History Main / GoodGunsBadGuns

* Mooks in ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' who use guns most commonly use a SawedOffShotgun or a Thompson with a drum magazine, both of which Caleb also uses. His shotgun gets a "good" gun pass due to all the zombies, but his Thompson still counts as a bad gun; Caleb's not exactly a good guy himself, only counting as the "hero" in this situation because 95% of the people he murders en masse [[EvilVersusEvil are even worse than he is]]. ''Blood II'' mixes this up a bit, with the shotgun being exclusively for the player's use and machine pistols [[GunsAkimbo wielded in pairs]] making frequent appearances, but it also prominently arms [=CabalCo=]-aligned characters with Beretta 92s and M16s.

** In ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'', the mooks at Goldfinger's European plant carry weapons of Nazi German origin - mostly Walther P38s, and of course the grandmotherly gate guard who wields an MP 40. In the assault on Fort Knox, they use Kar [=98k=] bolt action rifles and MP 40 submachine guns. In contrast, the US Army troops use Thompson [=SMGs=] and some M14 rifles, and Tilly Masterson uses an AR-7 rifle, the same type of rifle Bond himself used in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'', and while her allegiance is ambiguous at first, she is ultimately revealed to be on Bond's side.

** Mostly averted with the modern films since ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}''. The bad guys' {{mooks}} almost always use modern West-made weapons such as the Heckler & Koch [=HK416=] (which Bond [[TheEnemyWeaponsAreBetter happily grabs from their dead hands]] in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''). Speaking of ''Skyfall'' though, the custom sniper rifle of Patrice might count as "bad".

* The ''[[Film/JamesBond Bond]]'' franchise:

** In ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'', the mooks at Goldfinger's European plant carry weapons of Nazi German origin - mostly Walther P38s, and of course the grandmotherly gate guard who wields an MP 40. In the assault on Fort Knox, they use Kar [=98k=] bolt action rifles and MP 40 submachine guns. In contrast, the US Army troops use Thompson [=SMGs=] and some M14 rifles, and Tilly Masterson uses an AR-7 rifle, the same type of rifle Bond himself used in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'', and while her allegiance is ambiguous at first, she is ultimately revealed to be on Bond's side.

* '''Nazi Guns''': As the primary antagonist and belligerent in the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII most devastating war in world history]] who committed countless atrocities, any firearm associated with UsefulNotes/NaziGermany near-universally identifies its carrier as a "Bad Guy". The varieties of Luger handguns (which are technically Imperial German but tend to get lumped in), Walther handguns, and the [=MP40=] submachine gun are prime examples which stand out even more thanks to how ''distinctive''-looking they all are.[[note]]It's quite likely that later firearm manufacturers specifically avoided modeling other guns on them due to this unsavory reputation.[[/note]] This last feature also makes them popular choices as a basis for futuristic "Bad Guy" weaponry in ScienceFiction and SpaceOpera works since the reputation instantly carries over. One major exception is that the [[Film/JamesBond most famous spy of all time]] most often carries a Walther PPK, a pistol otherwise issued to Nazi military officers and the personal sidearm of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler (the one he took his own life with, in fact).

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'' Downplays this. Emiya Kiritsugu uses a Calico M950 (a high capacity, high-tech looking semi-auto handgun) as his sidearm, typically a Bad Gun (especially since he's [[MoreDakka converted it to full-auto]]), but he's a dark AntiHero, not a villain.

* Played with in ''Film/TheRock''. As the antagonists are rogue United States Marines, it is they who carry iconically American weapons such as M-16 variants and 1911 pistols. The [=SEALs=] who are sent in to counter them in turn mostly carry the MP5, as befitting a hostage rescue unit.

* Zig-zagged in ''Film/TheSiegeOfJadotville''. The Irish peacekeeping force uses a collection of "western" military weapons in use at the time from British and French sources, all "good" guns. However, the Kataganese rebels use (likely seized) French [=FALs=] (a "good" gun) in addition to "bad" German Mausers. One of the mercenaries aligned with the rebels uses a Walther PPK, a classic "bad" Nazi gun.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode ''[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS4E4Nemesis Nemesis]]'', the Defenders use the British [=SA80=] assault rifle, while Kradin soldiers use a [[GoodGunsBadGuns Kalashnikov type]], both modified with plastic coverings.

Some general traits commonly differentiate the two types of guns. "Good Guns" are often BoringButPractical, or at best SimpleYetAwesome, compared to "Bad Guns" which are often [[BlingBlingBang flashier]], [[{{BFG}} bigger]], have [[MoreDakka higher capacity/a greater rate of fire]], and/or [[GunsAkimbo dual wielded]]. ConservationOfNinjutsu and ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy often play into this -- Since "Good Guys" are typically more individually competent, one way to make "Bad Guys" more threatening is to give them better guns. Thus, a single hero with a simple pistol is still threatened by a dozen incompetent {{Mooks}} with assault rifles, but can take them down without stretching disbelief too much. This idea also escalates -- if the "Good Guy" has an assault rifle, the "Bad Guy" will have a GrenadeLauncher. If the "Good Guy" has the grenade launcher, the "Bad Guy" will a [[MagneticWeapons Rail Gun]].

