Hollywood and the Beretta 92.

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Is it just me, or does Hollywood prefer to use the 92FS over almost any other handgun in modern movies?

I rarely see Glocks, Sigs, S&W, etc... Seems like in almost every action movie the star(s) are using the Beretta. The 92FS also seems to make more appearences than even the 1911 in recent movies....
 
No there are tons of glocks, sigs, and S&W pistols. Some directors really like berettas (or taurus's) though, your right about that. But Bad Boys II features glocks. I remember Murder by Numbers had S&Ws. And then there is the deagle which is way way more movies that it ever should be, mostly because Magnum Research spends a lot on product placement.

You used to see lots of BHPs showing up everywhere (indiana jones carried one). You rarely see 1911s though because getting them to fire blanks reliably is evidentally a problem. I noticed that in Road to Perdition, Tom Hanks milspec 1911 was a usually a replica gun and it fired using visual effects. (If you look carefully you'll notice the hammer is never cocked on it, even after a round is fired.)
 
Berrettas, Glocks,etc....

..Are used mainly because they're relatively easy to adapt to firing blanks. IIRC, blanking is done by threading the inside of a barrel, screwing in a setscrew (that plugs the barrel completely, ) and drilling out the center. The locking lugs are also ground off (as blanks really don't create enough recoil to properly cycle a recoil operated firearm,) so the pistol cycles on the backpressure of the blank alone.

1911s traditionally were hard to get to fire blanks, which is one reason why different calibers (I.E. it'd LOOK like a 1911 in .45, but it'd be in 9mm, or some oddball caliber, ) were tried. Obviously, they've gotten better at it over time.

Tom hanks' 1911 may have been one of those propane prop guns, as blanks are still pretty dangerous at close ranges. The gas guns are made to look like real ones, but don't actually cycle, and are safe to use at much closer ranges than blanks.

Of course, you obviously don't get the cool weapon cycling/case ejection, but whaddya gonna do?
 
I have a nice sized collection of DVDs and I am always checking out the various guns in the movies (recent movies). Seems like there are more Berettas than all other handgun manufactuers put together.
 
Well since the 92FS will feed anything and is pretty darn photogenic, why wouldn't the use them? From Lethal Weapon to Spiderman the Berettas have always looked good on film. I think it was John Woo who said that the 92 just looks like a pistol should look.
 
By visual effects, I meant post production. I'm fairly sure that the 1911 in RtP was an airsoft or other milspec replica. The scene I really noticed this in was the bathtub shooting. Hanks fires a few rounds but if you look at the gun, the hammer was never cocked and I don't recall actually seeing evidence of the slide cycling. My guess is the muzzle blast was edited in using a computer after the fact. This is really really cheap now and looks surprisingly good.

The other reason berettas show up a lot is that the LAPD carries them. Since LA is the home of the movie industry, lots and lots of cops tend to carry berettas in the movies.
 
Too many Desert Eagles out there, IMO.

As much as I am a Beretta guy, I'd like to see more 1911s, like in Ms Congeniality.
 
Lethal Weapon and Die Hard started it all.

You only need one or two successes for the Hollywood steamroller to get going. Movie people do not like to disturb popular trends.

Beretta was defined as the "good guy's" gun. -Who knows how many people bought them after these and subsequent movies? Probably more than S&W .44 magnums after Dirty Harry
 
Guns in movies

While we're on the topic of handguns in moobies, can anybody remember Rugers being used? I can only remember Ah-nuld posing with a P90 for the poster of True Lies. I think he used the 89 or 85 in the actual movie though because he was firing ALOT of shots!
 
While looks are subjective, most people think the Beretta has better lines and is better looking than you average semi-auto. Glocks look like the bricks they and S&Ws, Rugers and H&Ks are bland to look at. The Beretta is just plain SEXY! The 1911 and BHP can be made to look cool also but most other autos are boxy and ugly.
 
They used Ruger autos in Robocop too. I remember thinking they looked very blocky and futuristic, which was probably the point. I was about ten years old at the time.

The use of Ford Tauri as police cruisers was less impressive, but at the time they were very futuristic and aerodynamic. The cars of the future, if you will.
 
In addition to blank-adapted guns and the propane guns, it's my undestanding that a few years ago some smart guy came up with a new kind of prop gun that can be safely discharged as close as 18 inches without causing and damage. These can be seen in Alien: Resurrection. IIRC, the guy who developed it won some sort of technical achievement award.

Anyone else know anything about these?
 
Obscure Ruger appearance

The '80's teenybopper film "Weird Science" has a blued Ruger Redhawk .44 revolver make an appearance.

I thought they used SIG's in "Robocop". I guess I'll have to rent it again. :)
 
In "Raiders of the Lost Arc" I believe Dr. Jones was originally carrying a .38 special. I'm not sure about the later movies though.
 
sure, maybe they used SIGs in Robocop, but Robocops gun was a heavily modified Beretta 93R.

*sigh*... one day.. one day I'll have the ludicrous amount of money to get one of the 9 that are in the country.. I guess an airsoft will have to do for now.


[topic drift] Tamara? what brand is your 93R? is it a gas one? does it look as good close up as it does in the pics?[/topic drift]
 
"Hollywood and the Beretta 92."

:rolleyes:

Yeah, you see them frequently on the tube or at the movies, but you know it's not reality.

I mean, how many of the characters firing them are later shown walking around with the slide impaled in their foreheads - hmmmmm? :what:

Now, that's reality. :evil:
 
I mean, how many of the characters firing them are later shown walking around with the slide impaled in their foreheads - hmmmmm?
Click to expand...


oh sweet jehosephat... bringing this up again??? five or less pistols made with french contract over-run steel nearly twenty years ago failed after using greatly over pressure ammunition and people are still bringing it up as if it happens every day? does *anyone* have any *recent* information regarding this happening in say, the last 10 years? :fire: :banghead: :banghead:
 
Didn't the military start using the M9's in 85? I dont remember the exact years but Die Hard and Leathal Weapon came out shortly after (87 and 88 I think?). I guess hollywood just followed along with the military. That and the fact that they are purdy pistols.


Lethal Weapon and Die Hard started it all.

You only need one or two successes for the Hollywood steamroller to get going. Movie people do not like to disturb popular trends.

Beretta was defined as the "good guy's" gun. -Who knows how many people bought them after these and subsequent movies? Probably more than S&W .44 magnums after Dirty Harry
Click to expand...
Funny how much free advertising Berretta got from the anti-gun director of Leathal Weapon, dont ya think?
 
I agree with Zach. Before the military transitioned to Berretas, Smiths dominated the holsters of law enforcement and both movies involved were LEO based.
Hollywood just went with the newest kid on the block.
 
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