History Main / NoRangeLikePointBlankRange

* Exagerrated in ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}''. Aiming a gun at people, from any other distance will usually result in either the gun never going off, barely doing damage or missing entirely. [[spoiler:Mikado]] actually has a gun that can ''only'' fire on contact and they even need [[spoiler:Celty to reverse the damage after Mikado uses it to shoot Masaomi in the leg and himself in the head]].

* In the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series, one of Dante's signature moves is the "Stinger", a charging stab with his broadsword that closes the distance between him and his target. ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' introduced the "Gun Stinger", the same move performed with a [[ChargedAttack charged]] shotgun blast in order to invoke the trope of shooting the target at point-blank range. Against smaller targets, {{knockback}} ensues from the blast. Its [[ButtonMashing Crazy Combo]] variant is even aptly named "Point Blank", as Dante follows up with more blasts. "Gun Stinger" returns in the next classic continuity games.
** Unfortunately, Dante's version of "Gun Stinger" got {{nerf}}ed in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' as he now lacks a follow-up blast after a point-blank shot. Lady's version of it in the [[UpdatedReRelease Special Edition]] is named "Rush Hour" instead, and its follow-up is named "Ground Zero".
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' returned to the move's original roots and [[BalanceBuff improved upon it]] unlike the previous game, as Dante now has three follow-up offshoot moves after firing "Gun Stinger".

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', one of Dante's signature moves is the "Stinger", a charging stab with his broadsword that closes the distance between him and his target. ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' introduced the "Gun Stinger", the same move performed with a [[ChargedAttack charged]] shotgun blast in order to invoke the trope of shooting the target at point-blank range.

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Grace [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/parable-183 threatens]] Susan with pistols held just above her body.

* Exagerrated in ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}''. Aiming a gun at people, from any other distance will usually result in either the gun never going off, barely doing damage or missing entirely. [[spoiler:Mikado]] actually has a gun that can ''only', fire on contact and they even need [[spoiler:Celty to reverse the damage after Mikado uses it to shoot Masaomi in the leg and himself in the head]].
* In the first story arc of ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic,'' Kurz finds Gauron's unusual Arm Slave too agile and elusive to get a clear shot at, so he fakes being out of ammo in order to lure Gauron into close-range combat so that he can hit him in the face with a round from his giant mech's rifle. [[spoiler:Damn Lambda Driver...]]

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': It's a frequent necessity for Akira to get closer to enemies to increase the damage output of his guns. Actually, using them like this frequently results in either a WreckedWeapon or losing AnArmAndALeg, which eventually prompts Akira's transition to SwordAndGun as well as getting gun models with their own DeflectorShields. In one notable case, due to GravityScrew effects of a type of gas used by the enemy that slows down bullets, Akira realizes that the gas doesn't go down the barrel of his guns and executes opponents like this.

Often overlaps with ClickHello. Compare ShortRangeLongRangeWeapon for when you're not supposed to use guns at close range, but do anyway. Contrast ArbitraryMinimumRange. See ShortRangeShotgun for a class of guns that people expect to be this trope. See also BoomHeadshot.

* In ''Anime/PumpkinScissors'', the main weapon of the 901st Anti-Tank Troopers was a [[HandCannon 13mm handgun]] that can penetrate the weakest parts of a tank's armor, killing the operator(s). The catch is is that the only way to make effective use of the gun is to basically walk right up to the tank and blast away at point-blank-range. For obvious reasons, the weapon was considered too impractical (not to mention suicidal) for a normal human to use; but the 901st [[SuperSoldier weren't normal humans anymore]].

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': It’s a frequent necessity for Akira to get closer to enemies to increase the damage output of his guns. Actually using them like this frequently results in either a WreckedWeapon or losing AnArmAndALeg, which eventually prompts Akira’s transition to SwordAndGun as well as getting gun models with their own DeflectorShields. In one notable case, due to GravityScrew effects of a type of gas used by the enemy that slows down bullets, Akira realizes that the gas doesn’t go down the barrel of his guns and executes opponents like this.

* Defied in ''Anime/{{Trigun}}''. Dominique the Cyclops tried this on Vash the Stampede not once but ''three'' times by using her [[HypnoticEyes Demon's Eye]] to dazzle him. However, each time Vash's superhuman reflexes allowed him to avoid getting killed, only getting grazed the third time. She would've tried again if Vash hadn't figured out her secret and turned the trope against her, shooting out her eye shutter to prove it doesn't affect him anymore.

** In R2 Turn 18 (Episode 43 of the overall series), [[BloodKnight Luciano Bradley]] tries to fire a surprise Slash Harken on his [[HumongousMecha Percival]]'s head at [[ActionGirl Kallen]]'s [[MidSeasonUpgrade new Guren S.E.I.T.E.N.]], intending to hit her at extremely close range. Unfortunately for him, catching Slash Harkens with her Guren's fork knife is something she's done before. [[spoiler:This gets Luciano ''killed,'' too, as Kallen responds by grappling the Percival and frying it into exploding with her Guren's [[FacepalmOfDoom Radiant Wave Surger]].]]
** In Turn 22 (Episode 47), however, [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Suzaku Kururugi]] and his Lancelot Albion, ''successfully'' attempt this against [[ChildProdigy Monica Krushevsky]], the Knight of Twelve, in his CurbStompBattle against the Knights of the Round. Monica [[KilledMidSentence doesn't even get the chance to finish Suzaku's name]] before he blasts her Florence into oblivion with the Albion's V.A.R.I.S. Rifle.]]

