Hollywood doesn't think you should have a round chambered?

[Embalmo]

Guys,

Isn't it goofy how in movies the good guy, or bad guy draws their auto and racks the slide just before they shoot? Also when the good guy hands a gun to a non-gun person they always rack the slide for them because a non-gun person doesn't know how to do that. My question is always why isn't a round chambered?? I was watching Terminator 2 last night and the giant biker of whom the terminator took the clothes and bike tried in desperation to rack his slide on his 1911 with a broken hand?? And in Taxi Driver-Easy Andy, when selling his guns to Bickle makes a comment about how stupid it is to have "one in the pipe".

I'm kinda' new to shooting-Have attitudes changed? We were instructed to NEVER carry without a round in the chamber in our CHL class. Was there a time that it was considered ill-advised to have a round chambered?

Embalmo

[Jacob Staff]

It makes for better TV to have some movement. It is always cool to rack a shotgun or pistol.

[C-dub]

I think it is just for the theatrics. I've also noticed that it seems like sometimes they will do this from one scene to another even thought the gun was just fired in a shoot out only minutes before, but the round that should have been in the chamber is not ejected. Would someone really take the time to empty the chamber? I wouldn't, but carry one in the pipe already anyway.

[WildBill]

It makes for better TV to have some movement. It is always cool to rack a shotgun or pistol.

It also gives the foley artists something to do.

[03Lightningrocks]

I think it is just for the theatrics. I've also noticed that it seems like sometimes they will do this from one scene to another even thought the gun was just fired in a shoot out only minutes before, but the round that should have been in the chamber is not ejected. Would someone really take the time to empty the chamber? I wouldn't, but carry one in the pipe already anyway.

I have zeroed in on that one many times!!! I'm thinking to myself, was that a fail to feed?

[karder]

Sometimes it is just poor editing. This last week I was watching LOST, and there was a gunfight for some reason or another (I turned it on near the end). Anyway, one of the actors is firing a pistol, and the slide locks back as they fire the last round. The shot cuts away for a second, and goes back to the actor with their slide closed, they fire two more shots. The shot cuts away again, then cuts back and they are dropping their magazine to reload. The editor seems to have gotten the shots a little mixed up there.

[Embalmo]

Yep, and let's not forget the click click when the gun is empty and the slide is locked back.

[psijac]

I think there was a scene in 24 where you hear Jack Bauer cock back the hammer on a glock =(

[PBratton]

Well, I've not noticed Steven Segal - Lawman racking the slide on his 1911... Maybe it's not a union production.

[Trinitite]

You could have ended the subject line after the third word.

[wgoforth]

The Israeli army is taught a maneuver where the rack the slide as they draw. One of the schools listed in the forum under advanced schools in TX teaches that style as well. See the videos of the technique on their sight at http://www.summitselfdefense.com/selfdefensevideos.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bkj]

At the end of “The Bourne Ultimatum “ the other assassin racks the slide for some unknown reason.

[MadMonkey]

I think the worst offender has to be Lost. I watched the first 4 seasons right in a row and EVERY time someone prepared to fire they racked the slide... I think it happened three times in a row with the same weapon at one point, and no cartridge was ever ejected

I was talking about this with a friend yesterday, actually. Big pet peeve of mine... but I do agree, it's only for theatrics, plus they need an excuse for an "ominous" sound effect, otherwise there's a dead zone.

[marksiwel]

The Israeli army is taught a maneuver where the rack the slide as they draw. One of the schools listed in the forum under advanced schools in TX teaches that style as well. See the videos of the technique on their sight at http://www.summitselfdefense.com/selfdefensevideos.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think the reason they did that , correct me if i'm wrong, is because back in the day they were handing guns to EVERYONE (fighting a Desperate War will do that) and they didnt think it was a good idea to give the 18 Year old From the Farm a Loaded Firearm with a round in the chamber, so they trained them to carry that way. I dont see the point of doing that now-a-days.

Also I was watching some movie (Demolition man I think) and he shoots at the guy, puts a new mag in, and pulls back the slide (it was a Berretta 92) and you see a Round go flying off and hit him in the face.
Saw something similar in the movie the Big Hit with Marky Mark Wahlburg
hollywood also makes you think that you can "Hack the Internets" in Die Hard 4

[casingpoint]

It's like when they get out of their cars in Hollywood. Turn the motor off, but leave the lights on.