Gunfights and Films - Urban New York Edition

Gunfights and Films - Urban New York Edition

Gritty, urban streets and the shady dealings of gangland activity are what drives these two films set in New York in the 60's and 70's. American Gangster tells us the true story of Frank Lucas and his rise and fall in being a Crime Boss. Dead Presidents follows the story of two young men that turn to robbery to help out their woes. Both stories show the various sides of cause and effect in crime that is both fictionalized as well as based on actual events in our history in poverty stricken cities of America. There are some intense scenes that feature gunfights, gunshots and amazing dialogue. Let's take a look at these urban classics.

American Gangster is the 2007 biographical crime drama that centers on the life of Frank Lucas, a low level gangster working out of Harlem who in the late 1960's rose to power after devising a way to smuggle a pure form of heroin to the States directly from the Far East during the height of the Vietnam War. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Denzel Washington as Lucas and Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts, a New Jersey detective who was instrumental in taking the crime boss down. (Ironically, both actors previously starred together in Virtuosity, in which Washington played the cop and Crowe played the criminal.)

The film opens with Bumpy Johnson  and Frank Lucas pouring gas on a man and then lighting him on fire. As the man screams in pain, Frank shoots him. Bumpy runs Harlem in 1968 and says to Frank that big business in taking over and there is no more room for the little guy. He has a heart attack and dies in a nearby store. We see other mobsters showing up to this funeral. It is seen as a huge loss in the community and the crime world struggles with what to do with his share of the neighborhoods and their dealings.

Meanwhile Richie Roberts is a New Jersey detective who is taking classes to become a lawyer and hates public speaking. He's a complex man filled with anxieties and frailties but passionate about bettering himself, to an extent.  He and his partner find a million dollars in cash and they argue about turning it in, but Richie turns it in anyway. Because Richie won't keep any of the money for himself or let his fellow officers keep it, his fellow officers mock and ridicule him. Richie is seen as weak and his coworkers aren't shy about how they feel about him and his decisions.

Frank is unhappy with the way the mob is being run and it seems he always has to pay off another mobster named Tango. Tango is an old associate of Bumpy who wants control of part of Bumpy's old territory. As Frank is having breakfast one morning Frank makes it clear to Tango and everyone else that he is the boss now. Frank takes over Bumpy's roll as community saviour and will be in charge off all illegal business dealings in those neighborhoods. As  Frank decides how he can improve business  sees on T.V. that drugs are very cheap in Vietnam and so he buys a passport and goes to visit his cousin who owns a night club in Vietnam. He comes up with a plan that succeeds for quite some time. Frank makes a deal with his cousin to bring heroin back to the U.S. by smuggling it in coffins of dead soldiers returning from Vietnam. He goes to Nam to talk to his future provider directly. Since there is no middle man, Frank can sell heroin cheaper than anyone else in New York; it is also pure heroin nicknamed "Blue Magic."

Richie's marriage is failing because his wife says he doesn't spend enough time with their son. After they divorce, his wife says she and her son are moving to Vegas. Richie struggles with being a good cop and a good father. He also has trouble staying out of trouble when it comes to women.

Richie gets a phone call in the middle of the night from his partner, Javier, who is flipping out because he killed a guy in his apartment, claiming the man opened fire on him. They bandage the dead guy's neck to make it look like he isn't dead. Richie tells his partner that he needs help because he is hooked on drugs, which is why he killed the guy in the first place. His partner freaks out and jumps out of the ambulance. His partner says that it was Richie's fault to begin with, because he takes drugs to forget that everybody at the police station sneers at him. It's getting tougher for Richie on the job.

Frank at this point is doing very well. He owns several nightclubs and moves his brothers and mother from North Carolina to New York. He buys his mom a very nice house, a mansion with a huge garden and gives her a vanity for her bedroom that he'd had made from his own memories as a child in North Carolina. Success seems to flow from every direction.

We see Richie trying to fight for custody but it turns out that his chances aren't that good because even though he's an honest cop he hangs out with bad people and likes to sleep with hookers. He even has sex with his lawyer. Richie once again struggles with the balance of being a good cop with bad associates and wanting to be a good father to his son. I imagine it's not far off from the everyday struggles those that work in law enforcement face when it comes to their families. Afterall, Richie was part of this true story as well.

