What would your fictional character carry?

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mattk

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Hey gang as an avid reader of fiction I have noticed some authors show knowledge of firearms and its reflected in their characters.
Examples like: Bob Lee Swagger of Stephen Hunter's books using a Colt Commander, Remington 700
Spenser of Robert B. Parker's books using a J Smith or a Browning Hi Power. The occasional Ithacca Shotgun makes an appearance as well.
Lucas Davenport of John Sanford's Prey books using Colt Gold Cups and HK P7s.

If you were writing a novel what would YOUR hero use firearms wise?
 
Depends on their personality. I'd just make sure that I described it correctly. There would be no "as he pulled the hammer back on his glock, his partner spun the cylinder on his beretta."
 
"...his partner spun the cylinder on his beretta."

So he would be using the Beretta Stampede then?

I agree though, you should write what you know or at least do the proper research. I don't care if writer aren't gun people, its not for everybody. I just wish they would get a clue half the time.
 
I am a writer, and I am working on the outline of a novel, and it is a crime novel. The interesting thing is that I can't just give the characters the guns that are MY favorites. If I create a well drawn character, their preferences are not automatically going to be my own and I have to figure out what THEY would prefer and then if I want to deliberately use the mystique or image any certain firearm has as part of the character.

For example, the 1911 is almost de rigeur as the gun of choice for a hard boiled private eye. Many would say that a Glock has no soul, but maybe that's just the right pick for someone who views a gun as just a tool and would never think of calling his gun "Betsy."

One of my protaganists is a female P.I., and I was going to arm her with a P7M8, based on my experiences I've had with women I know who shoot them, until I realized that Sue Grafton's character carries a P7. (Which was a significant upgrade from her previous Davis .380)
 
It depends on the character. But if it were just a fictional me...
Pistol: 1911, Mark 23 if the character could afford it(unlike me :) )
Shotgun: Remington 870.
Rifle: M14 or Winchester 70 depending on situation.
Close Range: UMP
 
I dont think I could arm my characters with my favorite guns either.

I really liked when in one of the Spenser novels he comtemplates whether to use his fee to pay off his car or buy a new gun.


Pretty sure I'd give my guy hero a Two tone 1911.
Blued on Top Hard Chrome on bottom or Possilby a BHP.
Female definately a BHP.
 
It's been done before, but I'd like for a male action hero to have a Shansei Mauser in .45 ACP. For a female action hero(ine) maybe a 1934 Beretta.
 
In my first novel (unpublished, darn it) one of my characters used a Smith "Victory" revolver that his father brought back from World War II. Another used a paratrooper-stocked M2 Carbine that also was a bring back.
A woman in the book used a Browning HP, and the main character had an old 1911 .45 that he always carried when trouble was impending. A .50 BMG "Ma Deuce" makes a cameo appearance.

In another book (also unpublished) a character makes a long shot with a German antitank rifle converted to .50 BMG and suppressed. There are also lots of custom .45 pistols in that one.

The one I'm working/stalled on now has a Browning HP, a shotgun, cops with Glocks and a DA with a .38 Colt Dectective Special.

"Don't mess with my characters, you'll only die tired!" ACP230
 
Depends on the character's personality and what I'd consider a good fit. I'm sure Glocks would show up somewhere, but they would not be ceramic, nor would the character "thumb the safety" or "cock the hammer". :rolleyes:
 
My totally UNPUBLISHED (don't ask, it is a long story) novel featured some of the following used by the various characters.

Handguns:
multiple 1911s and Glocks.
Sig 226
CZ 75
Browning HP
P7
Makarov

Rifles
Barrett Model 99
M4 & M16
Home built FAL
Steyr Aug
G3
AKSU74
An94 Nikonov
Customized 700 PSS
A battered MkIV Enfield
And a big crate of AK 74s.

Shotguns:
Remington 870
Saiga 12 K

There is also one scene with an M79. Another with a Stinger. And a my personal favorite, how to make a great bomb out of a bicycle, a big honking steel plate, and some automatic garage door openers from Radio Shack. :)
 
I've been dabbling at a screen play for a "Have Gun Will Travel movie."

We start at the Civil War with a 17 year old Paladin who is actually somewhat evil.
We go through the progression with his mentor, Smoke, and he becomes the knight in black.

The main plot then becomes getting an innocent fugitive to the safety of an honest marshall.

So I have several bounty hunter villains after the "dead" part of the wanted dead or alive bounty.

My main villain carries a pair or Winchester lever action rifles in pistol holsters worn crossed across his back.. They have sawed-off barrels and stocks (remember the Maire's Laig?) He can pull them out and the stocks fit on an attachment worn on his belt so that each can be rapid-fired one handed.
Picture an evil Lucas McCain "machine-gunning" with 2 of his rifles instead of one :)

My movie would be the fastest paced, wildest ride you'e ever seen (picture "The Matrix set in the old west)!
And I promise no campy crap like in the "Wild Wild West" movie.
Man I need 40 million bucks! :)

Any does anybody have Tommy Lee Jones' phone number? Oh, and I need Kid Rock and Rob Zombie's number too. We need a theme song pronto! :)
 
Something unusual

Something you don't see in fiction often. A handi-rifle, for example. I think the handi rifle has enormous dramatic potential.
 
Had a protagonist use a .38 (unspecified) revolver in a college short story contest. I won.

Unpublished novel from '95 or so used custom suppressed FAL bullpup, .30-06 Handi-rifle, SKS (thanks for reminding me, Cosmoline!).
Had a hero in an unfinished novel use twin P-11's...since he couldn't handle a pistol worth a damn anyway (note: the P-11 is actually a very intrinsically accurate arm, but practical accuracy is lacking with most users).

Main character in the screenplay I'm currently working on uses a suppressed Ruger Mark II, and a FAL.

John
 
I like it

Our hero is armed with a .30/30 Handi Rifle, a well-worn hunting knife and some duct tape.

Perhaps he can tape two handi rifles together for his assault on the Bag Guy's compound. Or have one in each hand and reload by spitting the cartridge into the chamber.
 
No, in my novel, the GG is handling a .30-06 with Armor Piercing Ball against a Mi-8, while his buddy unloads on same w/ an SKS...
 
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