movie “The Captive.” Sherayko said there wasn’t another incident until the 1993 film “The Crow,” when actor Brandon Lee was accidentally and fatally shot during production. 

And while Sherayko acknowledged that accidents are rare, incidents like the one on “Rust” show that mishaps can still happen. Safety, he said, should always be a top priority. 

Gary Tarpinian, executive producer of the TV series “Wild West Chronicles” and “Elkhorn” — both of which he worked on with Sherayko — said Sherayko’s book should be required reading for anyone handling weapons on a film or TV set. Having worked on a slew of westerns over the course of his career and so often being around firearms on set, he emphasized that anyone around any weapons, no matter the circumstances, should respect the potential for harm. 

“It’s like asking a sailor, ‘Are you ever afraid of going on sea?’” Tarpinian said during a recent telephone interview. “Well, if you say no, then you’re going to get into trouble because you have to have that respect. That danger is always there. But if you prepare properly — you do everything by the book — you won’t have any issues.” 

Tarpinian said the “Rust” incident has had a broad impact. 

“It’s hard to believe that one isolated incident can affect the entire film industry. Peter said, ‘You know, I’ve been talking about doing this (the book) for a while. Someone needs to write down the do’s and don’ts.’ And I said, ‘Peter, who better than you?’” 

For Sherayko, the “Rust” incident was more than just a call to action — it was a reminder of the deep responsibility that comes with the work he does. Years of experience have taught him that passion and professionalism must go hand in hand, especially on particular sets where the stakes can be high. Yet, despite the added scrutiny and evolving protocols, his commitment to the work and the way he feels about what he does for a living hasn’t wavered. 

A friend of his once told him something that really stuck with him. 

“He said, ‘If you can make a living as an adult doing the dreams of your childhood, then you’ve got it made. Nothing else in the world should bother you,’” Sherayko said. “So, think about what you liked to do when you were 10 years old. If you can achieve those dreams, you’ll be doing OK.” 

Sherayko said he’s doing more than OK. 

Sherayko’s book “Prove It Safe: Gun Safety for the Movies” can be found where most books are sold. For more about Sherayko and his other work, visit his production company’s website at CaravanWest.com.