Hollywood handgun portrayal BS
- Thread starter reaganmarine84
- Start date
One of the detectives (the actor has since passed away) on Law and Order carried a small frame revolver and remarked on one episode that he thought he was the last guy in New York who carried a revolver.
Remember the opening scene usually seen on The A-Team where the Jeep virtually flies into the air? And in old Republic serials, invariably there was a car going over a cliff. Good stuff. Next time you see one, though, take a good look at men working the lever on a lever action rifle. Quite a few variations in style. Also, look closely at the way DA revolvers are held (K-frames); they seem to be "choking" the grip sometimes.
About those fights in the old westerns; maybe it was the horses. They always had a surprising number of horses in the old ones compared to now. Some people are allergic to horses. It might make them prone to violence or something.
And can you really shoot out the tires on a car, shooting from a pursuing car? On television police chase shows, practically nothing stops a fleeing car, until finally it goes over a cliff. Good stuff.
Remember the opening scene usually seen on The A-Team where the Jeep virtually flies into the air? And in old Republic serials, invariably there was a car going over a cliff. Good stuff. Next time you see one, though, take a good look at men working the lever on a lever action rifle. Quite a few variations in style. Also, look closely at the way DA revolvers are held (K-frames); they seem to be "choking" the grip sometimes.
About those fights in the old westerns; maybe it was the horses. They always had a surprising number of horses in the old ones compared to now. Some people are allergic to horses. It might make them prone to violence or something.
And can you really shoot out the tires on a car, shooting from a pursuing car? On television police chase shows, practically nothing stops a fleeing car, until finally it goes over a cliff. Good stuff.
Lost Sheep
New member
Has to be Jerry Orbach or Paul Sorvino. But I think both were portraying old-school detectives who carried revolvers. But that narrows it down to two who would have had that line (or had it spoken about him).BlueTrain said:
Lost Sheep
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We were watching a John Wayne "The Undefeated" movie on the DVD player and sure 'nuff, at the camp, two guys started fighting and the next thing you know, the whole camp was slugging it out with each other, even though they didn't seem to be that mad at each other. They did have a huge herd of wild horses with them so maybe it's the horses. Seems like saloon brawls were the Western version of car chases.
Could be fighting was just fun back in those days. I dunno, pillow fights are fun, water fights are fun, but getting hit with fists and bottles and chairs just hurts.
Also, where did this gang of Confederate soldiers at the end of the Civil War get all those trap door Springfields not to mention the lever action rifles? They have a time machine or something?
Stephanie B
New member
If I remember correctly, the Sipowicz character in "NYPD Blue" carried a snub-nosed revolver.
Pond James Pond
New member
And another thing....!
OK, this is a little dated now, but still:
In black and white movies, when someone fired a gun, especially revolvers, they shot from the waist and sort of jabbed the gun in the direction of their opponent as they were shooting. Only way I can describe it!
Madness, I tell you!!!!
OK, this is a little dated now, but still:
In black and white movies, when someone fired a gun, especially revolvers, they shot from the waist and sort of jabbed the gun in the direction of their opponent as they were shooting. Only way I can describe it!
Madness, I tell you!!!!
There was a touch of realism in "jabbing the gun" in the direction of the target. That's simple hip shooting. Frankly, it's a little more realistic than a target shooter's stance and in fact, very similiar stances or positions used to be used in police training. You will often have seen revolver shooters, especially when using single actions, seem to "throw" the revolver at the target. I can attest that it works better than you would expect but it also works better with some revolvers than others. It doesn't seem to work at all with automatics and I expect the radical difference in the grips accounts for that.
With single action revolvers, which in the movies and mostly in real life meant a Single Action Army Colt, you of course have to first cock the gun. At the time a revolver was curiously thought of as a one-handed weapon, so you threw it up and with your thumb on the hammer, cocked it on the way down, the weight of the revolver helping some. On the next shot, the recoil will have the barrel up anyway, so you're in that position naturally. Hammer spurs differ a lot between models but I expect the original SAA form was best for this style of shooting.
