Hollywood Video Games and HD/SD
- Thread starter rtpzwms
- Start date
Quite likely, but what is open to argument is how much it has influenced what we feel would be a good defense weapon?
Other things that play a part, besides "ego" is both the effectiveness of modern weapons, and the perceived effectiveness of said weapons.
The entertainment industry has, for generations, unrealistically portrayed the effectiveness of guns in many situations, both over and under portraying reality, according to what ever dramatic effect the director wished to achieve.
Also, the real world effectiveness has changed over the last century. A hundred years ago, with the state of medicine, any gunshot wound was virtually 50% fatal. A flesh wound could kill, through infection, a few days to week later. If actually getting shot did not kill, you either lived or died, depending on medical treatment, and a great deal of luck.
Ammunition is a lot more effective today, however, in general in the US, people are bigger than they used to be. And bigger means tougher, in the sense that the bullet has to penetrate more tissue to reach vital areas. A .38 that would put down a 5'6" 150lb attacker isn't as "good" against a 6'2" 240lb assailant, who may be wired to the gills on chemical stimulants.
We want, and plan for our defensive weaponry to be capable of dealing with the worst probably case, and now days, it seems it takes a bigger bullet to be as sure.
Other things that play a part, besides "ego" is both the effectiveness of modern weapons, and the perceived effectiveness of said weapons.
The entertainment industry has, for generations, unrealistically portrayed the effectiveness of guns in many situations, both over and under portraying reality, according to what ever dramatic effect the director wished to achieve.
Also, the real world effectiveness has changed over the last century. A hundred years ago, with the state of medicine, any gunshot wound was virtually 50% fatal. A flesh wound could kill, through infection, a few days to week later. If actually getting shot did not kill, you either lived or died, depending on medical treatment, and a great deal of luck.
Ammunition is a lot more effective today, however, in general in the US, people are bigger than they used to be. And bigger means tougher, in the sense that the bullet has to penetrate more tissue to reach vital areas. A .38 that would put down a 5'6" 150lb attacker isn't as "good" against a 6'2" 240lb assailant, who may be wired to the gills on chemical stimulants.
We want, and plan for our defensive weaponry to be capable of dealing with the worst probably case, and now days, it seems it takes a bigger bullet to be as sure.
Rampant_Colt
New member
Video games and hollyweird haven't influenced me one bit on any of my self-defense firearm choices. My choices are based on ugly reality, not ego, make believe, or fantasy
People [kids] who draw real-life comparisons between their favorite video game firearms and real firearms are in for a BIG surprise the first time they touch-off both barrels of their fantasy 12 gauge 'shotty', or shoot a 3" magnum buckshot shell for the first time.
I admit that after seeing Saving Private Ryan i wanted an M1 Garand, but only for the cool factor and target shooting - i simply cannot afford the expense of adding another new caliber
People [kids] who draw real-life comparisons between their favorite video game firearms and real firearms are in for a BIG surprise the first time they touch-off both barrels of their fantasy 12 gauge 'shotty', or shoot a 3" magnum buckshot shell for the first time.
I admit that after seeing Saving Private Ryan i wanted an M1 Garand, but only for the cool factor and target shooting - i simply cannot afford the expense of adding another new caliber
inSight-NEO
New member
Well, it depends. If one simply rushes out to get "that gun" as seen on the screen, then I suppose we have a problem. But, most of us (I hope) do a bit of research beforehand, based on need and practical means.
If one is immature enough to fall into the Hollywood trap, then they are most likely very young and probably would not even know half of what they are seeing anyway, in terms of weaponry. To them, I imagine they perceive a gun to simply be something capable of dealing death, regardless of the caliber.
Of course, in all practicality, aim/opportunity/mindset has more to do with personal defense than mere caliber choice and I really do not see much influence in that area via the media. Well, maybe the need for "aim" can come across on the television, but not much else.
In terms of video games specifically, the biggest weapons generally destroy tanks, aircraft and the like. I doubt if this has any practical influence.
If one is immature enough to fall into the Hollywood trap, then they are most likely very young and probably would not even know half of what they are seeing anyway, in terms of weaponry. To them, I imagine they perceive a gun to simply be something capable of dealing death, regardless of the caliber.
