I’m not interested in a 2A debate but I find it really interesting how much public misunderstanding about firearms and firearms law comes from movies. One of the biggest is the concept of the “unregistered firearm” used in a crime. There is no firearm registry in the US, so all firearms are unregistered. However, the fact that this is prolific in crime movies leads many to believe such a registry exists. Another is the “Hollywood silencer.” Guns fired with a suppressor/silencer are still quite loud, but movies have people thinking you can have a shootout in a mall and no one will notice.
> Only those firearms subject to the National Firearms Act (NFA) (e.g., machineguns, short–barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers, destructive devices, and firearms designated as “any other weapons”) must be registered with ATF.
> Firearms registration may be required by state or local law. Any person considering acquiring a firearm should contact their State Attorney General’s Office to inquire about the laws and possible state or local restrictions.
Here's a weird one about the NFA and "silencers." As previously mentioned, it's still pretty loud when you use one. In the US it's very restrictive to own one ($200 tax, 6+ month wait, registration, etc.) but in places like the UK it's the opposite. You're a noise polluter without one and relatively very simple to get even though in UK it's harder to get guns.
That's been a topic in Germany too. They are banned, but some argue they really should be allowed as workers protection and to generally reduce noise disturbances.
> Another is the “Hollywood silencer.” Guns fired with a suppressor/silencer are still quite loud, but movies have people thinking you can have a shootout in a mall and no one will notice.
Note that if you do want a mostly-silent, fairly-reliably-lethal ranged weapon, crossbows are probably a better option.
When I go to an indoor range, even with two sets of hearing protection on, it takes me about 10 mins to stop flinching every time a shot is fired. And we're not talking about super weapons here, just common stuff like 9mm pistols. I think it's hard to convey in words just how LOUD guns really are.
Yep. Another silly example is bullets bouncing around the room in movies and in supposed "true crime" fics. A friend of mine was being 100% serious when he raised that as a concern when I was talking about indoor gun ranges vs outdoor gun ranges. He had never seen bullets hitting anything IRL so he didn't know that bullets are made of soft lead and get somewhat squished before falling straight down along the wall.
