Poll: How much do gun goofs in books bother you?

[CountryGent]

We've all seen the endless parade of film gun goofs. In a similar vein, if one reads enough fictional works, well gun goofs will be encountered. I've seen them in both mainstream, successful authors and more obscure writers.

For example, I recently read the first of the Dirty Harry novels (not novelizations, different stories) and started a second before wandering back to the nonfiction stack. (Oh, they are utter pulp trash, but that is one of the appeals.) What was odd for a quintessentially "gun guy" film and book series, there was a lot of goofs. And I don't mean just the wacky ones like a gigantic .44 Magnum revolver with an equally huge silencer hanging off it. Naturally, there are others, often in the horror genre, that I read from time to time.

But I've meandered enough. Do the goofs ruin the book for you? Or, nah, no biggie? What were some authors and genres you found surprising to find such therein?

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[Camelfilter]

Annoying, but keep going. Depends on the overall writing.

 

[bcp]

Mostly funny, but annoying if it is an important part of the story.

Bruce

 

[TTSX]

I notice them when I read 'em but I also understand not everyone cares about this subject as much as I do and the writing is usually good enough to get the point across. I remember a large amount of the guns in the "John Masterson" (one second after) series were of the close but no cigar variety. Heck, one character took a .50 from a machine gun to the chest and took quite a long time to die from it.

 

[Member 53328]

Most the people who direct movies or write books for entertainment have no concept of the "2A culture" or "correct nomenclature." So I don't expect much from them. I set my expectations extremely low so that way I am never disappointed. Haha.

 

[3MTA3]

Depends on the book - sometimes it's giggle, sometimes it's annoyed. When I'm reading a crime novel it's much different than when I'm reading a dystopian/preparedness/survival book. If guns are not a major part of the story it will register but I mostly ignore it.

The thing that set me off the most is then the book perpetuates Hollywood gun myths like unlimited ammo, silenced full auto going pfft, pfft. etc.. I will stop reading if they push political anti gun agendas, same with movies.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

It depends on the book....

If its fiction ...mostly the goof is annoying...and I'll keep on reading.

However I do read a lot of non-fiction...and a "goof" there is more than annoying*....
Often it will prompt a book trade at a used book store.
Andy

Edit to add :
Looking at you Michael A. Bellesiles...with your book : Arming America...what a piece of sh!t...both the book and author.
Andy

 

[Alexx1401]

In books and movies it has long been frustrating. If I enjoy it otherwise though I tend to just ignore it.

 

[Xaevian]

I have gotten so used to suspending disbelief in real life, doing it for books is second nature.

 

[Capn Jack]

I The Jury, Mickey Spillane. All through the series, the good guy carries a 1911. He even makes a point of having spare parts for it, barrel, complete slide assy etc.
Then the movie came out and the hero is carrying a 1917 Revolver.
Blew the whole story for me.

That was almost as bad as Cruise's 5'8" "Jack Reacher".

 

[Stomper]

We've all seen the endless parade of film gun goofs. In a similar vein, if one reads enough fictional works, well gun goofs will be encountered. I've seen them in both mainstream, successful authors and more obscure writers.

For example, I recently read the first of the Dirty Harry novels (not novelizations, different stories) and started a second before wandering back to the nonfiction stack. (Oh, they are utter pulp trash, but that is one of the appeals.) What was odd for a quintessentially "gun guy" film and book series, there was a lot of goofs. And I don't mean just the wacky ones like a gigantic .44 Magnum revolver with an equally huge silencer hanging off it. Naturally, there are others, often in the horror genre, that I read from time to time.

But I've meandered enough. Do the goofs ruin the book for you? Or, nah, no biggie? What were some authors and genres you found surprising to find such therein?

You mean actually…. read?

 

[Texanna]

Edit to add :
Looking at you Michael A. Bellesiles...with your book : Arming America...what a piece of sh!t...both the book and author.
Andy

AHA, how many remember who that turd even is?! Well I got an article on what he was doing a few years ago (BARTENDER, glug-glug hahahahah) and he whines, "The NRA got me."

