8 Firearms Myths Hollywood Still Can't Get Enough Of

Hollywood seems to have a love affair with the handgun. It is the weapon of choice for action heroes from Bond to Bourne to Dirty Harry. Small wonder, as it is depicted as capable of producing pin-point accuracy across the length of a city block.

The reality is less romantic.

The effective range of most handguns is 50 meters, or the length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The reason comes down to a handgun’s short barrel, which allows less time for the propellant to accelerate the round. Another problem is that unlike a rifle’s four contact points – forehand, rear hand grip, and cheek and shoulder welds – a handgun has one, translating to a less stable shooting platform.

This is crucial as, in combat conditions, where the target is shooting back, even trained handlers will resort to point shooting – pointing the gun as if pointing a finger – rather than taking careful aim. Considering that even a 2.5-5cm (1-2in) deviation from the centerline of aim will result in a 0.6-1.2m (2-4ft) shift at typical combat ranges it should come as no surprise that long range precision is not what handguns were designed for.

Why use them? Simple, they are the most easily portable and publicly acceptable firearm available to police.

This is one myth that really needs to stop, particularly because the movie In Bruges got it right. So, next time, when those long range firefights break out, it's time to switch to something more appropriate.