Flintlock Inaccuracy in Movies and Television

[Prairie Cowboy]

I can't begin to count the number of times when I have watched a scene where a flintlock pistol or musket is pointed at someone where the frizzen is obviously wide open.

Obviously that means no powder in the pan and no sparks and no possibility of firing. The lack of knowledge from those who make these period films is incredible.

[bedbugbilly]

You aren't really equating "Hollywood" with intelligence, the ability to do real research and the ability to actually show and tell the truth are you?

[bruce drake]

I bet you'd hate if you looked closely, many of those flintlocks and percussion rifles are actually prop-master reworks of Trapdoor Springfields or rubber rifles.

[tai95]

If seeing flintlocks portrayed wrong gets you mad, don't watch the shows with wheel guns that shoot 30 rounds. Also a stick of c4 will not level a building.

[GARD72977]

I seen a documentary of WW1 and the soldiers had M1 Garands.

I try to not contribute to the salaries of any one in the movie business

[panhed65]

You aren't really equating "Hollywood" with intelligence, the ability to do real research and the ability to actually show and tell the truth are you?

kind of a change of subject, but not topic, was watching a documentary on wwI, 2 soldiers in a trench, one had an M14, the other a M1 carbine. so much for accuracy.
Barry

[GregLaROCHE]

I’m going to keep an eye out now for those open frizzens.

[Prairie Cowboy]

You aren't really equating "Hollywood" with intelligence, the ability to do real research and the ability to actually show and tell the truth are you?

This comment seems like more of a political condemnation of Hollywood rather than a firearms comment.

However, with regards to firearms authenticity, it all seems to depend on whether they employ a firearms expert or not. Productions where they do are often much better.

[Prairie Cowboy]

I bet you'd hate if you looked closely, many of those flintlocks and percussion rifles are actually prop-master reworks of Trapdoor Springfields or rubber rifles.

I've seen those movies. Most of those old prop guns are long gone today.
It is annoying however to see open frizzens in flintlocks that are obviously genuine, or at least close replicas.

[Prairie Cowboy]

kind of a change of subject, but not topic, was watching a documentary on wwI, 2 soldiers in a trench, one had an M14, the other a M1 carbine. so much for accuracy.
Barry

I have seen cheesy war movies where American troops were carrying Lee Enfields because that was probably all the prop masters could get ahold of where they were.

[Bent Ramrod]

The research and prop departments for the movie companies have gotten much more concerned with authenticity in recent years. Anachronisms and inaccuracies generate a lot of complaints from the more with-it viewers now. It’s all about suspending disbelief, which is a basic requirement of any storytelling. All that money spent on computer-generated battle scenes is wasted if some small prop isn’t right.

It’s hard enough to believe a British colonel would actually fully cooperate with the enemy in their efforts to build a bridge over the River Kwai, so that more British would be defeated and captured. Seeing the Japanese soldiers all carrying Lee Enfields moves it even further into the realm of unreality. But the acting was good.

At least the bad guys don’t hold the flintlock pistol (frizzen open) sideways...

[KCSO]

For safety most of those guns are old trapdoor blank guns with frizzens tacked on, or old non functional muskets. I always like the woosh....boom, not one good shooting flinter on screen seems like.

[Eddie2002]

I remember one WW2 movie about submariners who were equipped with a bunch of lever action rifles for a landing party. I try to ignore the small stuff like open frizzens and 20 round six shooters and just enjoy the movie with a couple laughs at the mistakes.

[1Hawkeye]

Don't watch the history Channel the number of lefthanded m1's , mausers, and Enfields will make you nuts.

[fixit]

I kinda expect that sort of thing in entertainment..... what drives me batty is when you find it in a museum! I've gotten into more than one argument with know it all curators over the dating of their displays.

[Toymaker]

I'm pretty sure it was the made for TV movie "Texas". A couple of Houston's men were chasing a Mexican courier on horseback. One pulled out his flintlock pistol and shot at the courier. He missed. So he cocked the pistol and shot again. I hollered "How'd they loose the Alamo? They got repeaters!!!!" There were a few blank stares, but a few spewed their mouthful of beer, choked on the popcorn or laughed so hard they fell out of their chairs.

[rbuck351]

Two guns that have been used so much in movies of times prior to the manufacturing of that gun are the 92 Win and the 73 SSA colt. One of my favorite boo boos is Wanted Dead or Alive where Josh is shown with a belt full of 45/70 for his shortened 92 Win. The period correct percussion revolver is commonly replaced with the Colt SAA.

The movie prop houses have a lot of 92Wins and Colt SSAs. They don't have nearly enough of much of anything else.
My wife hates it when I pick out this sort of thing during a movie.

[Tasbay]

Jeramiha Johnson where the crazy lady has him covered with a Hawken with no cap on the nipple. Watched the Explosion Show on Discovery a couple of nights ago on Black Powder. Boy a lot of inaccuracy's in that one.

[waksupi]

I watched a WW2 movie last night. Lever actions, Luger used by a US soldier on D-Day, some unidentifiable .22 it appeared, both sides using .303 Enfields. Arghhhhh!

[poppy42]

How about the old TV cop shows where the bad guy screws a suppressor on the end of a revolver!