Movie Guns

So it is always entertaining to watch how guns are mishandled in the movies since it is the rare film or TV show that demonstrates how the bloody things actually work, shoot and sound.

I saw terrific example of this ignorance on display in an advertisement for the newly-released movie Shoot ‘Em Up. In the image we are treated to a montage of the stars, Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci and Paul Giamatti. The two men are both handling firearms and trying to look menacing, an affect that Owen pulls off more convincingly than the soft-chinned Giamatti. Not helping Giamatti’s effort to establish his cred as a Hollywood heavy is the rifle he’s carrying (shown above). The tagline for the movie says, “No name, no past, nothing to lose.” Well, in Giamatti’s case there certainly was something to lose…in this case the bolt to his rifle. Yes, in the picture he’s standing there with rifle in one arm, pointing straight up, finger through the trigger guard (of course) with a look on his face that says, “Now where the hell did I put that thing?”

Otherwise the rifle itself seems like a completely serviceable hunting tool. It has a sporter configuration, a heavy stainless barrel (with a stainless scope and mounting hardware to match) and a plain black synthetic stock. Slung underneath the forend is a bipod of some sort, legs folded up into the carry position. Looks like a good rig for a western hunter going for antelope or mule deer. In my mind’s eye it is chambered in .25-06, a lovely cartridge for open-country shooting.

But this is moot speculation. Because until Paul figures out where he hid that bolt, his rifle might as well be a fake movie prop, nothing more.

John Snow