Firearms movies accuracy

O

orsogato

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A little survey on what everybody's favorite "firearms" movie is in terms of the arms that were depicted and historical accuracy.

I think mine are
1. "Pvt Ryan"
2. "The Rough Riders": This is a great movie in terms of turn of the century firearms. I especially like the beautiful 7mm mauser that William Randolph Hurst's character had. The guy that did this new his stuff.
3. "The Wild Bunch": The BEST western of all time IMHO. An awesome blend of the old (SAA's, 1873 Winchesters and the then "new" 45 Auto, m1897 Winchester 12ga pump, Springfield Rifle.

WORST GUN MOVIE
1. "The last of the Mohican's": I just cant handle the what seems like 500-600 yard shots with those smokepoles.
2. "Lethal Weapon 4": The dig on the NRA raises my BP.
 
Cross of Iron - MP40s, PPSH 43s, P38s, KAR98s, MG42s to include the tripods, very good depictions of German and Soviet small arms.

Gettysburg - used lots of reinactors complete with their period weapons and equipment.

Uncommon Valor - they even cleaned and zeroed their WWII vintage weapons before moving into Laos.

Those three come immediately to mind, I'm sure I'll think of some more later.
Jeff
 
Concerning The Last of the Mohicans. I didn't notice whether the Brown Bess carried by the 60th Royal Americans were the proper Long Pattern or the Short Pattern (that should have been an easy one). Hawkeye's longrifle was too gaudy to have been a serious hunting rifle. But by golly, it sure was a pretty rifle and I wouldn't mind having it. 500-600 yard covering shot for the messenger running for help? Given the circumstances, highly unlikely. Daniel Boone's best shot during the war was around 40 rods when he head shot Pompey from a tree. At Saratoga, Tim Murphy shot General Fraser from around 300 yards and that was considered remarkable.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Going to put in my $.02 on "The last of the Mohican's".

While you can moan about the firearms take a look at the edged weapons. They were made by a Danial Winkler (sheeths were made by his assistant Karen). Dan is into "Mountain Man" Reenactment. He researches and makes all his edge weapons using the same material/techniques that were available during that time period.

I've got a Camp Knive & Skinner fashion out of file steel made by him to go with my Sharps. When discussion the design with Dan I wanted a double knife sheath, he had to research it and got back with me, saying that though he could not find any historical reference to double sheaths he was of the opinion that anything utilitarian would have been carried by persons of that time period. When they arrived and I opened up the box they looked a couple hundred years old!

File steel, file teath still visible on some parts, Burreled Wood handles with deer skin wrap, Raw Hide Double Sheath with deerskin cover w/fringes. They also work great (Dan perfers his creation be used insteat of "collected").

If anyone in interested I can post his address/number or contact me off board. Like I said I got mind to go with my Shiloh Sharps. They would also go with any "Cowboy Action" dress.

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Schmit, GySgt, USMC(Ret)
NRA Life, Lodge 1201-UOSSS
"Si vis Pacem Para Bellum"



[This message has been edited by David Schmidbauer (edited July 27, 1999).]
 
"Quigley Down Under"

"I said I didn't like handguns -- didn't say I couldn't use 'em" (paraphrasing unashamedly)

It was interesting because, unlike the way the government wants us to think now, we (Australians) did carry guns then, and use them -- just as much as our US cousins.

Incidentally, there was no</> licensing!!

B
 
(paraphrasing unashamedly)

Ya got to give the entire scene.... (Mat, earlier in the film says to Chief Bad guy, in responce to CBG's praise of the Colt .45 - "Never had much use for one.")

-*Skip to final scene*-

(Mat all beat-up, standing against the fence with a .45 Colt handgun stuck in his pants. 3 bad guys bladed off about 15 yards in front of him)

Mat (to chief bad guy) - "This ain't Dodge City and you ain't Bill Hickcock!" -*I believe that is who he says*-

(Chief bad guy gets REAL pissed at that. He draws, as do the other two bad guys. Mat draws and puts bullets into all three bad guys, killing the two lesser ones immediately)

(Mat, taking a bullet in the leg, pulls a bandana and ties it off, limps over to Chief Bad Guy)

Mat - "Said I never had much use for um. never said I didn't know how to use um."

(Chief Bad Guy, with look of astonshment in his eyes... dies)

Though I could be off some as I haven't watched the movie in a couple months.

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Schmit, GySgt, USMC(Ret)
NRA Life, Lodge 1201-UOSSS
"Si vis Pacem Para Bellum"

[This message has been edited by David Schmidbauer (edited July 27, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by David Schmidbauer (edited July 27, 1999).]
 
It ISN'T "Lethal Weapon 4" for damn sure!!!

I saw that one last weekend, even after hearing there were NRA bashes in there, I rented it. That was the biggest piece of manure I can remember seeing!

But favorites?

