- 1 year ago
Movies and TV shows have shaped how we think about guns—but a lot of what we see on screen just isn’t true. 🎬🔫
In this video, we break down the Top 15 gun myths created by Hollywood—from endless ammo and one-shot knockdowns to unrealistic silencers and over-the-top action scenes. These myths might look cool on screen, but they don’t match up with reality.
📺 A must-watch for movie fans, action lovers, and anyone curious about how films bend the rules of physics and firearms for entertainment.
👉 Like, comment, and follow for more film breakdowns, Hollywood myths, and movie facts!
In this video, we break down the Top 15 gun myths created by Hollywood—from endless ammo and one-shot knockdowns to unrealistic silencers and over-the-top action scenes. These myths might look cool on screen, but they don’t match up with reality.
📺 A must-watch for movie fans, action lovers, and anyone curious about how films bend the rules of physics and firearms for entertainment.
👉 Like, comment, and follow for more film breakdowns, Hollywood myths, and movie facts!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Then they slapped this bulletproof vest on me and gave me a gun.
00:06But what if he shot you in the face? Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:10and today we're counting down our picks for the firearm misconceptions
00:14and inaccuracies that showed up in way too many movies.
00:1815. Muzzles Always Flash
00:31We get it, shootouts look more dynamic and exciting when a bright flash of light accompanies every shot.
00:3815. Movie crews achieve these muzzle flashes using fancy tricks like flammable powders
00:50and fake guns that create an artificial spark. And, of course, with CGI.
00:56There's even a practical purpose to these exaggerated flashes.
00:59They're useful to the sound editor when they're adding the noise of gunshots to the scene.
01:0415. He's trick men!
01:08In real life, most guns have little to no muzzle flash when fired.
01:15In daylight, even those that do flash would barely be visible.
01:19But you have to admit, these scenes look a lot cooler with those powerful blazes of light.
01:2416. Guns Have No Recoil
01:29Even handguns are powerful weapons, and anything that can launch a bullet with that much force
01:34is going to have some kickback.
01:3617. Guns
01:40Of course, prop guns aren't actually firing bullets, so they typically don't have much recoil,
01:47if any. Using the proper grip when firing a real gun will make the recoil much more manageable. But
01:53most shooters in movies don't bother to do that.
01:55Often, the only time movie guns are shown to have noticeable recoil is when it's used for humor.
02:02In those scenes, it's so exaggerated and over-the-top that it's even less realistic than having no recoil at all.
02:0913. Gun clicks when the magazine is empty
02:18To be fair, there are some types of guns that do make a clicking sound if you fire them without ammo.
02:24Hey, Michael! This is for Dr. Loomis.
02:28But Hollywood would have you believe that all guns do this. And that's just not true. In the vast
02:34majority of semi-automatic handguns, the slide locks back when the magazine is empty. And pulling
02:40the trigger does nothing. Many experienced shooters can tell by the feel that the slide is locked,
02:46and don't bother pulling the trigger at all. However, in a movie gunfight, the moment when
02:51one person runs out of ammo just wouldn't be as dramatic without that tell-tale clicking sound.
02:5612. Getting shot will kill you instantly
03:09This trope only applies to bad guys, obviously. We've all seen those action movies where the hero
03:15only has to fire a single shot and his opponent drops like rocks.
03:21Meanwhile, the hero himself can take one bullet after another and keep on fighting.
03:26In reality, less than a third of gunshot wounds are fatal. And depending on who you ask,
03:31that number might even be lower. Even headshots are only fatal 90% of the time.
03:37When someone does get shot, they almost never die instantly. Instead, they're more likely to
03:42writhe around in pain and bleed out slowly. But having a bunch of screaming injured bad guys rolling
03:48around on the floor during your movie shootout would be pretty distracting.
03:5111. If you get shot, you should remove the bullet immediately.
04:00So your hero has been shot, and because he's the hero, he didn't die instantly.
04:05But he's gotta get that bullet out fast, right?
04:12Wrong. Unless it's lodged someplace important like a blood vessel, having a bullet in your body
04:17isn't that dangerous. Doctors leave them inside gunshot victims all the time. Digging around
04:23inside an open wound, potentially causing more bleeding and risking infection,
04:27is way more dangerous than just having the bullet in place.
