Why can't they even try to get it right?

G

g.willikers

New member
Gun stuff on tv shows, that is.
Longmire, a new series on A&E was pretty good.
It's about a modern sheriff in rural Wyoming.
But the gun stuff...........
Like the sheriff having his deputy check who a shotgun, found at the scene of a murder, is registered to.
And the local gun "expert" saying that the only gun that shoots the 45-70 bullet, recovered from the murder scene, is an antique Sharps.
And the local gun dealer saying that all gun sales are reported to the BATFE.
Otherwise it was a good show.
Anyone else start to lose interest in a show, when this happens?
 
No.

I don't expect accuracy from entertainment.

I'm sure there's tons of other stuff wrong too, that we don't notice because we're not interested.

The pilot complains about all the aviation errors, the car guy about all the automotive stuff, neither notices the gun stuff. The gun guy doesn't notice the car stuff or the aviation stuff.

It's entertainment. Be entertained.
 
It's entertainment. Be entertained.
Click to expand...
But sometimes it's not entertaining, it's irritating.

Hollywood makes things appear the way most people think they would be. If the plot calls for a scene at a "hazarous waste dump," they make it look the way most people think a hazardous waste dump would look, not the way one would actually look. Huge masses of our population live in areas denied many basic rights. They probably expect that is the norm.
 
Well, ok, be irritated and don't watch it then.

As I said, there are far more than just firearms errors but we mostly notice firearms because that's our interest.

Conversely, I sincerely doubt many people see these movies and really think about it being real or realistic.

Why does it matter if somebody mistakenly believes that 45-70 rifles haven't been made in years, or there was only one?

So what if they think shotguns are registered? If they own guns, they probably know better. If not, why does it matter?

They aren't interested in firearms, that's why they don't know better already. Most people who watch it, you could ask them 10 minutes later and they couldn't even name the gun or the kind. What difference does it make?

I find it far more unreasonable that people expect FICTION to be ACCURATE than I do that MADE UP stories are inaccurate.

I just know, KNOW that somewhere there's an aviation forum with a bunch of guys going " OMG! Did you see that! They said a Cessna 172 cruises at 150 knots! What a bunch of idiots!"
A lawyer forum with guys yelling, "What the heck! Why can't they even TRY to make it look like a REAL motion was filed!"
A police forum going, "Did you see those handcuffs! Holy cow! Like any cop uses those!"

Really guys. It ain't real.
 
I think I'm starting to get more aggravated with myself than entertainment lately. I can't help but watch something and pick apart all the gun details. It would be nice to simply sit back and be entertained, but the realist side of me can't help but stay active.

One movie I was recently impressed with was Act of Valor. Great little film about a group of Navy SEALs and the process they go through discovering a terrorist threat and eliminating it. It was sort of releiving to see the actors operating in a real life fashion, with their M4's set to semi auto instead of the wild spray and pray and infests most Hollywood films today. The only thing I noticed were the explosions, which were the typical gasoline fueled fireballs, even for hand grenades.
 
After watching all the misinformation presented as fact by the news media I guess I have very little energy left to critique fictional shows. I watched the show the OP referred to and must admit I missed all the issues that were pointed out. I don’t watch a lot of fictional shows, but when I do I generally relax and enjoy.
 
Last edited:
Somewhat off topic, but us folks in Wyoming think Longmire is pretty hilarious. The crime we do have (very little) is pretty straightforward, and mostly similar to larger cities - drugs and domestics.

Still, always nice to see our little state get some attention.
 
