I’m a fan of The Walking Dead tv series on AMC, check out our weapons of The Walking Dead post if you don’t believe me. But as a firearms enthusiasts I cringe whenever I see a scene where they’re using a weapon incorrectly (like when it’s pretty obvious that they’re using a prop gun). Now I don’t mean how the characters aren’t using proper form and technique, I don’t expect everyone in the zombie apocalypse to be knowledgable in the proper use of a gun.
What I mean are the inconsistencies throughout the series when it comes to the production of the show when it comes to firearms. Take last night’s episode of The Walking Dead titled “Triggerfinger”. At about the 1:10 mark in the video below, Lori shoots a walker in the dead with her revolver, was that a shell casing I hear hit the pavement after the shot? Wait a minute…revolvers don’t eject spent shells do they? I know this is Hollywood, and that was a canned sound effect and all, but it’s a pretty big oversight. They spend a lot of time getting the zombie makeup effects to look as good as possible, they look really really good, but how about making the shooting scenes a little more believable?
And will someone tell Andrew Lincoln who plays Rick Grimes how to properly hold his .357 Colt Python!
This stuff has always bothered me. Both TWD and FearTWD have a total lack of any military or weapons consultants. Here’s just a few of the things I’ve noticed:
– Almost everyone seems to fire without using sights.
– Many of the guns (and Daryl’s crossbow) don’t even HAVE sights.
– People hide from gunfire behind all manner of things that are definitely NOT bulletproof.
– Their firing stances and grips show they’re firing guns that don’t actually kick (ie: airsoft).
– They fire WAY too much without ever seeming to need a reload.
You can easily pick out the few actors that have actually used real guns in the past, as they seem to know better. They actually appear to be using the sights (if present), and hold the guns correctly.
So the show’s effects guys basically just bought a bunch of airsoft guns and they use CGI to add muzzle blast and sound effects. What really gets me is that they film in Georgia, where most of the population own and use guns. That means they could hire any schmuck off the street to tell them what they’re doing wrong. It’s not like they don’t have the budget for it!
I have said the same thing about the firearm’s consultant. The “gat” style with Rick and the Colt Python is a little ridiculous. I have even written their site and FB page. Still “GANSTA”.
I enjoy the show but I gave up trying to rationalize much of anything firearms related since the first episode when the deputy is reminded by Rick to make sure his safety is off. He then, of course, pantomimes a motion and there’s an audible ‘click’. Nevermind the fact it was a Glock!
…. And I’d go mad trying to rationalize how they didn’t pick up at least one M4 of the hundreds laying around the CDC headquarters.
Why are there no AR15’s? This is supposed to be the most popular rifle in America.