The Latest from Cactus Tactical: Spotlight On Guy Ritchie

Gunfights and Films

Spotlight On Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK on September 10, 1968. Ritchie delves into the gritty underworlds of England's crime genre with darkly beautiful cinematography and epic gun fights. Today we are going to take a look at 3 of my favorite films from this director.

#1 Snatch: Released in 2001 this film includes a myriad of shady characters thick with English slang, clever street names and one misfortune after another with an ending that twists and turns like a pig's tail. The film starts with a heist and a barrage of gun fire. This sets the tone for the whole movie. This opening scene will be the first one we look at. The main character in this time frame is a gentleman known as Franky Four Fingers who has a penchant for gambling and ending up in some tough spots. Franky has just pulled off a heist in Antwerp and our tale unfolds as it follows the path of an illustrious diamond. Franky's weapon of choice to arm his henchman with is second generation Glock 17 pistols.

A Generation 2 Glock 17 - 9x19mm parabellum.

Franky's partners grab the Glock 17 pistols that are strapped to his chest.

https://youtu.be/MpGTn-Z6WbA

As the film continues, we watch as our characters become more enmeshed and we watch their various relationships develop. We are introduced to a gentleman known as Bullet Tooth Tony and he is known to to be someone who is very hard to kill. Tony ends up in a situation with another gentleman who can't be killed by the name of Boris. Just like any regular bad ass Bullet Tooth carries guns that have proven themselves in the field. He is most attached to his custom two-toned "Desert Eagle point-five-oh" with a stainless frame and black slide and barrel, with the flat surfaces on the slide polished. Cousin Avi also tries to use the Desert Eagle in a later scene. The Desert Eagle used in the movie is the Mark I model and actually appears to be the .44 Magnum version, judging by the size of the bore. We are first introduced to this weapon in the scene prior to the hallway debacle when three amateur thieves attempt to rob Tony.

Tony lays his Desert Eagle "point five-oh" on the table. Note the teardrop safety found only on the Mark I models, which means that his Desert Eagle cannot be chambered for .50 AE (since the Mark I was never available in this caliber). It also features the stainless steel frame noted by the -S in the serial number.

When Tony finds Boris in the hallway causing trouble he shoots several times but Boris simply won't be put down.

Tony shoots Boris the Blade, who refuses to die despite having an entire magazine emptied into him. Note that he fires a total of 8 rounds in this scene, which suggests that his Desert Eagle is actually a .44 Magnum model rather than .50 AE.

https://youtu.be/C55Zfeod8PI

Schematics aside this film has all the action packed frenzy one could hope for. If you haven't had a chance to see this film yet, you will love it. If you haven't watched it in awhile, it's time to refresh the memory. To find a full listing of all the firearms used in this film please go to http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Snatch and read up on the weapons in Snatch.

#2 Lock, Stock snd 2 Smoking Barrels: Released in 1998 this film follows the wayward adventures of a group of friends that bumble through owing a very powerful man a very large sum of money. We watch them get tangled in sheisty dealings, crazed English gangsters and the journey of two special shotguns. Stylish, quick moving cinematography and a unique dialogue make this film a cult classic. Ritchie delivers a power packed punch of film. The first scenes we will look at is the introduction of the antique rifles and their wild ride through different sets of hands. The first time we see them is as they are being robbed from some elderly folks in a mansion filled with antiques. Our inept criminals manage to score the guns but they have a small price to pay when a butler decides to take matters in his feeble hand.

The two criminals that initallly liberate these guns from their owner are Dean and Gary. Dean and Gary are sent after the rifles for the Alpha Male of the film known as Hatchet Harry. Harry is known for his temper and his lack of patience for excuses. He also happens to love a fixed card game, which is what gets our intrepid group of friends into a lot of trouble later in the movie.

The butler on his back after the recoil knocked him down.

Nick the Greek showing Tom the shotguns after buying them from Dean and Gary.

With the introduction of the rifles we must introduce you to Bacon, Soap, Tommy and Eddie. These four are the ones who are the center of this crime comedy. The antique rifles pass through this groups hands initially thanks to Nick the Greek and after some twists and turns end up back in their possession by the end of the film.

Now, the primary gunfight scene actually takes place toward the end of the film when all parties involved realize that Bacon, Soap, Tommy & Eddie are responsible for all of their criminal world's going wonky. As the scenes play out over the course of a few minutes we watch two separate groups of criminals go after each other with a hail of bullets. There are no words for this meley so just give it a watch:
https://youtu.be/u6-NHK-GzwU

All sorts of weaponry are used in this film but if you'd like more information on what those were please take a look at http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Lock,_Stock_and_Two_Smoking_Barrels.

#3 Sherlock Holmes: Released in 2009 this film is the Guy Ritchie adaptation of the crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. With brooding film work, dark British scenery and the quick wit of Holmes this movie was a well received remake and had a sequel as well. Everyone has a gun in this film but we're going to take a look at what Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson were carrying.

Several characters in the film employ Webley Bulldog Revolvers. Based upon their short 2.5" barrels and lack of a rammer/ejector, those wielded by Dr. John Watson and American Ambassador Standish are most likely to be No.3 'R.I.C.' models in .442 calibre. These weapons fired a black powder cartridge and were gate loaders, unlike the later and more memorable "top break" Webleys.

Holmes and Watson with their Webleys.

Another win for Ritchie, Sherlock Holmes is action packed and fun to watch. If you haven't had a chance to see this film, there is no time like the present. If it's been awhile, it might be time to dust it off & give a watch.
For more information on the weapons used in this film go to http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(2009)