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass R2'', [[BloodKnight Luciano Bradley]] tries to fire a surprise Slash Harken on his [[HumongousMecha Percival]]'s head at Kallen's [[MidSeasonUpgrade new Guren S.E.I.T.E.N.]], intending to hit her at extremely close range. Unfortunately for him, catching Slash Harkens with her Guren's fork knife is something she's done before. [[spoiler:This gets Luciano ''killed,'' too, as Kallen responds by grappling the Percival and frying it into exploding with her Guren's [[FacepalmOfDoom Radiant Wave Surger]].]]

** A discussed aversion in ''3'' when Garrus and Tali at one point discuss what the most difficult mission they've been on was. Garrus says it was the dead [[spoiler:Reaper]] ship, and when Tali protests that ship was full of Husks which run right up to you to attack he points out the differences in their WeaponOfChoice: while she uses a [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotgun]] he uses a sniper rifle, not well suited for close-quarters combat.

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass R2'', [[BloodKnight Luciano Bradley]] tries to fire a slash haken at Kallen's [[MidSeasonUpgrade new Guren SEITEN]] at extremely close range. Unfortunately for him, catching slash harkens with her fork knife is something she's done before.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' has Braig, [[TheGunslinger Xigbar]]'s Somebody, firing his crossbows repeatedly at Xehanort's head. All [[AutomaticCrossbows twenty shots]] are deflected at a range about half the length of his crossbow barrel; so he ''positions the bolt between Xehanort's eyes''. In a subversion, he doesn't get the chance to fire before Xehanort levels his [[AnAxeToGrind Keyblade]] at Braig's neck.

[[folder:Web Originals]]
* On ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' Church manages to subvert this trope hilariously in one episode of ''Reconstruction''. Church normally uses the SniperRifle with [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy comical inefficiency]], but surely he couldn't miss using a pistol from a foot away, right? WRONG! Not only does he fail to kill the target, he manages to empty an entire clip of ammo without even grazing his target (who is ''standing still'') once.
* Nerf War rules according to ''WebComic/PennyArcade'': When the opponent is cornered and out of ammo, it is acceptable to finish them off [[MundaneMadeAwesome 'execution-style']].
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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII'': Skull Cannons of Khorn are mobile artillery pieces that fire their cannons while charging into melee while MultiTrackDrifting in SpinAttack maneuvers.

* In ''Film/ANewHope'', Greedo and Han Solo just happen to be conversing at a close enough distance for Han to shoot the bug-eyed green guy square in the abdomen to save his own skin. Amusingly, the infamous [[AdaptationalSelfDefense "Greedo shoots first" alteration]] to the GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion has Greedo [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin shoot at Han first]] and Han manages to somehow ''[[DodgeTheBullet dodge]]'' at this distance. Things then go UpToEleven in the 2011 Blu-Ray re-release, where they fire at each other more or less simultaneously and Han still dodges, all still at point-blank range.

This can obviously apply to things other than guns. While "point blank" has specific meanings in both ballistics [[note]][[NoArcInArchery The distance out to which, when the sights are exactly the center of a target, some part of a target, top to bottom, will be hit]] (this depends on a weapon, can include a minimum range, and can imply human-sized, tank-sized, or other types of targets)[[/note]] and forensics [[note]]Firing closer than 3 feet without actually pressing the weapon against the target: if the barrel is pressing, it's
"contact range".[[/note]], anything sufficiently close qualifies for this trope.

* ''Film/TheCorruptor'' has the titular AntiHero, Nick, executing more than one triad mook in this fashion, firstly in the opening shootout when he blows a mook's face from less than an inch away and later in a brothel shootout where he sneaks up on another mook and shoots him in the temple from up close. WordOfGod states that the director of photography is inspired by a certain [[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/world/asia/vietnam-execution-photo.html Vietnamese photograph]].

* ''Film/JohnWick'' will often pointblank his enemies in crowded situations like in the big nightclub shootout, often using sambo techniques to take down his foes prior to either a finishing BoomHeadshot or a DoubleTap.

* Much like the ''Series/BurnNotice'' example below, ''Film/KissKissBangBang'' demonstrates how flawed this can be. When menaced by a man sticking a gun into his back, Perry points out that professionals keep at least five feet away, to avoid them having their gun taken away... then proceeds to do exactly that to his would-be kidnapper.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', one of Dante's signature moves is the "Stinger," a charging stab with his broadsword. ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' introduced the "Gunstinger," the same move performed with a [[ChargedAttack charged]] shotgun blast.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', one of Dante's signature moves is the "Stinger," a charging stab with his broadsword. ''Devil May Cry 3'' introduced the "Gunstinger," the same move performed with a [[ChargedAttack charged]] shotgun blast.

** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''[='s=] backstory ([[AllThereInTheManual as detailed by]] the MSV design line), there's a [[TheEmpire Zeon]] AcePilot named [[AFatherToHisMen Brenev Auggs]], "[[TheRedBaron The One-Shot Killer]]"; he accomplishes this feat by using this trope, pressing his gun's muzzle against the enemy machines' fuselages.