Of course, in all practicality, aim/opportunity/mindset has more to do with personal defense than mere caliber choice and I really do not see much influence in that area via the media. Well, maybe the need for "aim" can come across on the television, but not much else.
In terms of video games specifically, the biggest weapons generally destroy tanks, aircraft and the like. I doubt if this has any practical influence.
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Edward429451
Moderator
I usually try to not let hollywood or video games get to me but that RCP 90 Jmaes Bond has in Goldeneye I just had to go to Walmart and order it. 
I recently purchased a Desert Eagle after wanting one for the last 10 years after seeing it in the movie "Snatch".
Originally, I wanted it in .50 AE because that's the one in the movie and in most of the youtube videos with big explosions.. but I was never able to save up the money to buy the gun on my $10/hr wage.. though I was determined enough 7 years ago (when I worked for a sporting goods store) to purchase 2 boxes of ammo, a holster and the hogue grips in anticipation of buying the gun.
Ultimately of those items, I only have the ammunition remaining.. moving several times since those days and the need to clean out the closet has resulted in the loss of the other items.
I hadn't done much research at the time because having my first "permanent" fulltime job and being 20-21, I was sure I wanted the biggest gun I could get.. and that was the .50 AE.
Thankfully, I could never fulfill that desire due to my other expenses and inability to save enough money to do it.
Several years later, as I have matured a little.. before re-visiting the idea of a purchase, I did considerable research into what the guns are actually used for and the viability of the weapon in areas other than target shooting.
I concluded that target shooting and the possibility of using it as a hunting weapon coupled with my previous irrational want were reason enough to make the purchase. I decided to compromise and start with a 6" barrel chambered in .44 Magnum due to my guaranteed lack of skill in shooting a handgun at long range and the cost of ammunition.
All in all, I can say that it has worked out well. I can honestly say that I've never had more fun shooting a gun than I have with the Desert Eagle.. though my ability to reliably hit exactly where I'm aiming is leaving quite a bit to be desired..
Childish fantasy tempered with realistic compromise is the best way to go based on my experience. If you want that gun you saw in the movie or game, great.. but research it first!
Originally, I wanted it in .50 AE because that's the one in the movie and in most of the youtube videos with big explosions.. but I was never able to save up the money to buy the gun on my $10/hr wage.. though I was determined enough 7 years ago (when I worked for a sporting goods store) to purchase 2 boxes of ammo, a holster and the hogue grips in anticipation of buying the gun.
Ultimately of those items, I only have the ammunition remaining.. moving several times since those days and the need to clean out the closet has resulted in the loss of the other items.
I hadn't done much research at the time because having my first "permanent" fulltime job and being 20-21, I was sure I wanted the biggest gun I could get.. and that was the .50 AE.
Thankfully, I could never fulfill that desire due to my other expenses and inability to save enough money to do it.
Several years later, as I have matured a little.. before re-visiting the idea of a purchase, I did considerable research into what the guns are actually used for and the viability of the weapon in areas other than target shooting.
I concluded that target shooting and the possibility of using it as a hunting weapon coupled with my previous irrational want were reason enough to make the purchase. I decided to compromise and start with a 6" barrel chambered in .44 Magnum due to my guaranteed lack of skill in shooting a handgun at long range and the cost of ammunition.
All in all, I can say that it has worked out well. I can honestly say that I've never had more fun shooting a gun than I have with the Desert Eagle.. though my ability to reliably hit exactly where I'm aiming is leaving quite a bit to be desired..
Childish fantasy tempered with realistic compromise is the best way to go based on my experience. If you want that gun you saw in the movie or game, great.. but research it first!
FreakGasolineFight
New member
There's nothing wrong with a little childish fantasy.
I've wanted a Colt Python ever since I played through Half-Life 2 ...
I've wanted a Colt Python ever since I played through Half-Life 2 ...
warrior poet
New member
How about History over Hollywood? I've always wanted a LeMat revolver like Doc Holliday was known to have carried. I've still looking for one (a real one, not a reproduction) though.
I don't think that we can realistically divorce our love guns and love of media. I would harbor to say that most of us born in the last 50 or 60 years got our first infatuation with firearms due to movies, television, and now video games. Is it really any different now that a kid becomes enamored with the SCAR while playing Call or Duty as a kid became interested in cowboy gunslinging from watching Gun Smoke a generation or two before?