04:35Incredible.
04:36In a survival situation, it's a really bad idea. It's much more important to stop the bleeding and
04:42get the wound bandaged than to pry out that tiny piece of metal.
04:51Number 10. Buying high-powered weapons is easy. Although it is easier to buy a gun in the U.S.
04:57than it is in many other countries, you still can't walk into a gun store and walk out with an Uzi.
05:03It seems like every movie gun shop has a secret back room where the good stuff is hidden.
05:20Or a shop owner who's willing to ignore the law for a bribe.
05:24Think you can handle that, or should I take my business elsewhere?
05:26The press is illegal for civilian use.
05:30Let's see what Dominic has to say about that, huh?
05:34Yeah, Dominic.
05:36Look, Chief, all due respect, I got a plane to catch.
05:40So why don't you just name your price and I'll get out of your hair?
05:42In movies, anyone can find an illegal dealer with a trunk full of machine guns,
05:47or even buy one online if they know which dark website to go to.
05:51I'll take it.
05:52Cost will be $200,000 U.S.
05:56Transfer of funds in the usual manner, half now, half on delivery.
06:01Fortunately, it's not that easy to get your hands on high-powered weapons in real life.
06:06Number 9.
06:07Guns fire when dropped.
06:09If you're a movie character wielding a gun, whatever you do, don't drop it.
06:14Unless, of course, you're in a standoff and you want to fake out your opponent by pretending to drop your weapon.
06:20Then you can throw the gun to the ground knowing it will fire and shoot the other person.
06:25Put down gun.
06:27You got it, pal.
06:31In the real world, most states have laws requiring gun manufacturers to test their weapons for drop
06:37safety.
06:37If guns randomly fired any time they were mishandled or dropped, it would be incredibly unsafe to be
06:43around them at all.
06:44The gun industry has a strong incentive to make sure that doesn't happen.
06:49Drop him.
06:55Number 8.
06:56Shooting is easy.
06:58Hitting a target is nowhere near as simple as Hollywood makes it seem.
07:08It takes years of practice to become a reliably accurate shooter.
07:12Even for experienced gun handlers, proper grip and stance still matter.
07:16Shooting while running, holding two guns at once, or turning the gun sideways are all going to make it
07:22far more difficult to hit whatever you're aiming for. And don't even get us started on shooting from the hip.
07:28Yet, in movies, characters do all of these things and still hit their targets easily.
07:33Even characters who have never touched a gun before are able to pick one up, start firing,
07:38and make every shot.
07:40Did you actually aim for that?
07:41You know, actually, I did.
07:43Number 7.
07:44People fly backward when shot.
07:46If you remember high school physics, you know this is nonsense.
07:52Newton's third law of motion says that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction.
08:01That means that if a gun is powerful enough to send someone flying off their feet,
08:05then it's also going to send the shooter flying off their feet.
08:09That doesn't stop movies from showing people getting literally blown away.
08:13Apparently, even a single shot from a handgun is enough to send someone flying.
08:18Meanwhile, the shooter doesn't even feel a kickback.
08:21It's a ridiculous trope that directors can't stop using.
08:25Number 6.
08:26Infinite Ammo
08:28It seems like no one ever runs out of bullets in a movie unless it's for dramatic effect.
08:33Handguns, machine guns, and even shotguns apparently have infinite ammo.
08:42No reloading necessary.
08:44We get why directors fall into this trap.
08:47Many action scenes would be a lot less exciting and dynamic if the characters had to stop and
08:52reload every few shots.
08:54It even shows up in movies that are otherwise pretty realistic with their gunplay.
08:59And once you start noticing it, it's hard to stop.
09:01Take our advice.
09:03Don't start counting shots unless you want to ruin your viewing experience.
09:06Number 5.
09:08Bullets can still hit you through water.
09:11We all know that water is a bad place to be in an action movie.
09:15It's cold.
09:16It ruins your badass outfit.
09:17And it makes you an easy target for foes trying to fill you with lead.
09:21Seems logical since bullets can punch through wood and some metals, so why not water, right?
09:27Consider this, though.
09:28What hurts more?
09:29Belly flopping off a diving board or off a bridge.
09:33The faster you're moving, the more force you hit the water with.
