Ever find gun mistakes in books?

Although it's not a book, the movie version of Watchmen has North Vietnamese soldiers shooting Yugo underfolders. Not a big deal, of course. The movie totally rocked.

As for books, I tend to read more biographies than anything, so I don't run into firearm errors as frequently. I have a hard time reading most comic books, not just because they make firearms to be way more powerful than they really are, but also because few of the artists will draw the firearm correctly, which bugs me most of all.

6 gunner: "Even if he got his gun info straight, I would never read another of his books. There are too many good authors out there to waste any time on Stephen King."

It's easy to forget how good he was, thirty-some years ago. "'Salem's Lot" and "The Shining" are very good reads with real literary merit. "The Colorado Kid" was a recent shine in an otherwise bleak couple of decades. I had high hopes for "From a Buick 8" after the first fifty pages, but it went downhill and silly fast. He got the guns right in "Battleground."

I'm a "correspondent" of Clive Cussler. The story he relates in "Sea Hunters" about trying to visit King's place in Bangor while searching for Charles Nungessor's plane in Maine and being turned away ("Hey, King! Come out! It's Cussler!") is absolutely true.

Not sure I see why. Shooting single action beats shooting double action

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Perhaps the reference would be to cocking the hammer on a Colt Pocket, or similar "hammerless" pistol?

Even 007 himself had some misteaks... A bg had just shot a .45 6 times into a pile of bedclothes on a bed, made up to look like Bond was sleeping. The hidden 007 told him " that's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six", and then proceeds to shoot said BG.

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If it were a S&W .45acp M1917 or commercial Hand Ejector revolver, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. And according to an article I read recently, Fleming at one point, armed Bond with a Colt New Service .45acp revolver.

In one of Robert Ludlum's better books, The Janson Directive, he refers to a pistol identified a couple of paragraphs earlier as a "revolver". At least twice. In the same book, the hero reaches into his pocket and flicks off the safety on a .44. Although his books are rife with such mistakes these bothered me because it was easily the best of the ones I had read.

I get it, Knotthead. The only probable mistake in all of "A Soldier of the Great War" was that damnable 5-round clip for the 6-round clip Carcanos. It only matters because it is my favorite novel, and gets so much other far more obscure stuff right.

6 gunner said:

The Dark Tower series was terrible.

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Seconded. I loved the first three books, years and years ago. Pity the series turned to pure unadulterated suck.

More gun writing from that hack includes an M-16 that recoiled so hard trying to fire it was like shooting a jackhammer, and especially Roland's revolvers. Several times King talks about the character's fingers "doing the reloading trick" while holding a gun in each hand. At one point another character opens them to see the firing pins were pushed in.

I don't remember them ever switching to anything even remotely resembling DA guns.. Just single-action standard Old West gunslinger guns the author had no clue about.

Duke Of Doubt said:

I'm a "correspondent" of Clive Cussler. The story he relates in "Sea Hunters" about trying to visit King's place in Bangor while searching for Charles Nungessor's plane in Maine and being turned away ("Hey, King! Come out! It's Cussler!") is absolutely true.

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Priceless.

"" Just single-action standard Old West gunslinger guns the author had no clue about.""

let us not forget that Roland's world(s) are carried on the back of a turtle. if you are not going to allow that premise how in the name of the Crimson King will i ever be able to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge (again). place was built on magic and than supported by machines and if i could reload as fast as he i would not want me a speed shooter anyways.

Priceless. LMAO2

Quote:
Stephen King needs a gun editor.

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He doesn't have a normal editor. he quit going to them years ago.

this may not count,but ome documentary i watched recently referred to a stuka as a ju88.

another show said charles whitman was in the army.

A book I read may years ago called "Eye of the Eagle" kept referring to the hero's weapon as a .9mm. I guess she thought that was the way you denote any gun, with a "." in front of the number. Call me crazy, but a .9mm doesn't strike me as being a very effective round. I guess it's only for professionals like me who can thread the eye of a needle with every shot.

I think some proof readers feel like letting goofy stuff through as a lark.

I just read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and noticed that the hero's pistol was described as a semi-automatic. Yet in a scene where the bad guy takes the gun and is about to shoot the hero, the hero hears "the hammer fall on an empty chamber."

I've found one author so far that takes a great deal of pride in technical accuracy(pardon the pun) when it comes to guns. His name is Stephen Hunter. Books like Pale Horse Coming, Hot Springs, and of course, Point of Impact(which was adapted into the movie Shooter).

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Lee Childs is English! Robert Crais is real good also, "Pike" and "Cole" really realistic.

