Cool Guns/Handguns/Revolvers: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

== Colt Python ==

One of Colt's most popular revolvers, along with the Single Action Army. Chambered for the powerful .357 Magnum round, this gun was still hand-fitted and assembled up until it was discontinued by Colt, instead of by machine, making them very expensive to produce compared to equivalent Smith & Wesson or Ruger revolvers. The Python can be distinguished by the "rib" on top of the barrel (which, unlike a ventilation rib on a shotgun barrel, [[Rule of Cool|actually serves no purpose]]). In addition, the cylinder rotation (clockwise) and barrel rifling (counter-clockwise) are the opposite of every other major revolver maker; the latter is a big red flag to ballistics labs. Colt also released several other "snake" guns (King Cobra, Diamondback, Anaconda), but these were production weapons and did not enjoy the same degree of hand-fitting that the Python did.

* '''Cool Action:''' the 'reload flick', a trick seen in films with all revolvers with the cylinder on a swingarm, the shooter hits the cylinder release latch and ejects the casings like one normally would but after reloading he flicks the gun to the right with his wrist, the momentum sending the cylinder swingarm back into postion, [[Don't Try This At Home|NEVER try this in real life]], it puts unnecessary stress on the cylinder swingarm and can actually bend it, putting the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel, which can and does have explosive consequences. Spinning the cylinder first [[It Got Worse|only makes it worse]], and is likely to result in you being shot a filthy look by any wheelgun fan who sees you do it.

 

== Colt Single Action Army ==

The Single Action Army, also known as the Peacemaker or Equalizer, is Colt's original .45 revolver. Developed in 1873, the Single Action Army eventually became the standard amongst gun-toting citizens of [[The Wild West]] for its reliability and high performance. As its name suggests, this gun is a single action, which meant the hammer had to be pulled back after every shot. Also, it had a "fixed" frame, with the cylinder chambers accessible only via a thumb-operated loading gate -- the weapon could only be loaded and unloaded a single round at a time. Typically in real life it would only be loaded with five rounds since the SAA had an unfortunate tendency for the hammer to drop when it was carried cocked (some modern reproductions fix this flaw; the most faithful intentially ones do not); this is usually not shown in fictional depictions. Known among shooters for its "[[Most Wonderful Sound|four-click]]" cocking, with the clicks being said to spell out "C-O-L-T".

* '''Cool Action:''' Fan firing. Since the SAA is single action, holding the trigger while manually operating the hammer with the palm of the other hand lets the user fire the weapon quickly. A [[The Gunslinger|gunslinger]] will often use this trick to deal with a group of goons. Not good for the long-term "health" of the gun; [[Don't Try This At Home]].

 

== Ruger Blackhawk ==

So along came the Western, and it was good. Suddenly there was a spike in demand for "cowboy" style single-action revolvers in the style of the Colt SAA. There was one ''minor'' problem; Colt wasn't making them at that point (having switched over to law enforcement and defense), and neither was anyone else. Along came Bill Ruger, maker of .22LR target pistols and all-purpose gun genius. Having tested the waters with the .22 "Single Six" model, he then offered what was essentially a modernized SAA. Simplifying the lockwork, and using modern coil springs as opposed to Colt-style flat leaf springs, the Blackhawk was strong enough to support the mighty .357 and .44 Magnum calibers, and its success caused Colt to start offering the SAA again. A lawsuit involving a negligent discharge (with a stolen gun; although the jury wasn't informed of that fact), led to the "transfer bar," making the Blackhawk the first single action revolver that could be safely loaded with all six cylinders (and ugly "billboard" labeling on all Ruger weapons from that point forward). The .44 Magnum variant was actually offered ''before'' the Smith & Wesson Model 29, and many argue that the single action "spin" grip makes a better platform for the cartridge.

* Detective John Hartigan in ''[[Sin City]]'', as well as several other characters.

* Mickey Rourke in ''[[Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man]]''

* The ".357 Magnum Revolver" in ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' (the "Police Pistol" in the DLC, however, is based on the Smith Model 27).

 

== Smith & Wesson Model 3 "Schofield" ==

The Pepsi to the Colt SAA's Coke, the Schofield was one of the first "top-break" revolvers (allowing the entire cylinder to be loaded in a short amount of time, at the cost of structural integrity); rolled out in 1870 for the US Army. Due to the fact that its unique .45 cartridge (shorter than the .45 Colt), [[Epic Fail|despite being specifically told by the Army to chamber it in .45 Colt]], could be loaded in the Colt and not vice versa, large numbers of Schofields were pulled from military service and sold on the civilian market. Since it was faster to load and less expensive than the Colt (some things never change), it was very popular with cops and robbers alike in the Wild West. Often underrepresented in period Westerns, due to the iconic status of the Colt.