Most of the newer gun enthusiasts (myself included) simply did not have the time honored tradition of having grandpa's hunting iron passed down to them when we became of age. We had to sift through the bull in order to find the real truth and enjoyment of the hobby.
But I digress. I would say that the media has certainly trumped up the American ideal of "bigger is better" over time. All the action heroes carry the largest hand cannon that will fill up the screen. They shake off hits from .38s and 9mm and .45s. A desert eagle will send a man flying 9' back and a 12 gauge shotgun has a 100% kill cone spreading 20' in all direction...it will also knock you through 4 panes of glass.
The fact of the matter is that most everyone who actively posts on a gun board knows that a gun is not a death ray. People are killed from the shock of being hit by a .22 all the time. There are numerous stories of fighter pilots being nearly ripped apart from a hit of a .50 and still surviving to tell the tale (if not in 100% one piece). The same old mantra is true: Practice. Make every shot count. Practice.
Most of the newer gun enthusiasts (myself included) simply did not have the time honored tradition of having grandpa's hunting iron passed down to them when we became of age. We had to sift through the bull in order to find the real truth and enjoyment of the hobby.
But I digress. I would say that the media has certainly trumped up the American ideal of "bigger is better" over time. All the action heroes carry the largest hand cannon that will fill up the screen. They shake off hits from .38s and 9mm and .45s. A desert eagle will send a man flying 9' back and a 12 gauge shotgun has a 100% kill cone spreading 20' in all direction...it will also knock you through 4 panes of glass.
The fact of the matter is that most everyone who actively posts on a gun board knows that a gun is not a death ray. People are killed from the shock of being hit by a .22 all the time. There are numerous stories of fighter pilots being nearly ripped apart from a hit of a .50 and still surviving to tell the tale (if not in 100% one piece). The same old mantra is true: Practice. Make every shot count. Practice.
dabigguns357
New member
I don't think Hollyweed has much to do with guns as it has to do with death it's self.I think most gamers don't care about the size of the gun,but how much they want to kill.I have seen and heard some of these up and coming shooters talk about the the games they play,they always mention how many kills they score,not the tool they used,actually it's kinda scary.
Yes i carry big guns,i have big hands and it's way more comfy to shoot my type of weapons instead of a tiny thing like a .380 or snubbie 38.Besides i don't think i want a gun that is not a range gun or i can't take to a range and shoot comfortable.
Yes i carry big guns,i have big hands and it's way more comfy to shoot my type of weapons instead of a tiny thing like a .380 or snubbie 38.Besides i don't think i want a gun that is not a range gun or i can't take to a range and shoot comfortable.
HappyHunting
New member
A single action was good enough for John Wayne so I guess its good enough for me
To 44AMP: People are bigger these days but I wouldn't say that necessarily means tougher. Leaving modern medicine aside who do you think is more likely to survive a GSW. A 6' 200lb guy who sits at a desk 9-5 who lives on coolattas and McChickens or the 5'7'' 150 pound cowboy who lived on the frontier his whole life eating beef and beans. The modern guy may have a bigger bench press but I'd say the cowboy has a whole lot more vitality.
To 44AMP: People are bigger these days but I wouldn't say that necessarily means tougher. Leaving modern medicine aside who do you think is more likely to survive a GSW. A 6' 200lb guy who sits at a desk 9-5 who lives on coolattas and McChickens or the 5'7'' 150 pound cowboy who lived on the frontier his whole life eating beef and beans. The modern guy may have a bigger bench press but I'd say the cowboy has a whole lot more vitality.
I've always wanted a two tone "Combat Elite" style 1911 like the one used in Terminator2 (even though that wasn't actually a Colt). Tom Selleck's Sharpes rifle in Quigley Down Under was another gem.
The one gun I REALLY wanted is not actually real - the 10mm "Pulse" rifle from Aliens.
The one gun I REALLY wanted is not actually real - the 10mm "Pulse" rifle from Aliens.
I can honestly say that I've never bought a firearm as a resulit of watching a TV show. Video games have no influence on my decision, simply because I don't play them.
