Movie Mistakes with Firearms

[HolyCrapItsFunk]

Movies are where I learned to carry with a round in the chamber and the hammer against the pin.

I look so cool fighting bad guys.

[streaker69]

There was an episode of Mythbusters where if I recall they were doing the Tueller drill. If I remember right each time they ran the drill, whomever had the firearm had to rack the slide each time, they never did the test with it already loaded. Kind of invalidated the entire test, IMO.

[Solaran_X]

Opening sequence of Lord of War where the camera is following the life of a 7.62x39MM shell. The factory where the ammo is being is clearly a Russian factory (with all the Soviet markings and the Soviet commissar inspecting the crate), yet the shells being made are brass.

Russians make steel cased 7.62x39MM.

[NShortino]

There was an episode of Mythbusters where if I recall they were doing the Tueller drill. If I remember right each time they ran the drill, whomever had the firearm had to rack the slide each time, they never did the test with it already loaded. Kind of invalidated the entire test, IMO.

That episode drove me insane. They're usually pretty good about being fair and not political/judgmental with everything they do, especially gun related, but that whole episode kept screaming "guns are useless and can't save you", not to mention what you said about their tests being invalid from the start. Not only do they start with an unloaded gun, but its also in an awkward holster that he has no experience with. Plus the test assumes that when someone is running at you with a knife, your only option is to stand perfectly still and wait for them to reach you.

Mythbusters also has a habit of referring to every handgun they use as a Glock, even when you can clearly read on the closeup shots that it is something else (or us gun people could tell just from a quick glance).

[KatesDad]

[ScotsGuards]

Here's a few more:

In Stand By Me, Wil Wheaton fires a warning shot out of a 1911. A few moments later when confronting the psychopath bully he cocks the weapon for dramatic effect. It should have still been cocked from the previous shot.

For those of you who have seen the 1967 remake of The Killers with Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and Ronald Reagan; The hitmen played by Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager use silenced S&W revolvers.


And one proper use moment. In Ride The High Country, all the players reload when they need to do so. Especially Joel McCray and Randolph Scott. A big thumbs up to Sam Peckinpaugh for authenticity.

[weaver]

How about mechanic? The .50 cal training scene where they're shooting and blanks are being ejected.

[Ranger P229]

Shooter- the scene where Swagger has to work the bolt handle on the Barret every time was ridiculous. If you read about it, you'll find that after multiple takes the gun started to jam occasionally due to dust and other grit. The director thought it looked cool when Swagger worked the bolt so he took multiple takes where the gun jammed and used those scenes to make it look like the weapon needed to be worked after every shot. So they had plenty of footage of the weapon working correctly, but thought it looked better when it was malfunctioning.

The safety and hammer cocking on the Glock in the walking dead was the worst I've seen, but I expect movies and TV to screw things up.

[firebird.77]

Opening sequence of Lord of War where the camera is following the life of a 7.62x39MM shell. The factory where the ammo is being is clearly a Russian factory (with all the Soviet markings and the Soviet commissar inspecting the crate), yet the shells being made are brass.

Russians make steel cased 7.62x39MM.

Ahhh, now that one I missed! I do love that scene/movie though

[MagRelease]

Just caught one of these while re-watching the TV show "Lost".. In the later seasons Jack is in a shoot-out at the Dharma village, camera shows him unloading a .45, and it pans back and forth, one second it's a Luger, and the other it's the .45 again.. Haha