Frank gets his brothers from the south to help him sell his drugs and gives them good money for doing their job, the were called The Country Boys. He distrusts strangers and wants to give back to his family. He works hard to build his empire and wants to hold onto it at all costs. At one point Frank, yells at one his family members for dressing too nice because he feels that if you dress too nice you draw attention to yourself. It is also at this point that he meets Eva , a Puerto Rican Beauty Queen, and falls head over heels for her. Adding a more complex level of life to Frank's empire.

Richie's partner overdoses on drugs which promotes Richie in order  to start a Narcotics Unit and go after the big guys, not any small time dealers. They aren't too successful at first so Richie decides to start on the streets. This newly formed law enforcement unit was mired down in the basic street hustles and small deals. Then Richie discovers Blue Magic and tries to figure out who could sell such powerful stuff so cheaply. Upon finding a lead  he and his partner follow a large sum of money they'd given to a dealer and take the tunnel to New York to follow it. While trying to retrieve the money he runs into detective Trupo. Trupo doesn't much care for Richie but feels it's best to return the money and tells Richie not to come back to New York again because it isn't his jurisdiction.

One fateful night Frank and his girlfriend go to highly publicized boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. He sits right up front and has better seats than some of the world's biggest entertainers. Frank also wears an expensive chinchilla fur coat and hat Eva had bought for him, and he has the opportunity to shakes hands with Joe Louis. Richie sees all of this and figures it's a good time to get the license plate number from the limo Frank was riding in. Richie is not the only one who notices Frank is doing a little too well. Trupo stops Frank's car crammed with drugs and takes them away, and tells him that he wants his share of the money he's making to the tune of 10,000 dollars each month. When he arrives home, Frank throws the expensive coat which has put him under the spotlight into the fireplace to burn.

Richie discovers that the man he saw was Frank Lucas and wants to bring him down. The only problem is Richie has no evidence that Frank is a drug dealer. The picture that Frank has painted as him being a family man and pillar of the community was difficult to break through and Richie continued to come up against road blocks when following the path of Frank Lucas.

After the wedding of Frank and Eva detective Trupo stops the couple as he wants to extort them for ten thousand dollars a month to keep his mouth shut. Frank also has to deal with local competition mobster Nicky Barnes who was trying to sell heroin under the name of Blue Magic, but Nicky has been cutting the supply and selling it himself while still using Frank's brand name. Barnes was nothing but trouble for Frank from the beginning.  Shortly after all of this Frank and his wife almost get shot by an unknown. We never find out exactly who it is, but we are lead to think that it was Nicky.

One night Richie gets lucky and sees one of Frank's men almost kill his girlfriend. Instead of putting the guy in prison they have him wear a wire. This is where Richie learns how Frank gets heroin back into the U.S. Things don't look too good for Frank now. Since the war is over he can't get his drugs back into the U.S. the way he was before.  Richie manages to search a U.S. plane but finds no drugs. He also teams up with Trupo who is more than happy to take down Frank as he blew up Trupo's car. Trupo goes so far as to search Frank's house. Richie gets into an argument with some U.S. General because Richie is making it look like the U.S. military is smuggling drugs. Richie's men find drugs in coffins located at a warehouse and invade. There is a huge shoot out and they arrest Frank while he is at church. All the pieces of the empire crumble to the ground.

Richie and Frank finally meet and Frank says he isn't concerned as to what happens to him However, Richie offers him a deal which strikes Frank's interest. If he turns in all his offshore accounts and he gives in all the corrupt cops' names, he will have a much more lenient sentence.

Frank turns in other drug dealers and crooked cops and gets his sentence reduced because he is being so helpful to police. Richie ends up relinquishing  custody of his kid and lets his wife take him to Vegas. Frank is released from prison in the 1990s.

This movie is one that I've spent a lot of time watching. In the era that all of these events occurred, Frank was a trailblazer both legally and illegally. He helped law enforcement during his time incarcerated and has assisted in the war on drugs. Let's take a look at the weapons used in this film.

 Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) carries a Fegyver és Gépgyár PJK-9HP. This weapon is chrome plated with wood grips, and has been converted for blank fire. During production the gun was set up as a "solid plug" version, meaning the barrel was completely blocked off so the gun could safely be fired close to a person's skin. This was necessary for the scene in the film where Lucas shoots a rival gangster in the forehead, and then places the gun on his chest.
There was only one FÉG pistol rented for the production, so the same gun can be seen on screen in every shot. It can be matched by the wood grain of the grips and small scratches on the frame.