* This is the weapon used to kill the title character in ''[[The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford]]''.

 

== Smith & Wesson Model 10 "Military & Police" ==

A .38 Special revolver produced by Smith & Wesson, and an early example of the "swing-out" cylinder used in modern double-action revolvers. For most of the 20th Century, this weapon was practically synonymous with "police gun," replacing older .32 caliber revolvers and reigning supreme until the rise of the double-stack auto. If you see a police officer with a revolver in pretty much any media, it will be this one. Some police departments still use them today, and even the military has used them from time to time to arm sentries, as opposed to a heavier automatic. Smith & Wesson later standardized the M&P frame as the "K" frame, building blued and stainless steel .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers on it. During [[World War II]], it was widely used by the British and US militaries (mainly for real-line duty, but also for pilots and aircrew), and dubbed the "Victory Model".

* As stated above, police characters in a work set before 1985 or so will generally be using this. Some notable non-police examples are:

 

== LeMat revolver ==

Cap & ball revolver used by the Confederate side during the [[American Civil War]]. Its claim to [[Rule of Cool]] status comes from the fact that the nine-shot cylinder revolves around a secondary barrel which fires a 16-gauge buckshot round. Expect a scene where the [[It Works Better with Bullets|Gun Goes Click]], only for the user to fire the second barrel at the surprised antagonist. Modern reproductions are available from the Pietta company of Brescia, Italy.

* '''Cool Action:''' As mentioned, firing the middle barrel when it appears you've run out of ammunition.

* Carried by the title character in ''Johnny Ringo'', a short-lived TV Western airing 1959-60.

* Bruce Willis is handed one at the airport so he can assassinate the bioterrorist at the climax of ''[[12 Monkeys]]''.

 

== Smith & Wesson Model 29 ==

The ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' gun. The iconic speech [[Clint Eastwood]] gives in that film on the benefits of heads, and the blowing clean off thereof, cemented this revolver and its .44 Magnum round as the [[Memetic Badass]] of the gun world <ref>The filmmakers lampshaded Clint's ability to control the gun in ''[[Magnum Force]]''; he fires it using weaker .44 Special rounds</ref> and started the action movie arms race that ended with such ridiculous [[Hand Cannon|Hand Cannons]] as [[Charles Bronson]]'s .475 Wildey Magnum in ''[[Death Wish 3]]''. Large-bore revolvers are still the first choice in the field of personal artillery (since the modern choice is typically a Smith & Wesson Model 500), one major legacy is that almost every revolver in a videogame will also be a Magnum. The Model 29 was built on the same frame as the .357 Model 27 "Registered Magnum;" this would later be standardized as the "N" frame. Notably, the actual revolver used in the film is [http://pics.livejournal.com/flinkie/pic/001kse31 exhibit 86] at the [http://www.nramuseum.com/ National Firearms Museum] in Fairfax, VA.

* One of the best guns added in ''[[Fallout 2]]'', complete with reference to above quote in the inventory description. Shows up in ''[[Fallout Tactics]]'' as well. Also present in ''[[Fallout 3]]'' and ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' as the .44 Magnum Revolver.

 

== Webley Revolver ==

The Webley top-break self-extracting revolver. Used by British, [[The British Empire|British Empire]] and [[The Commonwealth|Commonwealth]] forces between 1887 and 1963 as well as civilians to this day. No, that's not a joke: in various marks, this gun was used from the Colonial wars of the Empire to manning guard posts on the [[Berlin Wall]], with only minor modifications in form. Fired the infamous .455 Webley round, one of the most powerful ever used in top-break revolvers, for when .45 S&W just would not cut it early in its reign. However, many later models used the .38/200 as, after [[World War I]], the British army decided that there [[No Kill Like Overkill|WAS indeed such a thing as overkill]] and that the .38/200 worked well, although many solders at the time felt that the weapon had been [[Nerf|nerfed]]. One of the most widely circulated and reliable revolvers of all time, and its iconic shape and long use means it will be found in pretty much any film, game or series involving British or Commonwealth troops from the [[Victorian Britain|Victorian period]] onwards. The most recent version, ''still in production today'', is a version made in India for civilian sales; it's essentially a shrunk-down version of the .38 caliber version, chambered in .32 S&W Long (as India's gun laws place severe restrictions on the calibers of guns that civilians can own).

* ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' and several other Adventurer Archaeologists use this as the weapon of choice for shooting people.

* Apparently, they are still widely in use in the far future in the [[Whoniverse]], as they appear in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "The Doctor's Daughter", amongst other places.

