Most movie-lovers enjoy a good fight scene, especially when there are high-tech weapons involved. However, Hollywood has taken plenty of liberties in how it portrays buying, shooting, and loading guns.
Often, these scenes aren’t realistic and many contain persistent gun myths that can mislead casual moviegoers and frustrate gun enthusiasts. Maybe it’s time the industry puts the following five myths to rest for good.
1. Guns With Silencers Are Silent
Leonardo DiCaprio in “Inception.” Photo: Warner Bros., 2010.
Movies that involve spies, snipers, and undercover missions often involve guns with silencers. Whenever an actor fires one, it makes a small “poof” sound similar to a cat sneeze. Meanwhile, everyone else is completely oblivious to the shot and the shooter usually gets away. However, silencers don’t work so well in real life.
If you were to shoot a handgun or rifle with a suppressor, it would still make a “click” or “tick-thump” sound. Some are even as loud as a jackhammer with a silencer on. Thus, while the accessory does lower volume by a few decibels, it is by no means silent when you pull the trigger.
Unfortunately, misconceptions surrounding silencers have caused eight states to ban civilian ownership of these devices. Subsequently, many hunters must rely on earplugs and other gear to protect their hearing—although the majority of hunters refuse to wear hearing protection. Cinema could put this misunderstanding to bed if Hollywood could only forget this myth.
2. Acquiring Fully-Automatic Weapons Is Easy
Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator.” Photo: Orion Pictures, 1984.
Films like “The Terminator” also make buying an automatic weapon look easy. In one scene, Arnold Schwarzenegger even buys an Uzi 9mm right off the shelf and is seen firing it just a few scenes later. Even as a high-profile Hollywood star, Arnold wouldn’t have been able to grab an automatic firearm that quickly and seamlessly in real life.
That’s because the U.S. has built strict rules and regulations around purchasing such powerful weapons. While the vast majority of states don’t restrict their sale, six of them—plus Washington, D.C.—have banned them. Eight additional states have restricted gun owners from purchasing and using large-capacity magazines capable of firing up to 100 rounds.
Moreover, Americans can only purchase assault weapons that were manufactured before May 1986, which limits available stock. You must also submit a permit application, a copy of your fingerprints, and two passport-style photos so the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms can conduct a background check. Only when you earn their stamp of approval can you even consider purchasing one of these bad boys.
3. Guns Have Unlimited Ammo
Sylvester Stallone as “Rambo.” Photo: Carolco Pictures, 1985.
Anyone who’s fired a gun before knows you need to reload firearms with ammunition—even though you should treat every gun as if it’s fully loaded. However, Hollywood’s portrayal of gunfights might convince the casual movie-goer and gun novice that these weapons come with an unlimited supply of ammo. How else would they be able to unload on their enemies for 10-plus minutes?
This movie myth is supremely evident in the “Rambo” sequels. Sly, who favors the AK-47, carries the giant gun from scene to scene, only reloading occasionally. However, to keep the spray going, he would have needed to reload dozens of times in a single scene. In full automatic, the AK would have only lasted a matter of seconds with a 30-round magazine.
That aside, movies love to play with the fundamentals of gun use and safety. For example, it’s universally known that you should never point a gun at anything you’re not willing to shoot. Yet it’s common to see action heroes swinging around their muzzle at everything and everyone, regardless of their affiliation.
4. A Single Bullet Can Cut Rope
Clint Eastwood in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Photo: Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA), 1966.
Movie lovers who enjoy old Westerns have probably seen a good guy shoot a hangman’s rope to save them from certain death. To make things even more intense, the shooter usually performs the stunt while riding a horse at full speed. Maybe he even takes the shot one-handed, making the entire scene all the more impressive. Why does it all look so easy?
Well, we hate to break it to you, but the odds of successfully cutting a hangman’s rope with a single shot—in the midst of such chaos, no less—are pretty slim. So, while you can certainly try to slice rope with a firearm, alone, using a knife is probably the most effective option.
5. Bullets Send You Flying
Al Pacino in “Scarface’s” infamous shoot-out. Photo: Universal Pictures, 1983.
Pick any action movie that involves a good fight scene and you’ll likely see this myth in action. Whether the victim is standing at close range or is 100 yards away, the bullet will blow them off their feet and send them flying through the air. However, unless the shot is accompanied by a fiery explosion, you probably won’t be blown backward by the impact.
Instead, you may take two steps back and promptly collapse. That’s because anything that involves movement as a result of applied force follows Newton’s Third Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This effect occurs through recoil, which will take some of the impact rather than force it onto the victim. Skin and organs will also slow the speed and minimize pressure upon impact so the victim doesn’t lose their balance.
Debunking the Myths
The more you learn to recognize these and other common Hollywood gun myths, the more you’ll be able to educate others. In doing so, you’ll teach friends and family what it really takes to load and shoot a gun—and why you won’t look as cool as Tom Cruise or Daniel Craig doing it.