I've spent my life hunting, so I like to believe I have realistic expectations concerning lethal affects, and how fast I can stop a threat with a firearm.
I have taken the advice of friends and/or family on many occasions. If they have good recommendations, and I'm looking for similar results, then I may try their recommendation. That said, I couldn't care less about "keeping up with the Jones". I have, on several occasions, "outperformed" folks with "bigger, better guns". Equally, I have, on many occasions, outperformed folks with lesser guns.
I've also been outdone on some occasions by better shots, with both lesser and better firearms. It's not about the firearm, but what you can do with it; that is, as long as the firearmi is adequate for the intended purpose.
Enough is, well...enough.
Daryl
I've spent my life hunting, so I like to believe I have realistic expectations concerning lethal affects, and how fast I can stop a threat with a firearm.
I have taken the advice of friends and/or family on many occasions. If they have good recommendations, and I'm looking for similar results, then I may try their recommendation. That said, I couldn't care less about "keeping up with the Jones". I have, on several occasions, "outperformed" folks with "bigger, better guns". Equally, I have, on many occasions, outperformed folks with lesser guns.
I've also been outdone on some occasions by better shots, with both lesser and better firearms. It's not about the firearm, but what you can do with it; that is, as long as the firearmi is adequate for the intended purpose.
Enough is, well...enough.
Daryl
TylerD45ACP
New member
I saw The Way of the Gun in theatres in 1999. I had already loved 1911's and had an experience with the Colt MKIV Series 70 at a gun show. Then I saw this movie, and just watching the firearm In action made me want it all the more. The finish on it is incredible, I would smith it up a bit, but want to start from one. Still haven't got one 
. IMO, if you haven't seen this movie watch it. This is probably one of the most accurate movies Ive seen as far as gun handling, tactics (leap frogging, etc), bystanders getting hit. Obviously there is still Hollywood BS. However, some of the best hollywood stuff concerning firearms. One scene Bencio Del Toros (Longbaugh) 870 fails to eject and instead of cutting or have it still fire. He simple rotates the shotgun as Ryan Phillipe (Parker) gives him cover fire, and Toro clears the jam continuing fire. It is defintley worth seeing.
. IMO, if you haven't seen this movie watch it. This is probably one of the most accurate movies Ive seen as far as gun handling, tactics (leap frogging, etc), bystanders getting hit. Obviously there is still Hollywood BS. However, some of the best hollywood stuff concerning firearms. One scene Bencio Del Toros (Longbaugh) 870 fails to eject and instead of cutting or have it still fire. He simple rotates the shotgun as Ryan Phillipe (Parker) gives him cover fire, and Toro clears the jam continuing fire. It is defintley worth seeing.bamboo spear
Inactive
I wanted a Stechkin after it's 2 second cameo in "Face Off". Terrible movie, but a cool scene.
shafter, I'm not so much worried about this guy..
Ok, that's an extreme, but those size guys are out there. And when they go bad, it can take a lot to stop them.
This doesn't mean I think we all need .44mags for SD but I don't put much faith in .32s either. But a .32 you have on you is always better than a .44 at home.
as I am the 6'5" 275lb punk who counted on a football scholarship as his ride in life, and didn't get it, now on the street, meth/coked up, taking out his frustrations on the world as he sees fit.
Ok, that's an extreme, but those size guys are out there. And when they go bad, it can take a lot to stop them.
This doesn't mean I think we all need .44mags for SD but I don't put much faith in .32s either. But a .32 you have on you is always better than a .44 at home.
Every last stinkin' guy with a pulse under 40 years old (and some older) knows good and well that they really want a mini-gun ala Jess Ventura in Predator. It's okay to admit. It's about the coolest and most impractical "wow" gun ever
in a movie. If you say, you wouldn't like one in your collection, you are only kidding yourself.
Other than far-fetched really outrageous stuff, that we will probably never own in this lifetime I think the majority of serious collectors aren't too influenced by movies.
in a movie. If you say, you wouldn't like one in your collection, you are only kidding yourself.
Other than far-fetched really outrageous stuff, that we will probably never own in this lifetime I think the majority of serious collectors aren't too influenced by movies.
warrior poet
New member
The "Predator" gun is actually an M-134, and we used them in Phantom Fury. And yes... it is awesome to touch one off. 