 FÉG PJK-9HP - 9x19mm. This is the screen-used hero blank-fire weapon used by Denzel  Washington throughout the film.

Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) with a nickel plated PJK-9HP threatens Tango (Idris Elba) who owes him money.

 Frank with his PJK-9HP after shooting Tango.

Frank drops the PJK-9HP on his victim.

To watch the scene with Frank & Tango you can watch it here:




A MAC-10 is used by one of the drive-by shooters during a assassination attempt on Frank and his wife.

 Ingram MAC-10 open bolt submachine gun - .45 ACP

A drive-by shooting on the streets of Harlem with a MAC-10 9mm.

 The shooter fires at Frank and his wife.

To watch the scene with the drive by you can do so here:



Detective Roberts (Russell Crowe) and various other police officers use Ithaca 37 shotguns during the raid on Frank's heroin distribution center. Another Ithaca 37 is seen in the hands of one of the thugs at the distribution center.

      Ithaca Model 37 riot version - 12 Gauge

   Detective Roberts fires the Ithaca 37 during raid.

The Colt Official Police revolver is used by various police officers throughout the movie. Both the 2" snub nosed version and the 4" standard configuration are carried.

  Colt Official Police - 4" Barrel - .38 Special

Police Officer during raid on drug factory.Note the exposed ejector rod.

To watch the Heroin House raid you can do so here:



To watch the Gangland episode featuring Frank, you can watch it here:

To see what other weapons were used in this film you can go here: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/American_Gangster

This movie is perfect for when you're in the mood for gritty truthful tale set in New York. Grab a hot dog and a soda from the corner vendor  and plop on the couch for a great film.

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Dead Presidents

This action drama was the second film by the movie-making twins, Albert and Allen Hughes. The two started their careers with the urban drama, Menace II Society, and this effort has a 70s urban setting. The style and skill of these talented filmmakers is immediately apparent and the script which they co-wrote with Michael Henry Brown has well-developed characters and great tension along with explosive action scenes framed with an engrossing small scale story. The acting is excellent, but the real star here is the Hughes direction which is cool and inspired.

We open the film in the spring of 1969, Anthony Curtis  is about to graduate from high school. However, Anthony is not going to college, but needing to get away from home to find himself, he enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps shortly after graduating high school. He is sent to Vietnam, leaving behind a middle-class family, a pregnant girlfriend, and a small time crook, Kirby, who is like a second father.

Anthony voluntarily joined the military and his close friend Skip later joined Curtis's squad after flunking out of college, and Jose, got drafted into the Army also in 1969. Once in the Marines, Curtis meets the gung-ho lieutenant, Dugan, and his wartime friend, Cleon, a religious yet deadly staff sergeant. During their tour in Vietnam as members of a Force Recon unit, they experience the horror of war, losing several fellow Marines during combat. The Marines also commit atrocities, including executing enemy prisoners and beheading corpses for war trophies. One of their squad is the victim of terror tactics of the North Vietnamese: D'ambrosio , who is disemboweled and castrated alive. While waiting for medevac, Anthony, succumbing to the request of the dying D'ambrosio, gives the man a fatal dose of morphine. One of their squad is killed by stepping on a land mine and a night ambush ensues, with NVA troops and half of Anthony's team killed; Dugan is killed after Skip can't perform during the gunfight when he is ordered to cover him. Cleon manages to hold off the enemy long enough for Anthony and the last of the crew to escape.

When Anthony returns to The Bronx in 1973, after four years of service and presumably multiple combat tours in Vietnam, i.e. multiple tours of duty, and attaining the rank of sergeant, he discovers that returning to a normal life isn't easy or pleasant. He finds his friend Skip, who used drugs during the war, is now a heroin addict. Jose, after serving as a demolitions expert, during which he lost his hand, has become a pyromaniac. Cleon is now a devoted minister. And Kirby has since become legitimate due to police cracking down on his criminal business. Anthony is laid off from his job in a butcher shop and finds himself unable to support his daughter. During a pool game at Kirby's Cowboy makes fun of Anthony and informs him that Cutty  was having sex with his girlfriend Juanita while he was deployed in Vietnam, he beats up Cowboy with a pool stick out of anger. Anthony pesters Juanita into admitting to sleeping with Cutty to provide for their daughter, in which there is speculation if the child is even Anthony's.  Anthony meets his girlfriend's sister Delilah. She is a member of the "Nat Turner Cadre", a fictional group similar to black revolutionaries.  Delilah has always had a crush on him and decides to help him with a plot he devises. Anthony, Kirby, Skip, Jose, Delilah and Cleon plan to rob an armored car making a stop at the Noble Street Federal Reserve Bank of the Bronx.