** And of course, [[Torchwood]] Three's Captain Jack Harkness uses a Webley Mk VI.

** Wilfred Mott in ''The End of Time'' gives the Doctor his old service revolver to kill the Master with.

** [[The Brigadier]] used a Webley revolver for his final ''Who'' appearance in ''Battlefield'', even though he usually carried an issue 9mm Browning High Power. The fact that he was using custom silver bullets might have had something to do with it.

* ''[[The X-Files]]''. Frank Black is handed one to commit ritual suicide in the ''[[Millennium (TV series)|Millennium]]'' crossover episode. He uses it to kill zombies instead.

* Available in ''[[Medal of Honor]] Spearhead'' when working with the British (though why you give up your M1911 is anyone's guess). Notable for the use of the "half-moon" speed-loader.

* Available as the only pistol in ''[[BioShock (series)]]'', with the Power to the People machines providing various mods such as increased damage or a larger ammo capacity; by the end of the game, a fully modified Webley becomes a glowing sci-fi beast that could easily weigh up to 5 or 6 pounds.

 

== Taurus Judge ==

A double action, five-shot revolver capable of shooting either .45 Long Colt or .410 bore shotgun shells. The name actually started as a [[Fan Nickname]], after several circuit judges in Miami started carrying the pistol for self-defense. Although popular, it tends to get the same negative rap as the Desert Eagle (bought by people who know nothing about guns) due to its inaccuracy (the cylinders are too long for the .45 cartridge, and the rifling inhibits shot patterning), the usual misconception that one doesn't have to "aim" anything firing shotshells, and the low performance of .410 hunting rounds in a self-defense setting. There's an increasing number of .410 shells designed specifically for self-defense use in the Judge and some of them are pretty effective, but there are plenty of handguns that work at least as well and aren't as bulky. There's also the "Raging Judge Magnum", which is based on the Taurus Raging Bull frame and adds the heavy-hitting .454 Casull (it's to .45 Colt what .357 Magnum is to .38 Special) to the list of cartridges it can chamber. Ordinary Judge revolvers have cylinders specifically to keep some idiot from sticking .454 Casull in them (the chambers are long enough that otherwise this would've been possible), because they're nowhere near strong enough to handle the higher-pressure round.

* Pyrina {{spoiler|a.k.a. Chikage Hizaki}} carries one in [[Triage X]] to fire .410 incendiary shells.

 

== Nagant M1895 ==

A seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Léon Nagant for the Russian Empire, it acquired fame and glory in the wars of the Empire and then Soviet Union. Nearly unique for a [[Victorian Age]] revolver for the vast majority were double-action (the few single-action models were converted afterwards), it used specially designed cartridge forming the seal between the barrel and cylinder and (being subsonic) could make good use of a sound suppressor. So ubiquitous that during the Russian Civil War and the 1920s, in Russian language ''nagan'' was the colloquial word for "pistol". People said it was [[Awesome Yet Practical|so reliable]] that it could be dropped in the mud, bashed on concrete, rusted to the core, [[Everything Is Worse With Bears|chewed by a furious bear]] and it would still fire unscathed. On the downside, the cylinder was not removable, thus reloading has to be done relatively slowly one-by-one, much like with Colt SAA (see above). It was [http://world.guns.ru/handguns/double-action-revolvers/be/nagant-mle-195-e.html copied for a while], but replaced as a general issue weapon by TT semi-automatic pistol in the 1930's, although it was still a common weapon for paramilitary forces such as the NKVD. Some of them [[Badass Grandpa|are still in use]] for security purposes in modern Russia, usually 2 to 4 times older than men who carry them. Today, surplus Nagants are among the most inexpensive handguns that can be bought in the United States, but the same cannot be said of their unique ammunition. Later there were two Soviet target revolvers based on its design - Khaidurov TOZ-36 and TOZ-49 - used in many contests, including Olympic Games.

Also, due to its design the Nagant M1895 was one of the few revolvers which could use a sound suppressor effectively ([[wikipedia:Revolver|more detailed information in The Other Wiki]]). The NKVD and KGB noticed this, and since the ''action'' of a revolver is quieter than a semi-automatic, this made it well-suited to assassination.

* Commissars in ''[[Enemy at the Gates]]''.

* All Soviet films featuring handguns set in the times before late 1930s (when TT was introduced)... and sometimes early 1950s (when PM was introduced), and sometimes after that still. As noted above, not too unrealistic, at least as someone's old award weapon, in some sort of special forces who would use it with silencer, or in low-priority forces who got stuck with an old gun.

 

----