** Come the ''Contact'' DLC and this trope gets played with again with the new INDFOR faction, the Livonian Defense Forces, who are primarily using a gun based on the Polish MSBS with minor details from the Croatian VHS-2, [[spoiler:and like the AAF before, also end up as the real bad guys of the expansion's campaign ([[GreyAndGrayMorality somewhat]]), as they stubbornly push to destroy the alien core regardless of the warnings of their American NATO counterparts. Which forces the latter to team up with ''the Russians'', the main REDFOR faction of the expansion, who unsurprisingly comes armed with AK-platform weapons, the almost quintessential Bad Guy weapons, in order to stop the Livonians from potentially destroying the entire Earth. This makes it a rare case of good guys who are using both good and bad guns against misguided bad guys who are using weapons with somewhat ambiguous affiliations]].

** Come the ''Contact'' DLC and this trope gets played with again with the new INDFOR faction, the Livonian Defense Forces, who are primarily using a gun based on the Polish MSBS with minor details from the Croatian VHS-2, [[spoiler:and like the AAF before, also end up as the real bad guys of the expansion's campaign, as they stubbornly push to destroy the alien core regardless of the warnings of their American NATO counterparts. Which forces the latter to team up with ''the Russians'', the main REDFOR faction of the expansion, who unsurprisingly comes armed with AK-platform weapons, the almost quintessential Bad Guy weapons, in order to stop the Livonians from potentially destroying the entire Earth. This makes it a rare case of good guys who are using both good and bad guns against misguided bad guys who are using weapons with somewhat ambiguous affiliations]].

** Come the ''Contact'' DLC and this trope gets played with again with the new INDFOR faction, the Livonian Defense Forces, who are primarily using a gun based on the Polish MSBS with minor details from the Croatian VHS-2, [[spoiler:and like the AAF before, also end up as the real bad guys of the expansion's campaign, as they stubbornly push to destroy the alien core regardless of the warnings of their American NATO counterparts. Which forces the latter to team up with ''the Russians'', the main REDFOR faction of the expansion, who unsurprisingly comes armed with AK-platform weapons, in order to stop the Livonians from potentially destroying the entire Earth. This makes it a rare case of good guys who are using both good and bad guns against misguided bad guys who are using weapons with somewhat ambiguous affiliations]].

* '''Modern "Western" Military Firearms''': In large part due to their prevalence in Western media and other countries with pro-Western sentiments (Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, etc.), the firearms used by "Western" militaries often end up in the hands of "good" characters. As the standard infantry rifle of the US military since 1967, the M16 (part of the Colt AR-15 family) and its 5.56 NATO-firing cousins used by other Western militaries are a very common example. Notable inversions occur when the [[ArmiesAreEvil military is portrayed as the antagonist]] in a given work, as well as in the hands of PrivateMilitaryContractors. These weapons have also fallen into the hands of Iraqi and Afghan insurgents due to the long US military presence in both nations, but media has been slower to demonstrate this.

* Many airsoft-themed anime and manga, such as ''Manga/StellaWomensAcademyHighSchoolDivisionClassC3'', often have the Desert Eagle (a typically [[BlingBlingBang blingy]] looking HandCannon) as a weapon of choice of the BigGood. For example, Rento Kirishima, one of the nicest members of the titular club, uses an AK-47, the almost textbook example of a bad-guy gun, as her main weapon. While Karila Hatsuse, one the club's rougher members, uses the more good-guy aligned P90 instead.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfareII'' as both the Los Almas Cartel and Al-Qatala are armed with both Warsaw and NATO weaponry, such as [=M16=] and [=M4=] assault rifles. The latter is a notable case as they never carried these (and their modern gear) in the first game.

** Inverted in ''VideoGame/GhostReconAdvancedWarfighter2'', enemy soldiers are equipped with NATO weapons instead of the standard [=AKs=]. [=AKs=] are available in multiplayer matches for use by anyone.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfareII'' as both the Los Almas Cartel and Al-Qatala are armed with both Warsaw and NATO weaponry, such as [=M16=] and [=M4=] assault rifles. The latter is a notable case as they never carried these (and their modern gear) in the first game.

