Movie Mistakes with Firearms

[Grey Bearded One]

In the Magnum P.I. series, Tom routinely used a 9mm 1911. Easier for the prop guys or something.

According to imfdb.org, the 1911 became a 9mm because it was easier to get blanks. Also, in some episodes, he used a Star Model B, identifiable by the external extractor.

[Grey Bearded One]

Since we brought up Selleck, I just watched "The Sacketts" again. At one point in the movie, the year is given at 1869 but a couple of the actors were carrying Single Action Army pistols, three or four years ahead of their time.

[djturnz]

Lots of bloopers in Tango & Cash. I don't recall any gun ones, but there is a scene where a bad guy gets a grenade dropped in his pants and then is rolled down a flight of stairs. The explosion clearly comes from the wall, not his pants.

The only blooper is the rediculous laser on Kurt Russel's gun.

[Bang]

Noticed something (again) last night. Something I have noted over the years but didn't think to post about. Guy hands other guy a revolver,"Here. Take this, you're gonna need it" or whatever. Receiver flips open the cylinder and rotates it and you hear the ratcheting sound.

[Don Quixote]

How many movies and TV shows have we all seen where bullets apparently don't penetrate wind shields?

Windshields? In most TV shows and movies they don't even penetrate Drywall. How many times have you seen them hide behind an interior wall and the bullets Spark, and don't even leave a mark on the wall.

[dannyb]

Wow, talk about the Walking Thread, I mean Dead, I mean... zombies, you know. Anyway, I remember when John Erik Hexum blew his brains out with a blank. No wonder they only load the exact number of blanks as the number of shots that the script calls for.

Many of the mistakes are actually so-called errors in continuity. It happens when the producer tells the director, "Here's 5 bucks, go hire a continuity guy." It's the continuity guy's job to make sure that the set up this morning is the same as when they stopped filming last night. Benny Hill did a hysterical send up of continuity errors among which was a whiskey glass that turned into a beer stein that turned into a wine glass. Same with the 1911 that turns into a Luger that turns into a 10/22.

[ErSwnn]

I want to know why they always feel a need to check the magazine or cylinder. Who carries an unloaded gun? And why, just before they need it, do they rack a round? Isn't that something you'd do before you you engage a situation? What's up with hiding behind the bar? It's made of wood, not exactly the material of choice to stop rounds. But somehow it works. Must be special wood. Then when the gun is empty they throw it away. Who does that?

[Noah_Zark]

. . . Same with the 1911 that turns into a Luger that turns into a 10/22.

Luger rhymes with Ruger. Close enough.

Noah

[streaker69]

I want to know why they always feel a need to check the magazine or cylinder. Who carries an unloaded gun? And why, just before they need it, do they rack a round? Isn't that something you'd do before you you engage a situation? What's up with hiding behind the bar? It's made of wood, not exactly the material of choice to stop rounds. But somehow it works. Must be special wood. Then when the gun is empty they throw it away. Who does that?

What's normally under a bar? Yes, glasses and bottles. Shoot through a bar, shower everyone behind with sharp shards of glass.

[Rimfire]

My favorite was an episode of Burn Notice where Michael has a Sniper rifle with a scope and aims at a target about 500 yards away and you see a perfectly still laser red dot on the guys chest.