Summary
- Hollywood action movies have greatly increased their weaponry’s reputation, making guns like the Walther PPK iconic in pop culture.
- Fictional guns, like the M41A Pulse Rifle and Auto-9, have become famous through film appearances and unique characteristics.
- Iconic movie guns, such as the Noisy Cricket and the Boomstick, have left a lasting impact on pop culture and became fan favorites.
Action movies and firearms go together hand-in-hand, and it’s no surprise that the most prominent films of the genre have greatly increased the reputation of certain weapons. Considering how deeply ingrained in American culture firearms are, it should be no surprise that the best action movies to come out of Hollywood feature firefights heavily. From the twirling pistols of Western cowboys to the cutting edge armaments of war movies, plenty of guns have been made famous by cinematic appearances.
In some cases, various guns that feature prominently in films are based off of real weapons, convincingly copied or portrayed in a film with a powerful enough image to boost their own recognizability. In other cases, particularly in the realm of the science fiction genre, entirely invented guns are forged to suit the futuristic worlds they inhabit, firing specialty or energy-based ammunition instead. In either case, without the power of filmmaking, these firearms wouldn’t be nearly as ubiquitous in pop culture.
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10 Walther PPK
The James Bond Franchise
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The James Bond series has cycled through many different actors, but Bond’s most iconic choice of gun remains the same. The Walther PPK is a German pistol specifically designed for covert use, with a reduced profile, snubnose barrel, and smaller magazine all contributing to its user’s ease of concealment. Naturally, this makes the gun a perfect fit for spy work, and multiple iterations of James Bond have been known to use the Walther PPK in their movies.
The Walther PPK is the gun that Bond uses to get the drop on his unseen assailant in the famous gunbarrel opening sequence.
Famously, James Bond made the switch from his .25 Beretta from the novels to the Walther in Dr. No, and has been (literally) attached to the pistol at the hip ever since. The Walther PPK is the gun that Bond uses to get the drop on his unseen assailant in the famous gunbarrel opening sequence. Having a profound impact on pop culture, the Walther PPK has gone on to be associated with other spies in various media, including the animated espionage series Archer.
James Bond
Created by Ian Fleming , Albert R. Broccoli First Film Dr. No Latest Film No Time to Die Upcoming Films James Bond 26 First TV Show Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond First Episode Air Date January 29, 2014 Expand
9 Space Marine M41A Pulse Rifle
Aliens
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Though pistols might make for compelling, easy-to-carry weapons for films to focus on, assault rifles have also gotten their fair share of love. No single fictional firearm has been perhaps as inspirational in pop culture as the M41A Pulse Rifle used by the Space Marines in Aliens. These fearsome weapons and their distinctive four-round-bursts of bullets were solely responsible for turning Aliens into an action movie rather than another straightforward horror feature.
From their iconic sound and muzzle flash to their futuristic digital ammunition counter, the Pulse Rifles have served as templates for standard infantryman equipment in countless science fiction franchises. The versatile rifles are also well-known for their underslung grenade launcher, which comes in handy against the Xenomorph hordes. As if that weren’t cool enough, in the movie, Ripley duct-tapes one of the guns to a massive flamethrower, increasing her firepower even further.
Aliens 
5.0 R
Director James Cameron Release Date July 18, 1986 Cast Sigourney Weaver , Michael Biehn , Carrie Henn , Paul Reiser , Lance Henriksen , Bill Paxton , William Hope , Jenette Goldstein Runtime 137 minutes
8 The Gold-Plated Pistols
Face/Off
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Nicolas Cage is not an actor known for his subtlety, and his over-the-top antics as the crime boss Castor Troy in 1997’s Face/Off are perfectly paired with an equally ludicrous duo of weapons. In the gunfight scenes of Face/Off in which Castor is himself, he wields two gold-plated M1911s at the same time. M1911s are known as some of the most reliable and longest-used handguns in the world, making shooting two of them at once as eccentric and unbelievably audacious as Cage’s performance.
The winning hand of weaponry has made waves in pop culture, being referenced in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which was essentially one big homage to Nicolas Cage. More recently, the similarly gilded Desert Eagles (or “Deagles” for short) made their way into the superhero romp Deadpool & Wolverine, being a highly sought-after prize by the Merc with the Mouth. These firearms are just about as flashy as it gets for action movie weapon choices.