* '''Shotguns''': From the [[DramaticGunCock badass sound they make when cocked]], to the deep "boom" when fired, to their versatility, and the fact that they are often "''[[ShotgunsAreJustBetter just better]]''", shotguns are a popular option for the "Good Guys" in media. With their origins in the WildWest (where riding "shotgun" literally meant carrying one to defend against bandits), their lethal effectiveness in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI (Germany protested their use and considered it a ''war crime''), their use by law enforcement (a step up from a sidearm but not requiring the higher security levels to access automatic weapons), and their ubiquitousness in video games (often acquired early and never quite outclassed in sheer power within its effective range), shotguns are one of the most recognizable and accessible varieties of firearm in the world. In cases where shotguns show up on both sides, expect the heroes to use classic pump- or lever-action varieties while the villains are more likely use semi-auto or [[SawedOffShotgun sawed-off]] versions.

** The Wiki/SCPFoundation makes exclusive use of NATO-based firearms - Facility Guards spawn with an FSP-9 (based on the Heckler & Koch [=MP7=]), Mobile Task Force Privates spawn with a Crossvec (based on the KRISS Vector), and MTF Captains, Sergeants and Specialists spawn with an MTF-E11-SR (an AR-15 pattern rifle based on the Maxim Defense MDX series). All of these, including the H&K USP-based COM-18, spawn in facility armories and weapon lockers.

*** The T-800, the eponymous machine, gets a collection of "bad" guns via BallisticDiscount at a gun store. Included are a tactical black Armalite AR-18 assault rifle, an Uzi, and an AMT Hardballer .45 Longslide (with a laser sight), all fitting "bad" guns. He also gets a shotgun, a tactical Franchi SPAS-12 with folding stock, which is a semi-auto in contrast to Kyle's pump.

*** The T-800, reprogammed to protect John Conner, quickly acquires a Winchester 1887 lever-action shotgun and a M1911 pistol from the biker bar, both "good" guns hinting at his new alignment. Later, he uses an Vietnam-era M79 single shot grenade launcher as his signature weapon for the film's third act. While normally explosive firepower like that is a "bad" gun trait, it's justified given what they're up against. He also uses an M134 Minigun to destroy the police cars surrounding the Cyberdyne building. Again, MoreDakka is typically a "bad" trait but him using a handheld GatlingGood weapon like that falls under RuleOfCool.

* Sugan Man in ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' is a four-armed, villainous mutant who carries multiple weapons in battle. In addition to DualWielding an [[AnAxeToGrind ax]] and [[DropTheHammer hammer]], he is known to carry "bad" TMP machine pistols.

* Inverted in ''Fanfic/TimeTrials'', a ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' crossover fic, Redcell the Vampire Bat is part of the GoodIsNotNice Emerald Network. He wields a Welrod, a very [[RareGuns rare]] "assassin's pistol" with an integrated surpressor.

** ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'', in turn, goes the same way as ''Bad Company'' and ''4'' did, giving one starting weapon for each kit regardless of what faction you're playing as and favoring RareGuns over historical standard issue. However, there is a "Standard Issue Rifles" option for custom servers that allows for more historical accuracy by letting any kit equip whatever bolt-action rifle their faction used in the real war - with it on, any Imperial German player can equip a Gewehr 98, any American one an M1903 Springfield, etc.

** In ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare'', you fight both Middle Eastern terrorists and Ultranationalist Russians. The Russians, while armed with [=AKs=], also have H&K [=G36Cs=], which the SAS are also frequently seen using (it's Gaz's weapon of choice), and use them quite frequently alongside [=G3s=] and [=MP5s=]. Also, ''any'' generic NPC who uses a pistol is using a Beretta. Named characters play it more straight, with Captain Price's sidearm of choice being an M1911 and player character Soap usually starting levels with a USP in his holster, while BigBad Zakhaev carries around a [[RareGuns Desert Eagle]]. There was a bit of an attempt to justify it - Zakhaev is an arms dealer, so his forces carrying [=G36Cs=] is borderline justified. That they're seen carrying it in a flashback to 1996, [[AnachronismStew before even the full-size G36 entered service with the military it was designed for]], is less so.

* In ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'', the standard Carrington Institute weapons are a renamed Colt Double Eagle (a double-action version of the M1911) and FAMAS, while the opposing [=dataDyne=] tends to favor the TMP and a mocked-up [[RareGuns XM8]]. Where this starts to zig-zag is that, otherwise, a lot of the weapons are shared between both factions and others - said mocked-up [=XM8=] is also the standard-issue US military weapon, for instance, and the protagonist Joanna acting as an infiltrator in most levels means she has to use weapons [[OnSiteProcurement taken from killed enemies]] a lot of the time. It also does this for the completely fictional alien weapons later on in the game, with the good Maians using sleek, accurate, and possibly-biological blue and teal weapons that can trade off fire rate for more power, versus the bad Skedar having large and spiky black and green weapons that sacrifice accuracy for [[MoreDakka a fast rate of fire]].