The "Terminator" Series...gotta love the 2nd one when they go into the desert to get Sarah's hidden weaponry from an underground vault!

"Enemy of the State"...eventhough the good guys took a while to "arm" themselves, we find that sometimes fire power means having the latest electronic gadgetry.

"Safe House"...the bedroom gun closet is worth renting this movie to see. And the staged home invasions will get your blood pumping.
 
#1: The Wild Bunch
#2: Heat (great weapons handling)
#3: Quigley Down Under
#4: Bonnie and Clyde
#5: Any of Seagal's movies...he handles the weapons pretty well.
#6 Tom Horn
#7 Hombre (Haaay hombre! You haf poot a hole en meeee!) What a great line!
#8 Tell Them Valdez is Coming (Burt Lancaster western...anyone else remember it? Lots of long range shooting with a Sharps)



[This message has been edited by Mike Spight (edited July 27, 1999).]
 
Bruce,

(If you are still around)

Speaking of Aussie movies, what was the deal with Mad Max? He never even drew his gun in the original movie... Was that some sort of subtle Anti-Gun propoganda or what??
 
In response to the Mad Max statement- Max did draw his sawed-off shotgun, just not the revolver in his shoulder holster. Matter of fact, he shot the blonde-haired biker with it. (Toecutter's sidekick) He also carries a side-by-side 12ga on vacation.

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Where the choice is between only violence and
cowardice, I would advise violence."
— Mohandas Gandhi
www.acs.brockport.edu/~jg5708/gunclub.htm
 
Grosse Pointe Blank
Kelly's Heroes
Quigley Down Under.
The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly (I love the scene where Eli Wallach builds the pistol in the gun shop.

I thought I was the only one that saw "Tell Them Valdez Is Coming" it was a great movie.

[This message has been edited by joegerardi (edited July 27, 1999).]
 
I recently bought a copy of "Stalingrad", not an easy video to find.

Like Das Boot, it's done in german with english subtitles.

Unfortunately, the subtitles seem poorly contrasted against the screen, you have to sit rather close to catch all the text.

Great movie, though. Not as polished as "Saving Private Ryan", but is illustrates very well just what the winter fighting in Russia was like.

LOTS of PPsH-41s, used by the Rooskies and by the German troops, as they picked them up.

Having seen it just once, I've not yet scrutinized it, but the weapons look authentic - no readily evident screw-ups there. The sound effects are good, too.

GREAT tank battle scene, with the Soviets using lend-lease U.S. Shermans.

I recommend the movie, if you can find a copy.
 
Valdez is Coming - a great picture. Just which Sharps does Valdez shoot? As I recall, at one point he seems to be rolling paper cartridges and then, the 'good' bad guy is tossing some brass shells in his hands, telling the 'bad bad guy' that it is a "Sharps") - 1859/63 or 1874?
 
Elchimango: I don't have a clue...haven't seen the movie in 20+ years...I wonder if it's even available now at Blockbuster or other video rentals here in Gringolandia?

BTW, a few years back, a Argentinian Army Officer (Bari del Valle Sosa) was the international officer in my seminar group at Command and General Staff College...a Major de Infanteria then, he's probably a full Colonel by now....great guy with a wonderful family...spent 60 days as a guest of the Brits following their little dust-up in Las Malvinas. I doubt you have or ever will run into him, but a fine guy nonetheless.

Regards, Mike
 
For firearms accuracy, I have a small problem with THE WILD BUNCH. The movie took place before The Great War or at the very start of it, from the scene where the Bunch was looking at the car. "They got them that fly. They're gonna use 'em in the War." or words to that effect.

So a 1917 Water cooled Browning machine gun was not correct. (By the way where was the water can and hose for the '17?) A correct machine gun for the time period would have been Colt 1895 "potato diggers" or Benet-Merci.

Grenades were not correct either. The grenades depected were the style that came later in the war. They looked like the WWII pineapple gernades and not the Mills bombs that the English came up with later on during the war.

Nits to pick to be sure. Still love the movie.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Re: Mad Max
That may well be true, for that matter he also carried a pump shotgun when he first confronted "Johnny the Boy", but I always found it curious that he did not brandish his weapon needlessly. The reason I asked was to get a take on whether it was cultural or not. US Action heroes HAVE to draw their gun needlessly, it is in the psyche of our society, but Max was content to seemingly forget his .357 and use his big-guns when he felt they might be necessary. Even in Road Warrior I can't remember him using a regular handgun (ie- not counting his handgun sized double barrel ;)).
 
My Favorites are (in no particular order):

Die Hard 1
Lethal Weapon 1
Quiqley Down Under
Silverado
Saving Pvt Ryan


All of these movies showed excellent firearm handling and realistic performance for the most part. You've gota love the part in Lethal Weapon where Mel Gibson is firing at the bad guys chopper :)

By the way, I HATED Lethal Weapon4 because of the NRA bashing in it :(
 
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