Skip and Cleon act as lookouts, Kirby is the getaway driver, Delilah waits in a dumpster across the street and Anthony and Jose hide under the loading docks, all armed. Though they plan the heist very carefully, it goes horribly wrong when a policeman stumbles on the scene by accedent. The policeman interferes, resulting in Kirby's attacking him, only to be shot in the arm, and Skip's shooting the policeman in the head. The security guards engage the robbers in a gunfight, ending with Anthony and Delilah's killing the most and Delilah's dying while saving Anthony as the truck leaves. After Kirby tries to block the truck with his car, Jose makes use of an excessive amount of explosives, destroying the armored car and burning most of the cash. They escape with what money is left, but Jose has been killed after being struck by a police car.

The surviving four try to lie low after the robbery. Cleon however begins handing out cash to members of his congregation, also buying a new Cadillac car which he obviously cannot afford. Anthony and Skip give out presents to poor children on Christmas. Cleon is finally arrested at his church and gives up the other thieves. NYPD officers storm Skip's apartment to find that he has died of a heroin overdose. As Kirby and Anthony prepare to leave the country, they are ambushed at Kirby's pool hall by the police and arrested. In court, Anthony is tried, convicted, and sent to prison for 15 years with an L. Anthony berates the judge, a war veteran himself, who also goes so far as to call him a disgrace to any person who put on uniform and served his country. Upon receiving his sentence, Anthony gets angry and throws the chair at the judge. After the court, Anthony on a police bus and goes to jail.

Not known to be a film of truly uplifting nature this movie does speak to some of the socio-economic issues of those neighborhoods and the problems in that era. Action packed and charged with an underdog plot line this movie does have a lot of intense gunfight scenes. Let's take a look at some of the weapons used.

During Anthony's tour in Vietnam, he carries an anachronistic Mossberg 590 shotgun, which wasn't introduced until 1987. In order to make the shotgun resemble a more accurate Mossberg 500, the 590's original wood has been replaced with sporting wood taken off of a 500C model.

Mossberg 590 Combat model (Parkerized) with 500C wood forearm and stock - 12 gauge. Custom assembled and photographed for IMFDB by MoviePropMaster2008.

Anthony fires his Mossberg 590 in the jungle. Note bayonet lug, heat shield, and Mossberg Sporting wood furniture. Historically, this gun would not be introduced until 1987.

Anthony realizes his shotgun is out of ammo. Note the Mossberg style chamber and trigger guard.

Many of the men in the Marine Recon unit use the M16A1 rifle. Lieutenant Dugan's is noteworthy in that it is an M16A1, but it has the original M16 three prong flash hider, indicating that it was mocked up to resemble the XM16-E1. Historically this would be unnecessary, since the M16-A1 was already widespread in the field throughout Vietnam by the 1970s.

M16A1 with 20 round magazine - 5.56x45mm

D'Ambrosio, and another member of the Marine Recon unit firing on the enemy with M16A1 rifles.

Dugan aims his M16A1, made to resemble an XM16-E1 by the addition of the 2nd model three prong flash hider.

As Anthony is the designated shotgunner, the platoon Staff Sergeant, Cleon (Bokeem Woodbine) is the designated autogunner. He carries an M3A1 "Grease Gun", which in the movie has a very memorable muzzle report and slow fire rate. The sound of fire for this weapon, is obviously taken from a much larger caliber weapon.

                                 

 M3A1 "Grease Gun" - .45 ACP

 Cleon (Bokeem Woodbine) reloads his M3A1 "Grease Gun".

                                         Cleon aims his M3A1 "Grease Gun" next to Dugan.