Face/Off 4.0 R
Director John Woo Release Date June 27, 1997 Cast Alessandro Nivola , Gina Gershon , Nicolas Cage , John Travolta , Joan Allen Runtime 138 minutes
7 The Noisy Cricket
Men in Black
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It’s rare that a movie gun ends up being not only iconic as a weapon, but memorable as a punchline to a joke, as well. When selecting from a diverse armament of futuristic alien-tech weaponry, Agent K hands Agent J the Noisy Cricket. A tiny, unassuming pocket pistol, J is first annoyed by his assignment to the weapon, seeing it as an inferior choice for the field compared to Agent K’s more heavy-duty energy blaster.
It has the recoil to match its oppressive shots as well, sending the clueless Agent J flying backwards after pulling the trigger. Both a hilarious joke and an intimidating weapon, the Noisy Cricket is a standout fictional gun.
It isn’t long before Agent J finds out how the Noisy Cricket gets its name, however, being in for a big shock the first time he fires it. Despite its small stature, the Noisy Cricket hurls a massive bolt of plasma at its target, capable of incinerating entire vehicles and punching holes through concrete. It has the recoil to match its oppressive shots as well, sending the clueless Agent J flying backwards after pulling the trigger. Both a hilarious joke and an intimidating weapon, the Noisy Cricket is a standout fictional gun.
Men In Black PG-13
Director Barry Sonnenfeld Release Date July 2, 1997 Runtime 98 minutes
6 Smith & Wesson Model 29
Dirty Harry
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Plenty of revolvers have seen action on the silver screen, becoming ubiquitous with their period-appropriate appearances in the most iconic Westerns. However, it takes a special kind of action hero to carry an archaic hand cannon into battle in a modern setting, such as Clint Eastwood’s own Dirty Harry, debuting in his eponymous film. Harry Callahan wields a Smith & Wesson Model 29, accurately described by Harry as “the most powerful handgun in the world.”
The Model 29 is responsible for one of Eastwood’s most famous scenes of all time, in which he corners the film’s main antagonist on the street with his revolver leveled. In the preceding gunfight, Harry admits to losing track of how many shots he fired, begging the famous question “‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?“. Beyond how often this scene has been homaged and parodied, the S&W Model 29 has gone on to reach similar heights of fame in a litany of other movies, TV shows and video games.
Dirty Harry 5.0 R
Director Don Siegel Release Date December 23, 1971 Cast Clint Eastwood , Harry Guardino , Reni Santoni , John Vernon , Andrew Robinson , John Larch Runtime 102 minutes
5 The Auto-9
Robocop
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Something about firearms that fire in bursts just makes sense in a futuristic setting, and Robocop proved it definitively with the titular cybernetic lawman’s use of the Auto-9. Surprisingly, the Auto-9 is based on a real pistol, the Italian Beretta 93R, which was designed to fire in bursts in order to give counterterrorism agents a concealable automatic weapon that technically evaded laws banning machine pistols.
By adding an extended magazine and a massive square barrel, Paul Verhoeven transformed the gun into the famous Auto-9.
In the later Robocop movies, Robocop’s arsenal may expand to include flamethrowers and jetpacks, but his weaponry never gets more iconic than the beloved Auto-9. It’s delightful melody of three-round bursts, distinctive profile, and the slick way it fits into Robocop’s integrated leg-holster all make it a memorable element of the original movie. It’s no wonder that Auto-9 has become one of the most famous fictional pistols around.
RoboCop (2014) 2.5 PG-13
Director Jose Padilha Release Date February 12, 2014 Cast Joel Kinnaman , Michael Keaton , Gary Oldman , Abbie Cornish , Samuel L. Jackson Runtime 121 Minutes
4 The Winchester Model 1887
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
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Despite being a lever-action shotgun that would feel more at home in a Western, the Winchester Model 1887 is an iconic movie firearm for its appearance in a science fiction movie. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is considered the best action movie of all time thanks in no small part to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s use of the powerful 12 gauge shotgun. In the movie, the T-800 comes across this antique firearm after crash-landing outside of a biker bar, liberating it from its previous owners.
