For reasons best known to The New Yorker‘s anti-gun editors, they’ve given space to Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell’s love letter to Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. Here’s a scene quoted by Gladwell. “It was a through-and-through, obviously, given the short range and the power of the Magnum round. Twenty feet behind the guy’s head the wall instantly cratered, the size of a punch bowl, and a ghastly split second later the contents of the guy’s brain pan arrived to fill it, with a wet slap, all red and gray and purple.” Gun guys recognize the fact that Child’s firearms-related frenzies are often slightly-less-than accurate. For example . . .
for starters, wth? a desert eagle? turns out the gun was just cover for something else the deceased former detective left behind, but still, to me the DE is not a ‘professionals’ weapon. For a handgun it is too big for a handgun’s only purpose, to be kept close at and handy. If you are going to keep a Deagle in your car, just in case, might as well toss a rifle in there. And no, I don’t think jack reacher could consistantly stick one in his waistband and just walk around.
Desert eagle = okay for movies because it is very visual. Desert eagle = okay for fun shooting at the range. I don’t even think much of the Deagle for hunting or hunter backup. I think a standard 44 mag revolver is easier to shoot well thanks to the wonderful single action mode, is less clunky, and you can get one with a shorter barrel for backup, or a longer barrel for hunting…and not supercrazylong like some of the deagle add on barrels.
Seems to me a truely professional shooter would choose a handgun in 45 acp, 10mm, 45 super and either go with a relatively standard sized handgun, be that a glock 20 (15 shots of 10mm!) a doublestack 1911 in 45 super, hell, a good old GI standard 1911 would be great too. You want something ‘unusual’ so it stands out because that is important for the story line? Mateba revolver in 44. Hell, a dan wesson with a bunch of barrels would stand out too.
That analysis – by akodo at thehighroad.org – is one of many where gun guys take Child to town for his firearms choices and descriptions. The movies? Don’t get me started (Jeremy S. did some work on that one, before the diminutive Tom Cruise assumed the role). Does it matter? How about this then [via januarymagazine.com]:
I make a few mistakes … wrong ammo, safety catches in the wrong place and so on. So the real gun nuts get a little impatient. Plus, Reacher makes it clear he doesn’t think guns are toys. Persuader has a line: “Never tell a soldier that guns are fun.” My position on gun control is that the U.S. Constitution forbids it. Simple as that. I wish it didn’t, but if you like the good parts of the Constitution, which I do, you can’t complain about the bad.
Your thoughts?