To watch the footage from the scenes in Vietnam you can watch it here:



During the robbery, a nickel plated model M1911A1 is used by both Kirby (Keith David), who fires a whopping 11 rounds without locking, and Skip blows alway the NYPD Officer on beat (Chris Tucker).

      Nickel plated M1911A1 - .45 ACP

Kirby (Keith David) fires on the police officer attempting to intervene in the armored car robbery with a nickel plated 1911A1.

Skip fires the nickel plated 1911A1.

The police officer who attempts to intervene in the armored truck robbery uses a Smith & Wesson Model 10. He is drawn by Kirby's 11 rounds fired from his Commander, and returns 9 of his own from his six shot revolver, making their gun battle highly fictitious. Another Smith & Wesson Model 10 is used by Joe in the planning room, and after the robbery as he fires 8 rounds without reloading at a pursuing police car.

   Smith & Wesson Model 10 HB (Heavy Barrel) Revolver - .38 Special

 Joe pulls his Smith & Wesson Model 10 in the planning room.

 The intervening police officer fires on Kirby with his Smith & Wesson Model 10.

 Joe aims his Smith & Wesson Model 10 at an approaching police car.

Delilah uses a blued Colt Government Model as well as an M1911A1 during the armored car heist.

     Colt Government Model M1911A1 - .45 ACP

Delilah armed with a blued Commander in her left hand, and a Colt Government Model in her right hand.

  No notes were given for this shot of Delilah but it captures the scene beautifully.

Delilah lies dead with an empty Colt Government Model. Somehow it managed to get into her left hand.

To watch one of the scenes from the heist you can watch it here:



This film features some amazing actors and captures the dialogue and issues of the era and neighborhoods. Well directed, action packed and hard hitting. Grab some popcorn and settle in to a film that portrays the urban life of New York.

To see what other weapons were used in this film you can go here: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Dead_Presidents

This three day weekend make sure you take a moment to look at the tactical items we're offering on sale right now here: Current specials from Cactus Tactical

Be safe out there tonight and we wish you all  a very happy New Year!

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www.USGunWorks.com

Shawn in the Korengal Valley, Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

For more info on these and other weapons
Technical specs compiled from:
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/Active_FM.html
http://world.guns.ru/index-e.html
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.militaryfactory.com/
http://www.olive-drab.com/
http://www.army.mil/
http://dok-ing.hr/products/demining/mv_4?productPage=general
http://www.peosoldier.army.mil/

"The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."

Gunfights and Films: The Fast and Furious Franchise

Gunfights and Films: The Fast and Furious Franchise

The name is this film franchise says it all, these movies move fast and furious. From the first film to the current 7th film this franchise is the gift that kept on giving. Car chase scenes that were pure magic to watch, colorful yet gritty cinematography, wild characters and epic dialogue have carried these movies into being iconic. Let's take a look at two of my favorites, the first and the fourth.

The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 action film starring Vin Diesel as Dom Torreto, a street racer who is suspected to be the head of a crew of hijackers. Paul Walker co-stars as Brian O'Conner, an undercover police officer who has to make a decision on whether or not to expose Torreto's deeds. Directed by Rob Cohen, the film would spawn a franchise of films and there are currently 7.

We open the film with a helmeted racer leads a gang of stunt drivers who hijack shipments of electronics. As we move into our next sequences we meet Brian O'Conner who is an undercover police officer, driving supercharged cars and trying to infiltrate Dominic Toretto's gang, who are suspects in the robberies. He visits Dominic's cafe, where he makes conversation with Dominic's sister, Mia, and tries to make inroads with the gang by selling performance equipment. Vince is jealous, and a fight breaks out. His girlfriend Letty begs Dom to break it up, who does so, threatening to get Brian fired.

At night, racers gather for street racing. We are introduced to more racers in this seedy underworld. Brian meets Hector, and they wait for Dom. Brian offers his car in a bet, and Dom's tech Jesse checks his car out. The spectators line the streets, lighting the way. Brian and Dom race with Johnny Tran and Edwin. Dom wins, showing Brian superior driving and timing. The racers pick up a police alert on the scanner, and everyone flees. Dom parks his car and flees on foot, and Brian helps him escape. Dom has researched Brian, but as they chat, they are surrounded by uzi-wielding bikers, who escort them to an empty lot. Johnny Tran admires Brian's car and refers to a race in the desert next month. He and his goons shoot up Brian's car, which explodes from the NOS (Nitrous Oxide) onboard.