You may also notice the gunmen in the old movies moving around a lot, either to make themselves harder to hit or maybe a natural reaction to "dodging bullets." Either way, it's still the movies.
With single action revolvers, which in the movies and mostly in real life meant a Single Action Army Colt, you of course have to first cock the gun. At the time a revolver was curiously thought of as a one-handed weapon, so you threw it up and with your thumb on the hammer, cocked it on the way down, the weight of the revolver helping some. On the next shot, the recoil will have the barrel up anyway, so you're in that position naturally. Hammer spurs differ a lot between models but I expect the original SAA form was best for this style of shooting.
You may also notice the gunmen in the old movies moving around a lot, either to make themselves harder to hit or maybe a natural reaction to "dodging bullets." Either way, it's still the movies.
seeker_two
New member
Since I'm rewatching the '70's shows, I really like how the hitman with a scoped rifle at 100 yds. can miss the hero, but the hero can shoot his .38 snub from the hip & kill the hitman every time.....
Nothing curious at all about the thought of the revolver as a one-handed weapon (at least, not in westerns or early 20th century movies), as its initial popularity was with cavalrymen and cowboys.
The revolver started out from necessity as a one-handed weapon, as the other hand held the reins.
The revolver started out from necessity as a one-handed weapon, as the other hand held the reins.
"I tried this last night and yes, you can. You cannot assemble it with the mag inserted."--icedog88
Interesting; When I tried to disassemble my PT92 w/mag, the slide came forward about 1/8" and no farther. Perhaps there's a minor difference in mag followers or feed lips that accounts for the different experience.
I also had snap-caps in the mag (and chamber), since the movie guns were presumably 'hot'.
Interesting; When I tried to disassemble my PT92 w/mag, the slide came forward about 1/8" and no farther. Perhaps there's a minor difference in mag followers or feed lips that accounts for the different experience.
I also had snap-caps in the mag (and chamber), since the movie guns were presumably 'hot'.
Interesting thread. Hollyood and loads of writers have made their living in getting people to take some time, suspend reality and enjoy a magic carpet ride through realms of fiction.
From Jules Verne to firing men onto the moon by cannon, to Indianna Jones being chased down that cave by a boulder, or blowing away the big guy with the sword, they get us hooked.
My favorate did you see that B.S. is watching Clint Eastwood in movies like the Good, the Bad & the Ugly in which he changes from a pair of Colt Walkers to Dragoons with ease. Watching Lee Van Cleef switch between a Cap & Ball percussion Remington to a cartridge firing one. When Tuco staggers in from his desert walk and sifts through the collection of fire arms being offered by a local merchant, some of those he tosses aside haven't even been invented yet.
But it's all in good fun. Part of that fun is of course in catching them at it.
From Jules Verne to firing men onto the moon by cannon, to Indianna Jones being chased down that cave by a boulder, or blowing away the big guy with the sword, they get us hooked.
My favorate did you see that B.S. is watching Clint Eastwood in movies like the Good, the Bad & the Ugly in which he changes from a pair of Colt Walkers to Dragoons with ease. Watching Lee Van Cleef switch between a Cap & Ball percussion Remington to a cartridge firing one. When Tuco staggers in from his desert walk and sifts through the collection of fire arms being offered by a local merchant, some of those he tosses aside haven't even been invented yet.
But it's all in good fun. Part of that fun is of course in catching them at it.
judgecrater
New member
Trying to remove the opponents slide sounds like a great way to get shot.
jason_iowa
New member
Its pretty easy to disarm someone so trying to pull the slide is kinda pointless. So if you want to spend some time practicing something do disarm and retention drills.
I never noticed as a child some cowboys (old '30s flicks) carried S&W or Colt Double action revolvers too. 