Despite all the hue and cry over “gun control” and how we need “stricter laws”, it goes without saying that guns have always been an integral part of the American history, with Hollywood standing as no exception. Various Hollywood superstars such as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and many others, have played iconic action roles and the guns they used earned a special place in our minds. Whether we talk about classic shotguns or modern semi-automatics, various guns used in Hollywood flicks became a nationwide phenomenon, and some are now as acclaimed as the actors who used them! In this post, we highlight four such guns that rose to fame; all thanks to Hollywood movies. Let’s take a look.
1. Smith & Wesson Model 29
Smith & Wesson Model 29 is one of the first handguns brought to fame by movie stars. This 6-round revolver first appeared on the big screen when Clint Eastwood, portraying the role of a hard cop in “Dirty Harry” series, used it to blow off gangsters. The gun chambers .44 magnum cartridge, and is highly popular among its fans as ‘the most powerful handgun’ in the world. The gun complimented Clint Eastwood’s tough law-man character in the series and it inspires the freedom-loving firearm enthusiasts in the country until this day. In fact, during yesteryears, people were so awed by this gun that retailers had trouble keeping up with its demand.
2. M16A1 Rifle
Although M16A1 was a standard service rifle for the US military; by 1969, the gun came into the limelight after Al Pacino’s immortal role as the gangster Tony Montana in the 1983 cult classic “Scarface”. The final scene of the movie, where Pacino battles against the police and DEA agents with his M16A1 by his side, still remains one of the most intense shooting scenes in a Hollywood movie. While the movie went on to become a cult classic, M16A1 became a household name among the American gun enthusiasts.3. Beretta 92FS Semi Auto
During 80s and 90s, cop movies were a rage. In particular, two franchises of action movies enthralled the US audience: the “Die Hard” series and the “Lethal Weapon”. Both narrated the stories of gritty cops who face odds and always came out with flying colors (no marks for guessing that). Besides underdog police officers (Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson) as protagonists and incessant cross fires, one element that is common in both the movies is the Beretta 92FS. In 1985, these slick Italian handguns were standard issued for US Armed Forces and they have been a part of our gun culture, since then.
4. Winchester 1887 Sawed Off Shotgun
Although Winchester 1887 shotgun has been used by various in Hollywood, nobody made it as famous as Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the blockbuster, “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”. As soon as the first promo of the movie came out, posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger portraying an emotionless gun-toting robot with a sawed off Winchester Model 1887, made it to advertising walls all over the world. Certain parts of the movie, such as the chase sequence where Arnold fires and reloads the gun with one hand, became the most talked-about action scenes of Hollywood history.
Last Few Words
Guns have always played a major role in the survival and progress of any great nation. The strong affinity of Americans to firearms can be easily explained, given the country’s prolonged freedom struggle, and of course, the Second Amendment that gave US citizens the right to keep and bear firearms. If, however, you are a beginner planning to buy a gun, it is essential to first learn all safety guidelines to follow when using a firearm. You can join various pistol shooting training programs to learn the finer lines. A basic pistol class will also teach you the skills and attitudes necessary to shoot a handgun safely and accurately.