Dom and Brian escape harm this time but have to hoof it to Dom's. When the unlikely duo arrive, a party is already in progress. Dom yells at his gang, saying Brian was the only one to help him. Vince is upset that Brian is back, and Mia breaks it up. The tensions are high but Brian is finding himself attracted to Mia and already falling in deep with Dom's core group. 

The next day Brian's boss, Sgt. Tanner , briefs him on the activity on the case up to that point. Truckers are getting nervous about the robberies, and the FBI are involved. They keep hearing about modified Honda Civics in the robberies. Brian brings Dom a wrecked Toyota Supra with a powerful engine, and starts working in Dom's garage. Vince continues to be angry with Dom's friendship with Brian, and Mia teases him.

The next day, Hector buys parts for Honda Civics from Brian, and Brian gets suspicious. He breaks into Hector's garage, but Vince and Dom have followed him. Brian convinces them he's spying on the competition for Race Wars next month. Vince is suspicious, but Dom thinks it's a good idea, and they break into Tran's garage. Brian spots possible stolen goods. Tran and his goons arrive, and Dom, Brian and Vince watch as they torture local fence Ted about stolen engines.

Brian tells the FBI, but wants to resist moving in on Tran until they have more evidence. His boss thinks he's too soft on Torretto and has gone too deep into his cover. The two have more heated exchanges throughout the film. 

The next day, Dom takes Brian into confidence and shows off his supercharged 1970 Dodge Charger, one he never drives. Dom says it has too much power. As they spend time with the Charger Dom reveals to Brian the story of how Torreto ended up in jail and how he pummeled a man after he found out his father died. 

Over dinner, Brian and Mia talk about Dom, then Mia shows off her driving skills. At the same time, another robbery is in progress, and Brian gets a call from his boss that they are moving in on Tran in the morning. The raid goes off with Brian wearing a hood to keep his identity hidden, but Tran's gang gets out for lack of evidence as the suspicious goods proved to be purchased. Sgt. Tanner cautions Brian about falling for Mia, and tells him Dominic is the next suspect.

The next day, Brian and Dom take the rebuilt Supra for a spin, and smoke a Ferrari. Over lunch, Brian asks to get in on Dom's next job, but Dom wants to see how Brian does at Race Wars first.

We cut to a scene depicting a raucous event rife with loud music, fast cars and even faster women. Race Wars begins. Letty wins, but Jesse loses his car to Tran and refuses to pay. Tran accuses Dom of being an informer, and a fight breaks out between the two men. That night, Mia is upset with Dom, who is obviously going on another robbery. Brian confesses that he's a cop, and asks Mia to help him warn Dom about the truckers arming themselves and the FBI operations. Brian calls for a trace of Dom's cell phone. Letty's intuition has her feeling nervous about the upcoming job, but they go ahead with it. Vince jumps on the truck, but is shot at by the trucker. Lenny crashes, and Leon rescues her. Brian risks his life to save Vince as the trucker reloads his shotgun. Dom arrives and hears Brian calling for a medical helicopter, identifying himself as a cop. Dom is stunned, but Vince is the first priority. After Vince is stabilized, Dom storms off with Mia following.

Back at Dom's house, Brain confronts Dom. Jesse returns, and Tran shoots him in a drive-by. Brian gives chase, and Dom gets in the Charger to pursue as well. Dom stops in front of one of the motorcycles, sending the goon into a field, and Brian shoots Tran. Brian sees Dom fleeing, and pursues in the Supra. They race, and Dom's car begins destroys itself from the massive torque in the motor. They finish the race, but Dom hits a truck pulling out from a side street. The Charger is wrecked, and Dom is injured. As the police sirens are heard in the distance, Brian gives Dom his car and Dom escapes.

So much thrill and excitement in this film. It was the beginning of the franchise and it's still one of my favorite movies of all time. The high speed chase scenes are so well executed that everytime I watch this film I have a new found appreciation for stunt drivers and fast cars. They also use a lot of weapons in this movie so let's take a look at some of those featured in The Fast and Furious. 

Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) carries a Colt Commander as his sidearm during his confrontation with Dom. He is seen firing the pistol when chasing down Johnny and Lance.

