Quick Answer

Buy Gun Control if you already have one reliable card control and want a second option that doubles as a color change and a steal. Skip it if you are still learning your first control, because a move that does three jobs will slow down your basic practice. Pair it with a get-out-of-jail download like SWITCH so you can recover when a performance goes sideways.

Most magicians search for a Gun Control card trick after seeing it used as a control, a change, or a steal in the same routine. That flexibility is the whole point of the move, and it is also the reason some buyers are disappointed. A utility move is not a trick you perform once; it is a tool you install into effects you already know.

This guide gives you decision rules instead of hype. You will see what Gun Control actually does, how it compares to other card control techniques, and which companion downloads are worth adding to the same order. If you want a magic download review that tells you when to walk away, keep reading.

What Gun Control Actually Does

Gun Control is described as a utility move that works as a control, a change, or a steal. In the control application, a card is selected and clearly placed into the center of the pack, and in that same motion it is instantly controlled to the bottom. The move is built to be as subtle or as flashy as you want, which means the same technique can serve a close-up worker and a parlor performer.

As a change, the catalog notes it works even better: a random card selected by the performer changes into the spectator's card in a fluid motion. That second application matters because it turns a hidden utility into a visible moment. If you already perform an ambitious card routine or any effect with a revelation, you can drop this change in without rebuilding the routine.

  • Learn the control application first, then add the change once the mechanics are automatic.
  • Decide before you buy whether you want a subtle control or a visual change, because your practice focus changes.

Where Gun Control Fits in Your Card Control Techniques

Every working magician needs a small set of controls rather than one perfect move. Gun Control earns a slot because it covers ground that a standard double lift or pass does not: it controls to the bottom, it can be shown as a change, and it can function as a steal. That range means fewer moves to maintain and more ways to solve a problem mid-performance.

The trade-off is depth. A single-purpose control is usually easier to make invisible because you only practice one outcome. Gun Control asks you to practice three outcomes, and the change is the version most likely to be seen if your timing is off. If you are still building your first control, a simpler move will get you performance-ready faster.

  • Use Gun Control as your second or third control, not your first.
  • Practice the change in front of a mirror before you use it on a spectator.

How to Judge a Magic Download Review Before You Buy

Downloads are the fastest way to learn a move, but the format hides a lot. You cannot flip through a download the way you can a DVD, and you cannot judge the teaching until after purchase. The practical fix is to read the catalog description for the specific applications listed, then check whether those applications solve a problem in your current act.

For Gun Control, the listed applications are control, change, and steal. If you need a control that ends at the bottom, that is a direct match. If you need a top control, you are buying a move you will rarely use. Apply the same test to any download: match the listed applications to the moments in your routine that currently feel weak.

  • Write down the three moments in your act that need work before browsing downloads.
  • Buy the download whose listed applications match those moments, not the one with the most impressive trailer.

Companion Downloads Worth Adding

A control is only half of a resilient performance. The other half is recovery. SWITCH is a collection of 15 methods for switching, swapping, or substituting cards within routines you already perform, built for the moment you get caught or reveal the wrong card. It includes two hours of step-by-step instruction, and it pairs naturally with any control because it solves the failure case rather than the setup.

If you want a second visual option in the same order, Shocking Transpo produces a four of a kind at the snap of the fingers and then switches all four cards twice. It is a full-deck approach to Paul Harris's Reset rather than a packet trick. Buying it alongside Gun Control gives you one hidden utility and one visible production, which is a more balanced toolkit than two versions of the same idea.

  • Add SWITCH if you perform live and cannot afford a blown reveal.
  • Add Shocking Transpo if your act needs a strong visible moment, not another hidden move.

Decision Rules for Buying Gun Control

  • You already perform one reliable control: Buy Gun Control as your second control so you gain the change and steal applications without losing your fallback. Green light. Add it to the order.
  • You are still learning your first control: Skip Gun Control for now. A move with three outcomes will slow down the single outcome you actually need at this stage. Red light. Revisit it after your first control is performance-ready.
  • You need a control that ends on top: Gun Control controls to the bottom. If your routine requires a top control, this move will not replace the one you already use. Check your routine's requirements before buying.
  • You perform for paying audiences: Add SWITCH in the same order. A control handles the setup; SWITCH handles the moment a reveal goes wrong. Buy both if your budget allows one utility and one recovery download.
  • You want a visible moment, not a hidden tool: Choose Shocking Transpo instead. It produces and switches a four of a kind in a way the audience can see. Buy the effect that matches the moment you are missing.

Catalog Facts That Affect Your Decision

  • SICK Control: The SICK Control is a utility move that can be used as a control, a change or a steal, that has the advantage of being as subtle or flashy as you want it to be. A card is selected and clearly placed into the center of the pack, and in that move it has instantly been controlled to the bottom. If you want the same three-application flexibility as Gun Control, this is the closest direct alternative in the same Value Vault price range, so compare the two trailers before buying both.
  • SWITCH: SWITCH is 15 must-have methods for switching, swapping or substituting cards within your existing routines from Daniel Madison, Geraint Clarke and Lloyd Barnes, with 2 hours of step by step instructions. This is the recovery layer for any control. If you perform for paying audiences, the ability to fix a wrong reveal is worth more than a second control move.
  • Shocking Transpo: Instantly produce a four of a kind at the snap of the fingers, then take it to the next level by switching all four cards twice. Daniel Chard has created a version of Paul Harris's Reset that uses a full deck. Use this when you need a visible effect rather than a hidden utility. It balances an order that would otherwise be all controls and no moments.

Who Should Buy Gun Control

Best for

  • Magicians who already have one working control and want a second option that also functions as a change and a steal
  • Close-up and parlor performers who want a single move that can be subtle or flashy depending on the room
  • Buyers who want to study card control techniques in depth rather than collect single-purpose moves

Not for

  • Beginners still locking in their first card control
  • Performers who specifically need a control that ends on top of the deck
  • Buyers looking for a self-working trick they can perform the same day

Gun Control earns its place as a second control, not a first one. Buy it if you can already control a card invisibly and want a move that also changes and steals. Pair it with SWITCH for recovery, or Shocking Transpo if your act needs a visible moment instead. Match the download to the gap in your routine, and you will use what you buy.