[Jim w.]

I have seen a still from a WWII movie clearly showing the external Star extractor on a USGI's pistol.

Converting a recoil operated auto to function with blanks can be a challenge. And you get conflicting reports:
"A Star is easier to set up for blanks than a Colt.
"It is difficult to get a Luger to shoot blanks."
but
"Gary Cooper/Sergeant York is shown with a Luger because it is easier to make work with blanks."

A camera cut can be so smooth that you don't realize the actor, or more likely the prop armorer, has racked in a fresh blank.

I saw one movie where they didn't even try; a jilted woman shot her cheating husband with a nickel plated automatic. It was "Bang, rack, Bang, rack, Bang, rack..." til he quit wiggling.

An old gunzine article described some of the work done to adapt an auto for blanks. First, remove the locking lugs to make it into a blowback. Then put a restricting bushing in the barrel to generate enough back pressure to do the blowing. (Wouldn't THAT have been a surprise for Ol' Alec if he got a live round in one of those?)

The article also described the prop man shedding a tear as he sawed off an SKB SxS shotgun. The actor apparently could not be taught, or could not be bothered to learn how to shoot double triggers on a cheap double or to shuck a common pump.

 

[Joelski]

I must say that John Wick does actually perform mag swaps, most of the time, but Reeves is a bit of a shooter in real life. It helps when actors are somewhat skilled at manly arts. When was the last time you saw somebody other than Kevin Costner change a tire?

 

[Quickish]

Actually, a while back I ran across an amateur video of Reeves practicing. He looked pretty good. He'd probably be toward the top end in many club matches.

 

[Impox]

The movie Pure Luck. In one scene he’s pointing a semi-auto, same scene different angle he’s pointing a revolver, cut back to first angle and semi-auto again.

Nobody, I mean nobody seems to carry with one in the chamber.

Beverly Hills Cop 2. Brigitte Nielsen shooting her custom revolver in the range. Sounds of casings hitting the floor.

The list goes on and on…….

It's a custom revolver that ejects casings!

 

[Doc45]

The two “Extraction” movies with Chris Hemsworth display some proper and fine weapons handling.

 

[Ca1942]

The Lethal Weapon 2 movie poster....Riggs' Beretta is reversed (flipped).

 

[TearlessTom]

The Lethal Weapon 2 movie poster....Riggs' Beretta is reversed (flipped). View attachment 1537939

The whole image is flipped. That happens quite often in the film industry. He is actually holding it in his left hand. Iike looking in a mirror. I have seen entire movie scene shot like this. Look at how his shirt is buttoned.

 

[Impox]

I recently got hooked on an Amazon Prime series titled Bosch, about LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, played by Titus Welliver (was also in Sons of Anarchy, which I never saw).

Anyway, after watching a couple episodes, I googled his gun, which was a 5" 1911, so it caught my eye. It turns out it is a Kimber Custom TLE II. In the first season he carried at 4 o'clock in a Yaqui Slide type holster, in season 2 or 3 he switched to a Kyden OWB, same position, with two magazines carried offside.

What I noticed is he consistently carries the magazines backwards, and it's driving me nuts. He's right-handed so he will reload with his left hand, and carrying them in pouches on the left side you would want the bullets forward so your index finger indexes the magazine for the reload. His mags are carried bullet facing rearward, so his index finger indexes the back side of the mag when he'd grab one--backwards.

I love the gun choice but I hate it when the weapons consultant on the film screws stuff like this up. Consistently. He's still wearing the mags that way in season 4.

Anyone else notice a gun they really like in a show that is not properly carried?

View attachment 1537121

I had a buddy who talked to Titus Welliver and said that he carries it that way because he's a lefty but shoots with his right hand so it's easier for him to grab it that way.

I'm assuming he keeps his palm to his body and thumb towards the threat, if that makes any sense. Or it could just be BS!

 

[JCinPA]

I did not notice until last night he writes left handed but shoots right handed. Still, if he reloads with his left the index finger should index the edge of the magazine the bullets are facing. One can do it differently, several here have mentioned it. Heck, you can carry your mags upside down for all I care and pull them down out of the mag carrier.

But no shooting school teaches it differently, and I’d love to see a YouTube where someone explains why they carry them “backwards”. I’m genuinely curious.

 

[GrandpoppyJack]

The way guns rattle or clink whenever the gun is brought up to aim or pointed in a different direction always gets my attention. It sounds like the gun is falling apart.