Colt Combat Commander - .45 ACP.

  Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) holds his Commander on Dom.

                       

The Commander-style hammer is visible as Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) shouts at Brian.

  During the chase, Brian fires his pistol at Johnny Tran and Lance.

To watch the scene with the drive by Dom's house you can do so here: 

Johnny Tran (Rick Yune) and Lance Nguyen (Reggie Lee) use suppressed Micro Uzis when they pull over Brian and Dom, later using them to shoot up and cause Brian's car to explode. Lance later uses one during the climax, using it in the drive-by at Dom's house, and when being chased by Brian.

 Micro Uzi with 32 rd magazine - 9x19mm

Lance reveals his suppressed Micro Uzi.

  Lance Nguyen (Reggie Lee) shows Dom and Brian his suppressed Micro Uzi.

Lance Nguyen (Reggie Lee) holds the suppressed Micro Uzi on Dom and Brian .

To watch the scene where we first meet Johnny Tran you can go here: 

Several LAPD SWAT officers, including Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) use Heckler & Koch MP5A2s with flashlights and Navy Trigger Groups when they hit Johnny Tran's house.

Heckler & Koch MP5A2 9x19mm with Surefire 628 dedicated forend weaponlight and Navy trigger group, used in S.W.A.T.

On the left, several SWAT officers carry the MP5A2.

   Brian with his MP5A2.

  Brian holds the MP5A2 during the raid.

To see the scene where they raid Tran's house you can watch it here: 

To see what we're carrying this week in military grade and law enforcement tactical gear you can go to our site here: Tactical Mic Klips from Cactus Tactical

For more information on the weapons used in this film you can go to this site: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/The_Fast_and_the_Furious

This film was pretty ground breaking at the time as far as action sequences involving so much action with cars and racing. Action packed from start to finish. I recommend clearing the weekend because this movie is just the beginning of your Fast and Furious franchise adventure. 

Fast and Furious 

is the fourth film in the Fast and Furious franchise. In the 2009 action sequel, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) comes out of hiding to have revenge on a drug dealer who is believed to have murdered his girlfriend. In order to do so, he reluctantly reteams with Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) who's now working for the FBI. Together they try to take on the drug dealer by infiltrating his smuggling circuit. The film was directed by Justin Lin, who also directed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6.

After a successful run at hijacking fuel tanks on the highways of the Dominican Republic, Dom Toretto  leaves his girlfriend Letty  and his gang, as he is now an international criminal. Eventually, Dom's partner Han  flees to Tokyo, causing Dom to also flee. One day, in Panama, Dom receives a phone call from his sister Mia, who tells him that Letty was just murdered. Dom returns to Los Angeles, California, to find out who murdered Letty. After Letty's funeral, Dom asks his sister to take him to the site where Letty's accident occurred. At the scene, Dom finds traces of nitromethane residue that can only be purchased at one body shop in L.A.. At the body shop, he finds one of his old racing counterparts that, after being coerced, leads him to a man named David Park. Dominic finds Park and hangs him out of a window threatening to drop him and vowing to kill anyone that stands in his way of avenging Letty. He receives the information that only through a street race, arranged by Ramon Campos, can he gain access to the man responsible for Letty's death.

Meanwhile, Brian O'Connor, now an FBI agent, is assigned to track down a notorious drug lord named Arturo Braga. Brian, after chasing down a criminal on foot, receives information also leading to David Park. Both Dominic and Brian, having received the same information, are led to the underground entrance race that guarantees them a spot on the team that traffics heroin across the United States-Mexico border. During the race, Dominic and Brian outlast all of their competitors until the two of them remain and head towards the finish line neck and neck, Dominic sideswipes Brian's car ensuring that he comes in first, securing his spot on the team so that he can seek justice on Letty's behalf. Having lost the race, Brian uses his influence at the FBI to ensure that one of the other members on Braga's team, Dwight Mueller, gets arrested for "distribution of methamphetamine," in order to usurp his spot of the team. At a party, Ramon Campos, Braga's right hand man, welcomes them to the team and gives them a GPS device that will alert them to where they will begin their race. Dominic ends up in a confrontation with a racer identified as Fenix, the driver of the car that collided with Letty before firing the shot that killed her.

