Firearm Inaccuracies In Media

Very famous in older tv and movies when revolvers were more common. Evil badguy/spy/bankrobber (fill in your choice_______) takes out .38 snubby revolver, slips a silencer over thebarrel, gives it a slight twist, goes in bank (where-ever) and shoots opponent. Gun goes "pffft" and no one amongst the 5,987,881 witnesses notices or hears a thing.

In older tv westerns I notice a great deal of 1873s being used unsafely; hammers being lowered on a live round when the Hero decides not to shoot.

In an old tv series called "COMBAT!" actor Vic Morrow played Sgt. Saunders and carried a 1928 Thompson SMG. Watching it on DVDs I notice alternating scenes where he's carrying it cocked and then uncocked (obvious from the position of the top mounted actuator knob).

Oh. The infamous Glock cocking in movies .....

Continuity errors annoy me.
In Dr No, Bond gets the famous PPK, imfdb says the movie prop is a PP, but when he needs a silencer, it transmogrifies into a Browning.

Except in Modesty Blaise.

From cocking Glocks to belt-fed Colt Peacemakers, they are legion.

It'd be simpler to count accurate portrayals. . .

Top pic in OP guy has what looks like a 1911 with the hammer down; yet he is apparently ready to engage potential threat. (Not)

I like the aggressive shucking a of 12 gauge each time as the wielder rounds every corner clearing a room.

Also, every cocked hammer seems to sound like a 4 click colt.

It's always a nice treat when weapons handling/functionality is correct in a TV/film scenario.

In Open Range, Robert Duvall said he really did reload his sixgun but that dull stuff ended up on the cutting room floor.

It bugs the hell out of me to watch reruns of The Big Valley in which the directors can't seem to grasp the concept that the Marlin 336 was not invented until the 20th century.

edwardware said:

It'd be simpler to count accurate portrayals. . .

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Amen.
Needs more than one "Like."

Pet peeve, bad guy with scope misses hero, but hero with two-inch snubby, without sighting, offhand hits the sniper several hundred yards away.

All depictions of military MGs being used at Danger Close range. In other words, like a personal arm rather than a crew-served weapon.

Flinging revolver cylinders shut.

"Bogarting"
I have seen real gunowners doing it. I have seen some bent guns, too.

Watching The Revenant , Outlander and other historical dramas and seeing many a flintlock cocked, aimed, and ready to shoot with the frizzen tipped open.

Firearm inaccuracies I've noticed in TV and movies are too numerous for me to list, so I’ll only mention one. In the movie “Stand by Me,” the main character, Wil Wheaton fires a 1911 in the air to frighten Kiefer Sutherland, who is threatening River Phoenix with a knife. Sutherland jumps back at first, but then starts to continue his threats. So Wil points the 1911 right at Sutherland, and slowly cocks the 1911’s hammer back.
What the heck? Wil just fired the 1911. It’s already cocked for crying out loud!

My peeve is so called “trained” firearm handlers (cops, military, etc..), not using proper trigger discipline. Makes me cringe.

In the old "western" movies the white hat guy, shooting from the hip, could shoot the gun out of the hand of black hat guy. Just stinging bad guys hand. Some mayors are trying to get cops back to this policy.

And in current movies the bad guy, just before he shoots the good guy, racks the slide again and shoots the good guy with the pistol turned sideways, gangsta style.

Captain*kirk said:

It bugs the hell out of me to watch reruns of The Big Valley in which the directors can't seem to grasp the concept that the Marlin 336 was not invented until the 20th century.

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Anachronistic lever-guns in Hollywood westerns are legion. Winchester 1892s are everywhere and everywhen. I'm currently watching the dvd set of a 1965 tv series called A MAN CALLEN SHENANDOAH, set in the 1870s. I was pleased to note the use of a number of Winchester 1873 rifles and carbines .... then let down when I noticed some Marlin 1894s. Oh well.

Yes I recall the Marlin 336S in THE BIG VALLEY. That was an odd blunder ...

Always hated the sound of a pump action shotgun shucking for dramatic emphasis, suggesting either the chamber was empty or someone just ejected a live shell.

That took on a new level of ridiculousness when my wife and I were watching a BBC series (I think it was an early episode of Silent Witness) when we heard that sound. When the camera panned to the guy holding the gun, it was a side-by-side double. To my wife's mild annoyance, I replayed the scene to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.

In another episode of the same show, an abused young lady shoots the guy who took advantage of her; it appears she is holding a Beretta, IIRC. Regardless, when told to "Drop the gun!" she does, and you can see the replica Glock bounce on the pier. Had to confirm that one, too.

My loving wife now asks me, "What kind of gun is that?" knowing that I'm dying to tell her.

I think it was in Goodbye, Charlie, the wronged woman shoots her rival repeatedly. She has to rack the slide of her nickel plated automatic for every shot because they did not furnish her with a blank tuned pistol.

Jeff Cooper told the story of a movie being shown to troops on a Pacific island between campaigns. A society dame shoots her cheating husband and stands over him with heaving bosom. From the audience "Awright, lady, police up your brass and clear the range."

Tommygunn said:

Yes I recall the Marlin 336S in THE BIG VALLEY. That was an odd blunder ...

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Worst part of it is, it wasn't a 'one-off' boo-boo. It's repeated in almost every single episode. In only one episode to date have I seen a bad guy shooting back at the Barkleys with a Winchester...and a '94 at that.
My suspicion is that Marlin was providing the rifles as promo items, figuring most people wouldn't know the difference.

When the martial arts master strips the upper right off the Glock that's pointed at his head...

When a person takes a round center mass and does 2 backflips and a half gainer...

When the cowboy starts with his muzzle pointed skyward, then as he's firing brings it down...kinda resembling casting with a fly-rod...

When a guy with a 1911 (or any centerfire handgun) dumps a mag one handed, and the muzzle stays on the exact same plane...

I always like when heroes/villains with real working knowledge shoot a gun empty, the slide locks back, then they somehow "click click click" wondering why the gun won't fire, the turn the gun sideways and look dumbfounded as to why it's not going boom.