** In ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare'', you fight both Middle Eastern terrorists and Ultranationalist Russians. The Russians, while armed with [=AKs=], also have H&K [=G36Cs=], which the SAS are also frequently seen using (it's Gaz's WeaponOfChoice), and use them quite frequently alongside [=G3s=] and [=MP5s=]. Also, ''any'' generic NPC who uses a pistol is using a Beretta. Named characters play it more straight, with Captain Price's sidearm of choice being an M1911 and player character Soap usually starting levels with a USP in his holster, while BigBad Zakhaev carries around a [[RareGuns Desert Eagle]]. There was a bit of an attempt to justify it - Zakhaev is an arms dealer, so his forces carrying [=G36Cs=] is borderline justified. That they're seen carrying it in a flashback to 1996, [[AnachronismStew before even the full-size G36 entered service with the military it was designed for]], is less so.

** Averted in the campaign to ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsIII Black Ops III]]'', where the clear AK analogue, the [[AKA47 KN-44]], acts as the WeaponOfChoice for basically ''every'' named character on both Winslow Accord and Common Defense Pact sides.

** The [[{{BFG}} Micro H.I.D.]] blurs the line as well. Stylistically, its a futuristic-looking LightningGun based on the H.I.D. Turret seen in ''VideoGame/SCPContainmentBreach'', rather than a real-world firearm. Gameplay-wise, getting access to it requires Tier 3 Armory access, meaning it will either be held by a MTF Captain or a Chaos Insurgency member, depending on who reaches its armory first.

** The Wiki/SCPFoundation makes exclusive use of NATO-based firearms - Facility Guards spawn with an FSP-9 (based on the Heckler & Koch MP7), Mobile Task Force Privates spawn with a Crossvec (based on the KRISS Vector), and MTF Captains, Sergeants and Specialists spawn with an MTF-E11-SR (an AR-15 pattern rifle based on the Maxim Defense MDX series). All of these, including the H&K USP-based COM-18, spawn in facility armories and weapon lockers.
** The Chaos Insurgency's weapons are much more irregular - Riflemen and Conscripts spawn with an AK (based on a mishmash of AK-pattern guns), Repressors spawn with the Logicer (a light machine gun based on the H&K MG5), and Marauders spawn with a .44 Magnum revolver (based on the Smith & Wesson Model 500) and a bullpup double-barrel pump-action shotgun (based on the DP-12, and just called the Shotgun in-game).
** The Ruger SR9c-based COM-15 blurs the line. One spawns alongside [[DeathRow D-Class]] and Scientists in Light Containment, and is easy to access for both[[note]]Four of its five spawn locations don't need a Keycard to access - the fifth, Test Chamber 1, only requires Tier 2 Containment Access, rather than Armory access[[/note]]. As such, it is seen in the hands of both until they can get their hands on stronger weaponry or until MTF/Chaos show up.

* ''VideoGame/SCPSecretLaboratory'' generally plays this straight with weapon spawning:
** The Foundation side's guns are exclusively based on NATO weaponry - Facility Guards spawn with an FSP-9 (a [[AKA47 renamed MP7]]), whilst among Mobile Task Force units, Privates spawn with a Crossvec (a KRISS Vector), and everyone else wields an AR-15 pattern rifle named the MTF-E11-SR.
** The Chaos Insurgency's weapons are a bit more irregular - Riflemen and Conscripts spawn with an AK, Repressors spawn with a light machine gun called the Logicer, and Marauders spawn with a .44 Magnum revolver and a bullpup double-barrel pump-action shotgun (based on the real-life DP-12, and just called the Shotgun in-game).
** Scientists and D-Class blur the line - as neither spawn in with any weaponry, they'll usually be seen using whatever they can get their hands on, whether that be COM-15 and COM-18 handguns found in Light Containment/Heavy Containment, Foundation weaponry looted from facility armories or weaponry taken off dead MTF or Chaos.
** The Foundation-produced [[{{BFG}} Micro H.I.D.]] is also a notable exception, being based on the H.I.D. Turret seen in ''VideoGame/SCPContainmentBreach'', rather than a real-world firearm. Nonetheless, it can be seen in the hands of anyone, though it is usually held by either MTF or Chaos, depending on who reached it first

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenonauts}}'', the standard ballistic weapons available to the eponymous heroic organization (Beretta 92, M16, Mossberg 500, FN MAG, H&K [=G3SG/1=]) are all Western guns, as is the rocket launcher (a Mk 153 SMAW); non-Western firearms like the AK and Makarov are present in the game, but only used by NPC soldiers, policemen and other armed forces in missions set in the Middle East and Soviet Union, and even then only the AK can be used by having a soldier pick one up - trying to pick up a Makarov just has it transform into a Beretta.