Dominic and Brian both receive the coordinates to meet with Campos and are transported, along with their cars by semi-trailer to the Mexican border to receive the heroin that they are to transport, from there they are to follow Fenix's lead to the other side through an underground tunnel so they aren't seen by the satellite images and forward looking infrared used to monitor the borders. After the transport, Dominic realizes that the drivers are thought of as disposable and that after successful trafficking of the product they are shot and killed in order to avoid paying them. Letty, having been in the same situation was the only driver to get away when they attempted to shoot her, it was the pursuit that led to the car crash and subsequent shooting causing her death. Dom anticipated the double-dealing because of the warning given by Gisele, Braga's liaison, in the form of the Spanish phrase "vaya con dios", set his car to explode by discharging nitrous oxide with the spark from the cigarette lighter in his car after he learns from Fenix that he was responsible for killing Letty with no remorse. Brian hijacks one of the Hummers carrying the heroin, escaping the gunfire, and heads back to the U.S., where Dominic learns that Brian was contacted by Letty, who agreed to infiltrate and collect information leading to Braga in exchange for clemency for Dominic. Brian speaks to his superiors about a plan that he has devised to trade the heroin for Braga if they will pardon Dominic.

An exchange is arranged with Campos, 6 million dollars for the heroin, provided that Braga be the one to deliver the money personally. The FBI is poised to arrest Braga at the exchange site, however, Dominic and Brian both realize that Campos is in fact Braga before the FBI does and the raid is botched. Braga evades capture and flees over the Mexican border out of the FBI's jurisdiction. Brian and Dominic head after him on their own and find him in a cathedral praying for salvation. They kidnap Braga with intent to take him back to the United States where he can be tried and imprisoned for drug trafficking, but after having taken him captive they are chased by Braga's henchmen. The chase leads to the same underground tunnels that they went through in order to transport the drugs into the United States. Once on the United States side of the border, Dominic kills Fenix by crushing him with his car and Braga is finally apprehended by the FBI, as is Dominic.

Dominic is tried for his crimes and, though Brian appealed to the courts on his behalf, is sentenced to "25 years to life without the possibility of early parole." The movie concludes with Brian, Mia, Tego, and Rico racing towards the prison bus transporting Dom to the Lompoc Penitentiary.

FBI Special Agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) carries a Glock 17 as his sidearm throughout the film. He wields it on several occasions, most notably during the chase in the beginning.

2nd-generation Glock 17 - 9x19mm

FBI Special Agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) chases a suspect in downtown L.A. with his Glock drawn.

O'Conner (Paul Walker) holds the Glock on a suspect.

O'Conner holds his Glock on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), to his surprise. Note good trigger discipline in this shot.

Fenix Calderon (Laz Alonso) uses a highly customized 1911 as his sidearm throughout the film. His 1911 has a black frame, a golden-plated and engraved slide, raised sights and custom grips.

Pre-War Colt M1911A1 Pistol Commercial - .45 ACP

Calderon cocks the hammer of his 1911. Note the custom grips and the slightly raised military-style sights.

Calderon holds the 1911 on O'Connor during the climax.

Calderon holds the 1911 as he spots Toretto speeding towards him.

To watch the scene for the first fight between Dom and Fenix in the desert you can do so here: 

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Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) uses a Mossberg 590 Mariner shotgun a couple of times when he's in Mexico with Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker). This is quite possibly supposed to be the same shotgun he carries in the first film.

       Mossberg 590 Mariner - 12 Gauge

 Dom holds his Mossberg on Campos in Mexico.

            Dom aims the Mariner.

     Toretto shoots out a tire with the shotgun.

To watch the final scene between Dom, Brian and Fenix you can do so here:

From the opening sequence with the gas truck to final scenes this movie is get up and go. A wild and entertaining ride, Grab some corona's and set up get ready for your heart to race as you watch this film this weekend. 

Try one of our keymod accessories for the keymod holidays

To see the other weapons used in this film you can go here: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Fast_%26_Furious

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Shawn in the Korengal Valley, Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

For more info on these and other weapons
Technical specs compiled from:
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/Active_FM.html
http://world.guns.ru/index-e.html
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.militaryfactory.com/
http://www.olive-drab.com/
http://www.army.mil/
http://dok-ing.hr/products/demining/mv_4?productPage=general
http://www.peosoldier.army.mil/

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