Guns of the Silver Screen: V22N7
By Kyle Shea
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
In “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” Ryan Reynolds plays Michael Bryce, a private bodyguard who used to be one of the best in the world. However, after one of his clients is killed, he falls from grace. Years later, he is approached by a friend to help protect a hitman named Darius Kincaid, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Kincaid is a witness against a brutal war criminal, who has sent out thugs to kill Kincaid. So Bryce must escort Kincaid to the trial, even though he actually hates Kincaid because of their history.
In the beginning of the movie, Michael Bryce opens a cabinet filled with various guns, including Desert Eagle Mark 1s, Colt M1911s, a Ruger Mini-14, and what looks like a harpoon bolt. The two guns he chooses to take are a pair of silenced SIG SAUER P232s. He uses the guns later in the film when he encounters Kincaid and fights him for them. The silencers are actually not real, but the pistols are.
The P232 is an upgraded version of the P230. It first went into production in 1996, replacing its predecessor. It was generally well-received, fits well in the hand and is very accurate. It is light and small, making it easy for concealed carry. It shoots either .32 ACP or .380 ACP caliber bullets, from an 8-round magazine (.32 ACP) or a 7-round magazine (.380 ACP). Production of the P232 ended in 2015, making it rare and a little difficult to find.
SIG SAUER has an interesting history. It was originally started out as a wagon company, but when the Swiss Government started a competition for companies to develop a rifle for their army, the company that would become known as SIG SAUER rose to the challenge and introduced the Prelaz-Burnand rifle. The first part of the name SIG SAUER comes from the name it gave itself in 1864: Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, or, in English, the Swiss Industrial Company. The other part is after J. P. Sauer and Sohn, a company SIG purchased in the 1970s.
While we do not have a picture of it, another gun used in the film is a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. It only appears when a caravan escorting Kincaid is ambushed, and Kincaid uses it to defend himself. The M&P 9mm is popular and is in use in a number of police departments and militaries around the world. It shoots 9mm from either a 10-round magazine or a 17-round magazine. It is one of many variants in the M&P line of pistols, which includes M&P compact, which were designed for concealed carry, and the new M&P 2.0. Other firearms used in the movie include a number of H&K MP5 variants, G36 variants, CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1, AK-47s and FN P90s.
“The Hitman’s Bodyguard” is a funny and entertaining movie. There is great chemistry between Reynolds and Jackson, leading to plenty of comedy and action scenes. The other actors are great as well. Salma Hayek plays an outstanding bad girl, and Gary Oldman does a great job as the villain. However, it was not well-received by critics and didn’t do well at the Box Office. There are a few things you see coming in the plot, but aside from that it is a great movie.
(Thanks to the movie wizards at Bapty & Co., London, for sharing the pistols used).
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V22N7 (August 2018) |
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