A Pet Peeve in Movies and TV

Take note when actors shoot a firearm ...

Have you ever noticed, when an actor, male or female, shoots a firearm in a movie, or on TV, there is never a recoil?  It doesn’t matter whether they hold the gun with two hands, or only one, there’s no recoil.  It’s that way whether it’s an 180lb man, or an 110lb woman shooting, their gun doesn’t kick. 

That is so unrealistic that it’s laughable. 

Case in Point for Recoil:

Years ago, Robert and I decided to go full time in our motorhome for a while.  We figured being seniors and always in unfamiliar places, we should also be very careful, especially at night.

With that in mind, we signed up for Florida’s Concealed Carry Course to get our legal Concealed Carry Gun Permits.  Then we went shopping for our firearms and holsters.

We were assured the course we chose was reputable. The trainers were either retired military or law enforcement and very thorough. We would have to pass the study class testing first, then qualify on the shooting range to get our permits.

We brought along my Ruger LCR, a super lightweight gun with a laser light, to qualify with. Robert and I felt his Taurus might be too much for me to handle.

The study class was very detailed.  We learned about firearm safety, the correct way to hold our firearm, and the basic legalities regarding their use for property and personal protection.

At the shooting range, there were four tables up at the front and trainees were taken by twos to one of the tables with an instructor.  Robert and went together and the instructor had me go first.

I unhooked the safety, gripped my Ruger with two hands as we were just taught in class, aimed at our target, and squeezed the trigger. 

HO-LY C R A P!

It was obvious I had never fired my Ruger before. The most I had done was hold it in my hand while deciding whether to buy it in the gun store--It was lightweight with a nice comfortable feel.

Until I fired it at the range, I had NO idea the recoil would be so severe —I’m sure the sun still has the bullet hole I wildly put there … sorry about that.

Oh, and you can focus the stupid laser on a target until you turn blue, but with the recoil, forget about ever hitting a laser-aimed target.

The personal instructor assigned to us said he was surprised the gun shop sold me the Ruger. They were known for having an almighty recoil, even with my two-handed grip.

Anyway, I gutted it out and finally managed to qualify. Then it was Robert’s turn ...

Bless his heart, I could tell by the slight smile on his face, he thought I had trouble, because I was a woman, but the first time he fired, his arm also violently flew north. (Maybe he didn't shoot the sun like I did, but he at least hit a cloud). After several tries peppered with just as many unrepeatable words, he also qualified.

When we were done, Concealed Carry Permits in hand, we went straight to a gun shop and traded my Ruger for a Kimber. The range manager assured me, since I qualified on a Ruger, the Kimber would be a piece of cake.

When there’s NO gun recoil in movies and TV, it annoys the hell out of me. That just isn’t realistic.  Trust me, I have first-hand (two-handed) experience. Those actors never shot a real loaded firearm …

-*-

NOTE:  As of July 1, 2023, Florida residents and non-residents can carry a concealed firearm in public without a permit, with a few limitations.

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
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