From its powerful slug shots to the sheer spectacle of the way it cycles rounds, the Model 1887 is one of the coolest movie firearms ever shown off.
The T-800 goes on to use the sawed-off shotgun to defend John Connor. The way Schwarzenegger effortlessly flip-cocks the lever-action weapon with one hand while riding a motorcycle has been endlessly recreated in other movies, video games, and TV shows, forever making the weapon an action movie staple regardless of the era. From its powerful slug shots to the sheer spectacle of the way it cycles rounds, the Model 1887 is one of the coolest movie firearms ever shown off.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 5.0 R
Director James Cameron Release Date July 3, 1991 Writers James Cameron , William Wisher Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Robert Patrick , Edward Furlong Runtime 137 Minutes
3 The ZF-1
The Fifth Element
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As far as Bruce Willis movies go, The Fifth Element might not be the place one would expect to find a gun immortalized in the halls of action movie fame. However, the fictional ZF-1, no matter how ridiculous, will always deserve props for being one of the few movie firearms to dedicate an entire scene to how cool it is. When commissioning some alien mercenaries, the eccentric villain Zorg shows off the capabilities of the latest weapon to come from his company, the ZF-1.
Zorg goes on to show off the ZF-1’s various firing modes, including a rocket launcher, netgun, and the “ice cube” system (his personal favorite), which blasts a steady stream of cryogenic fluid. Even more noteworthy, the ZF-1’s “replay system” is capable of automatically firing tracking rounds at a previously-struck target, not to mention the fact that the egg-shaped rifle can self-destruct into a massive fireball at the touch of a button. Even if the ZF-1’s actual combat record in the movie is far more mixed, Zorg’s pitch is quite tantalizing.
The Fifth Element 4.0 PG-13
Director Luc Besson Cast Gary Oldman , Bruce Willis , Ian Holm , Milla Jovovich , Chris Tucker Runtime 126 minutes
2 The Boomstick
Army of Darkness
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The humble double-barreled shotgun is a simple, but effective weapon that has appeared in a wide variety of films. Among them, Ash Williams’ beloved “Boomstick” might be one of the single most iconic, featuring in almost every Evil Dead movie regardless of the continuity. In a famous monologue, the exasperated Ash explains the power of his Boomstick to a frightened crowd of medieval onlookers after being flung back in time to the Middle Ages.
As Ash explains, the 12 gauge double-barreled Remington has a hair trigger, a cobalt finish, and a walnut stock. The way he triumphantly shakes it above the terrified serfs of antiquity while giving his S-Mart sales pitch makes the weapon an instant classic, not to mention its proficiency at mulching the flesh of the various deadites and demons in Army of Darkness. Plenty of horror movies inspired by Evil Dead have gone on to feature a similar gun in some capacity.
Army of Darkness 4.0 R
Director Sam Raimi Release Date February 19, 1993 Cast Bruce Campbell , ian abercrombie , Embeth Davidtz , Marcus Gilbert , Richard Grove Runtime 81 minutes
1 The M16 & M203 Grenade Launcher
Scarface
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The M16 and its attached grenade launcher, the M203, might not be the most subtle weapon for a drug dealer, but the climactic finale of Scarface made the combo immediately famous in the movie world. When finally cornered in his paradise villa, Tony Montana, hopped up on drugs, decides to go out with a bang, begging his enemies to “Say hello to my little friend!” Montana’s little friend turns out to be an M16 with a custom-made M203 grenade launcher attachment, held in place with an iconic heat shield.
Scarface
‘s little friend proves just how memorable key firearm choices can be for action movies.
For many years, the M16 was the United States military’s primary service rifle, making its appearance in Scarface more than appropriate. The particular rifle and grenade launcher combo has since been shouldered in countless other films, most notably in Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, in which the action heroine Cherry uses one as a peg leg. Scarface‘s little friend proves just how memorable key firearm choices can be for action movies.
Scarface 3.5 R
Director Brian De Palma Release Date December 9, 1983 Cast Al Pacino , Michelle Pfeiffer , Robert Loggia , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Miriam Colon , F. Murray Abraham Runtime 170 minutes