09:36And the water hits back just as hard.
09:38Slow moving bullets, such as pistol rounds, impact with less force and can travel through
09:44up to 8 feet of water in the right conditions.
09:47Any rifle round or bigger will lose its energy impacting the water and will not be able to kill
09:52you after a few feet.
09:54So, next time you're being chased by a helicopter, go for a swim.
09:58Number 4.
09:59Cars are bulletproof.
10:01Who needs water when you've got a car?
10:03You have the right to let me sailor, but I want to hear you scream!
10:12If there's one thing Hollywood has taught us about getting shot at, it's that you can always
10:17rely on the ingenuity of the automotive industry for safety.
10:20Trust us, though.
10:21You're better off with diving into a pool.
10:24Cars are built with structural support to keep them safe from other cars hitting them.
10:28But the metal panels on the car's body are kept light to save on weight.
10:32A bullet could easily punch through a car door, travel through the car's cabin,
10:36out the door on the other side, and still be lethal to the action junkie who thought he was safe.
10:42There is one bulletproof part of a car, and that's the engine.
10:46All that heavy-duty metal is just too much for a little bullet to make it through.
10:50Just don't expect to drive off after the gunfight.
10:54Who wants to kill me?
10:55Shit, everybody want to kill you!
10:56Yeah, I told you, mate!
10:58Number 3.
10:59Bullets cause things to explode.
11:01So if you throw a couple bullets at a car, it'll cause a flashy explosion, right?
11:06Not the case.
11:07In fact, car manufacturers actually work pretty hard to make sure the gas tank is protected
11:12and won't explode at the slightest rupture.
11:14So the car has to take serious damage for that kind of fireball to happen.
11:19It's true, though, that under certain conditions, many things will explode when shot,
11:24such as pressurized objects like spray cans.
11:27But even then, they usually need an open flame source nearby to really get that booming explosion
11:33you see in the movies.
11:45Directors often use sparks from gunshots to illustrate where the bullets are going on screen.
11:50But in reality, there's only a spark if the bullet hits a specific metal.
11:55And even then, it's not usually enough to ignite anything.
11:59Sorry, Michael Bay.
12:00Number 2.
12:02Bulletproof vests will stop anything.
12:04Who hasn't cheered when our favorite character is saved by a bulletproof vest?
12:09Hey, if it works for Doc Brown, it'll work for us.
12:12You're alive.
12:22Bulletproof vest.
12:25How did you know?
12:26Turns out his field was obviously in time travel and not ballistics.
12:31So does body armor stop bullets?
12:33Depends on the armor, but more importantly, it depends on the bullet.
12:38High-end, soft body armor, which is typically made of Kevlar, is rated to stop up to a .44
12:43Magnum, which is great if you're being chased by Dirty Harry.
12:47You've got to ask yourself one question.
12:49Do I feel lucky?
12:51Well, do you, punk?
12:52But rifle bullets, which are smaller and moving a hell of a lot faster, will shred soft body armor.
12:59Military and tactical police units use armor plates made out of steel or ceramic material,
13:05and will stop some rifle bullets.
13:07However, even if the armor you're wearing stops the bullet, there's still significant energy transfer,
13:13so it doesn't mean you're safe.
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13:291. Silencers make guns super quiet
13:35Let's make one thing clear. Gunshots are really freaking loud.
13:40What the hell is that in your hand?
13:42It's a pistol, sir.
13:43Is that a silencer?
13:45Yes, sir.
13:47That rock concert that left your ears ringing was in the neighborhood of 130 decibels.
13:53A jet engine is around 140. Your average gunshot? 160.
13:58Bruce Willis has permanent hearing damage in one ear from making Die Hard, so be careful.
14:04That's okay. Just slap on a silencer.
14:06The problem is, when a gun fires, you're actually hearing three different sounds at the same time.
14:12The action of triggering the gun, the gunpowder exploding, and the bullet breaking the sound
14:17barrier. A suppressor will help with one of these sounds, but at best, you're knocking 30 decibels
14:24off. In other words, that's still extremely loud.
14:32Maybe not deafening, but the other henchmen are definitely going to hear it.
14:37Which movie gun myth drives you crazy? Let us know in the comments.
14:41Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
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