I WILL post when I have time to hunt for it on computer. Me = history major & Southerner, when that propaganda tome came out I was incredulous. Glad he was diss-graced.

 

[Stomper]

It depends on the book....

If its fiction ...mostly the goof is annoying...and I'll keep on reading.

However I do read a lot of non-fiction...and a "goof" there is more than annoying*....
Often it will prompt a book trade at a used book store.
Andy

Edit to add :
Looking at you Michael A. Bellesiles...with your book : Arming America...what a piece of sh!t...both the book and author.
Andy

ANDY!!





Language…. there's young Karens around here!

 

[quneur]

"A .22 will lodge in your lung but a 9mm will blow your lung out of your body.' I bet Goofy-in-chief plagiarized it from somewhere.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

ANDY!!





Language…. there's young Karens around here!

Welll....
Speaking of sh!t....I have so much contempt for that book...
That in the height of the TP shortage...I wouldn't have use that book for a TP replacement....

Butt...Err...but in the interest of the sensibilities of Karens.everywhere...
I will desist in comments about that malodorous piece of trash....
Andy

 

[Stomper]

"A .22 will lodge in your lung but a 9mm will blow your lung out of your body.' I bet Goofy-in-chief plagiarized it from somewhere.

My money is on that it came straight from his a$$….

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have to admit, it's a rare thing to find a goof in the books read, most authors are pretty savy, and even the one ( I know his research assistant personally) ether fake it well, or spends the time to get the details right! My most recent reads by a relative new comer Jack Carr are as accurate as they get, and the writings are excellent, almost as good as a Clancy Novel!
I have run into goof in the past, most were forgivable, but a few did cause me to wonder if the author ever even bothered to get the details so they wouldn't sound like such an bubblegum, but again, most were minimal, so no harm no foul!

 

[gmerkt]

I dislike reading anything not factual in any work of non-fiction. Recently I was reading a book about the USS New Orleans, CA-32. There was mention of one sailor who was aboard the original commissioning crew, all the way through the war, got his commission as an officer, and wound up being the commanding officer of the ship at the time it was decommissioned in 1962. I had to scratch my head on that one for a while; those would be very unusual circumstances. As a mustang officer to go that distance on one ship, no time away for service schools, etc., what's more, a cruiser is commanded by a full captain (four stripe), I'd think it would be a very rare mustang officer in the USN who'd make full captain.

Then I went to the internet. The New Orleans was decommissioned in 1947, not 1962. The sailor in question did get promoted to CWO, then commissioned officer. But never commanded a cruiser, he skippered a couple of lesser ships and retired as a LCdr or Cdr, I forget which. It is true that he was a plank owner and stayed with the ship through decommissioning.

 

[OldBroad44]

If it's a novel and guns are only a minor component rather than something the hero or heroine carries regularly I might be annoyed if they flip the safety on a revolver and read past it if I'm really enjoying the characters and plot otherwise. I've already invested time and maybe money reading that far. But I remember the gun error and it influences whether after finishing the book I immediately go to Amazon and try something else from that author. If the hero or heroine carries, and author screws up on gun stuff, I get genuinely irritated, and will probably put an electronic note in the ebook on the first page so I don't reread the book or buy anything else by that author. It's not just the gun issue. It's that I like the nonfiction in fiction books to be real. And if the author hasn't done enough homework to avoid having a gun-carrying supposedly gun-competent protagonist screw up I figure the author is screwing up other "facts" too.

What bothers me more than the occasional mistake about guns is a protagonist who proceeds to do dangerous stuff unarmed. I haven't much tolerance for female protagonists who get themselves into dangerous situations needlessly, for example, and then need to be rescued by males or luck. Femaleness is no excuse for stupidity or incompetent. I don't like protagonists who are stupid or incompetent, whether male or female.

In non-fiction such as articles or videos about guns I opt out at the first mistake. Or the first statement as to how some particular gun is the best for everyone or for all circumstances.

 

[P7M13]

Typically, if I get far enough in and encounter inaccuracies, the hook is already set and I'll keep reading without much bother.