 

[Bill O’Rights]

I guess if you’re a stickler for realism, Alec Baldwin films would be your thing. 😮

😂🤣😂

 

[steveasvitt]

The most annoying thing to me is the way handguns are gripped — which goes for movies and real life, including badge-cam videos from LE officers. 😖

 

[A34]

Great thread! I love watching the old TV detective series. Cool cars, guns, babes, nostalgia. Recently I've been watching Mannix and Hunter. I love that in Mannix there's lots of drinking and smoking going on before the snubbies come out. I guess that was the life back then. Then shooting without aim and hitting your target is awesome! Wish I could do that.

Hunter is great too. His partner running around with a Walther PPK or Snubbie in her purse. Quick draw that! Yelling, "Freeze Police" then being able to duck the bad guys shots and returning fire, hitting them. Good stuff!

 

[Bill O’Rights]

You’re assuming that your movement to reload is the only one that works - which isn’t true. A simple twist of the wrist and reload with bullets facing to the rear is simple. It can be just as natural a motion as a forward facing grip.

Hafta agree with Navy87… Maybe it’s a Navy thang. (Go Navy - Beat Army!)

I carry my mags bullets to the rear. And I’ve trained at some top tier places and never been “corrected”. I do recall being asked about it once, and on demonstrating the efficacy, the instructor just shrugged and said something like, “Whatever works…”.

This is true in many aspects of firearms use, carry, maintenance and repairs… There’re often more than one “right way” to achieve the same result. Just depends…

A example story: When I was a boy, ca early/mid 1960’s, a young USMC officer was at our place shooting his issue 1911. My dad, an Army WW2 combat veteran, then in his early 50’s, teased the young Marine about his two handed, isosceles grip/stance. I remember Dad saying, “No wonder the Navy calls y'all the “SISTER” service!”

This, of course, led to a profanity laced marksmanship challenge by the Marine, with his 1911.

Dad, like a pool shark, fussed that he was old and out of practice, etc…., but then appearing reluctant, made an exaggerated show of slowly getting down from the side porch like an old man, and remarked that he hadn’t “shot .45 like that, since Okinawa”, which was all good theatre but not exactly true!

The upshot (pun) is that my father, using the ancient one handed, arm extended straight out from the shoulder, side to the target, left fist on his hip, significantly outshot the younger man, despite the younger man, using the technique then taught being taught at Quantico.

The young Marine graciously conceded defeat. And Dad good naturedly advised him to get “damn good shooting one handed, because you might find yourself with only one hand to use!”

Moral: Most of the time, with most things, there’s more than one way. Two handed isosceles… or one handed. Bullets forward. Bullets to the rear. Either way can work. There are other issues to fret about.

My 2cts.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Perhaps we can excuse it because the movie isn't serious, but the MAC-10 in True Lies is ridiculous.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Also, not specifically a gun thing, but on the TV show FBI, the agents always announce themselves from 50 feet away so we can have an obligatory foot chase. Very, very annoying.

 

[jgakers1]

I recently got hooked on an Amazon Prime series titled Bosch, about LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, played by Titus Welliver (was also in Sons of Anarchy, which I never saw).

Anyway, after watching a couple episodes, I googled his gun, which was a 5" 1911, so it caught my eye. It turns out it is a Kimber Custom TLE II. In the first season he carried at 4 o'clock in a Yaqui Slide type holster, in season 2 or 3 he switched to a Kyden OWB, same position, with two magazines carried offside.

What I noticed is he consistently carries the magazines backwards, and it's driving me nuts. He's right-handed so he will reload with his left hand, and carrying them in pouches on the left side you would want the bullets forward so your index finger indexes the magazine for the reload. His mags are carried bullet facing rearward, so his index finger indexes the back side of the mag when he'd grab one--backwards.

I love the gun choice but I hate it when the weapons consultant on the film screws stuff like this up. Consistently. He's still wearing the mags that way in season 4.

Anyone else notice a gun they really like in a show that is not properly carried?

View attachment 1537121

If you ever see a movie and want to know all the weapons in it, you can search for the name of the movie on this website. I thought it was pretty cool. "Internet Movie Firearms Database (IMFDB) "

 

[ORShooter]

I hate when they cock their Glock when they go into a room…

Nothing I hate more!!!🤬

 

[Stoneface86]

Has anyone noticed that in the movies the guns being shot have no recoil whatsoever .

 

[TangoHotel]

The sheer number of rounds fired without a reload always gets noticed in my house.

I watched Skyfall the other night-in the scene where Bond takes his shooting qualification, he fires 9 rounds out of what is either a PPK or PPK/S before running out of rounds. Close, but unless it’s a 22, the maximum capacity of a PPK/S is 7+1.