If the errors irritate ya, you might try recording a few shows without watching them. Then invite your shooting buddies (and their spouses) over. Arm everybody with suction-cup dart guns. When an inaccuracy comes up, first one to hit the screen gets a point (stop tape) and everybody else takes a sip of beer. If the dart sticks to the screen, drink the whole beer instead of a sip. Missing the screen causes the shooter to take a sip. Shots taken when there is no inaccuracy, shooter loses a point and has to drink a whole beer After a couple of episodes, the errors will be more entertaining.:rolleyes:

Spouses are designated drivers. Be prepared for well-deserved fallout from same.:D
 
I think that as gun owners and pro 2nd Ammendment types we tend to see a lot of those stupid little mistakes and oversights in movies and TV as intentional propaganda designed to mold the general populations mindset. Im not sure whether that is the true intention, but you can certainly see the effect on new gun owners coming into classes to get their CCW permits. The misconceptions run rampant, and its usually based on perceptions formed over years of watching TV, movies, and illinformed newspeople.
But mostly I think its just "STUPID MISTAKES"! :D
 
My wife points out medical mistakes because she is a nurse. I point out actors who are now dead. I am not a mortician, I'm just morbid. We annoy each other just for fun.
 
I agree w/ locnload, it's most likely ignorance, but very well could be indoctrination. Get people to accept the "fact" that shotguns must be registered, you are only allowed to buy a set amount of ammo, etc. When I had my C&L it blew the minds of the antigun women I worked with that I had guns shipped to my door! My brother-in-law who is a gun owner & hunter and has been one for over 50 years thought that HP ammo was illegal!
 
Altho the inaccuracies in TV/Movie fiction when it comes to firearms irritates me to no end, I assume since the whole scenario is made up, so are the rules/regs/firerarms. I believe it is called Artistic license.
 
Oh, firearms mistakes on TV. What a surprise. I was watching X-men, First Class on cable and there was a big naval scene. Was that screwed up!

Wrong ships and weapons for the time. They had a SR-71 banking like a acrobatic plane.

However, there is a level of gun stupidity that spoils a show. The indicator is when the wife tells me to shut up as I am yelling at the screen too much. This happens the most on Law and Order, SVU - my candidate for gun stupidity Oscars or Emmy awards.
 
Even the old movies were made for entertainment but it is interesting to spot something unusual in a movie. Although very incorrect, it is still interesting to see a trapdoor Springfield in a movie, be it a Three Stooges movie made in 1940 or a film set in Africa. The rifles in Gungha Din were Krags. Mostly it is difficult to spot them since the focus isn't on trivia like that, although plenty of later "adult" westerns did feature firearms. If you look hard, you could even see a Colt Bisley once in a great while. And just remember, they were all genuine Colts, too. Remington double derriners showed up, too.

Even later movies often showed guns that are now rare and obsolete but at the time, were still in wide use. Movies made in the 1960s still had Lee-Enfield rifles, Webley revolvers and Sten guns, all still in use somewhere or other at the time. Naturally, Lugers are easy to spot. That's what the bad guys use. There was an SKS carbine in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold--but no Lugers. Never figured out who the bad guys were. One oddball spy (Second Best Secret Agent) used a Mauser C96 and a Bren gun appeared in the movie, too.

There's still guns I'd like to see in a movie. So far, I've never seen an anti-tank rifle in a fictional movie, nor any pistol with an attached shoulder stock. I'm sure it's only a matter of time.
 
The only time this stuff irritates me is when there is a clear anti-gun agenda. Most of the people who write/direct/produce this stuff are simply ignorant and have been kept away from guns by their location(California normally) and their upbringing. After my Mom passed away I found a letter from my uncle addressed to her consoling her for my deciding to enter the military. The letter went on about how bad seeds happened to every family and it wasn't her fault!:eek: It was the only laugh I got during the sad chore of going through her things. If she had known that I had been shooting with buddies for years and in fact had guns that were "mine" and was quite proficient with them as a teenager while still living at home she might not have lived as long as she did. The shock might have killed her right there. The only other question would have been simply tossing me out vs. attempting therapy and an enforced drug regimen to cure my obvious evil straying from the path.:D The thing to take from this is find some poor ignorant pal and take him to there range! WE all know how much fun this is, spread the news! We do a pretty good job at welcoming newcomers, let's take advantage of that.

P.S. I never made it all the way into the military, too many Dependants unfortunately, that's why some of my posts show no knowledge of modern weapons. I have been made to feel very welcome here while I asked some fairly stupid questions. I don't think you guys realize the power to shape and educate the shooting community, here especially, has.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top