Brian Dale I'm not trying to argue, but that's not at all what the book suggests:
Three fast explosions knocked me off balance. Three deafening, double-action blasts from the .357 in my right hand. Jesus! Firing at nothing, for no reason at all. Bad craziness. I tossed the gun into the front seat of the Shark and stared nervously at the highway. No cars either way; the road was empty for two or three miles in both directions. Fine luck. It would not do to be found in the desert under these circumstances: firing wildly into the cactus from a car full of drugs. And especially not now, on the lam from the Highway Patrol.
Awkward questions would arise: "Well now, Mister .. . ah...Duke; you understand, of course, that it is illegal to discharge a firearm of any kind while standing on a federal way?" What? Even in self-defense? This ******* gun has a hair trigger, officer. The truth is I only meant to fire once-just to scare the little ********." A heavy stare, then speaking very slowly: "Are you saying, Mister Duke...that you were attacked out here?"

Before you pounce on a writer for making a mistake by having a revolver with a safety, check the author's nationality and where the story is set in place and time. Webley in the UK and a bunch of Continental gunmakers equipped some of their revolvers with safety catches. While saftied revolvers haven't been common in the US, it isn't a mistake to have one in a European country or colony. That is, as long as the author doesn't specify a make or model that was known not to have one.
Glock has been known to make runs of their pistols with thumb safeties. Aftermarket installation of such is also available.
"Not commonly seen in US gunshops" is not the same as "does not exist."

I just read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and noticed that the hero's pistol was described as a semi-automatic. Yet in a scene where the bad guy takes the gun and is about to shoot the hero, the hero hears "the hammer fall on an empty chamber."

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Semi's have a chamber. Every time you dry fire one, the hammer "falls on an empty chamber."

Several years ago a book was published with the title "Ratenkrige" or "War of The Rats". It is an historical fiction of a snipers duel that occoured during the battle of Stalingrad. Several errors were made such as refering to muzzle flashes as dim and blue, resting a rifles barrel on windowsill to steady it, and getting point of aim adjustment wrong when shooting on an incline. Other than that it was a pretty cool book. Russian snipers were taking a real toll on the Germans and the Germans reacted by send out one of their best to act as a counter sniper.

cratti said:

Brian Dale I'm not trying to argue, but that's not at all what the book suggests: {details above}

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No argument, cratti; I haven't re-read that book in at least twenty years and I was off base. Thanks for correcting my mistake.

Gun mistakes in books? Naah...

The book is Government by the People 7th Edition by Magley, O'brien, Light, Peltason, Cronin. published by Pearson/Prentice Hall. Its from last year's freshman Political Science class. The caption above Jesse Jackson reads " Government's Greatest Endeavors" and is on pg.365, the Carolyn McCarthy one is on pg.265. Notice how the AWB reffered to as "The Crime Control and Safe Streets Act" bans M16s. Hmm go figure.

What is wrong with this picture?

Well, it's not a book mistake, but close enough. I know this has been posted before, but it is just too hilarious not to.

Robert Ludlum gets it wrong ALL THE TIME! He doesn't know horse poop from apple butter, when it comes to guns.

One book I got for Christmas once couldn't not tell the difference between a Luger P08 and a Swedish Lathi M40.

Another book kept calling handgun frames receivers. This said book in the title called itself an encyclopaedia of guns. You figure the book would mention the HK VP-70, the first polymer framed pistol, right? But it doesn't.

Several years ago a book was published with the title "Ratenkrige" or "War of The Rats". It is an historical fiction of a snipers duel that occoured during the battle of Stalingrad. Several errors were made such as refering to muzzle flashes as dim and blue, resting a rifles barrel on windowsill to steady it, and getting point of aim adjustment wrong when shooting on an incline. Other than that it was a pretty cool book. Russian snipers were taking a real toll on the Germans and the Germans reacted by send out one of their best to act as a counter sniper.

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I have read Rattenkrieg. A good book about Stalingrad. To add to Dave A's statement, the author also mention bolt action rifles such as the 91/30 and the 98K having "gas systems." Last time I checked, I couldn't find any gas tubes or pistons on a Mosin. According to this book, the Mosin was a superior rifle to the German Mauser. Now, I love Mosins dearly, but not only is it easier to cycle a Mauser bolt because of its handle shape, it also has controlled feed and its classic locking lugs.

Correia, I'm pretty sure the guy who said there were mistakes in MHI was just trying to get a rise out of you

I read that, flew into a rage, tore my shirt off, jumped through the window, flipped a car over and set it on fire, hit a riot cop with a bat, got taken down with pepper-spray and batons, fought my way out of the riot, killed a policeman's horse and slept inside its guts to stay warm through the night. It was the best night's sleep I've had in years...

So yeah, he got a little rise out of me.