Misused: Cool Guns

1. "weapons that are often given that special close-up, spot on the cover, or speech extolling their virtues."
2. "...guns so widely used that you just can't get away without having them, since these too often get special attention from the cameraman."

Both of these criteria have one thing in common, the gun must be given special focus from either the camera or a character gushing about it. I did a wick check which had the following results:

• Correct 0/52
• "Gun is cool" 2/52 | 3.8%
• Covered by another trope 8/52 | 15.3%
• "Guns exist" 18/52 | 34.6%
• ZCE 9/52 | 17.3%
• Pothole/In-line wick 14/52 | 26.9%

Now there was a previous TRS attempt at this trope in which the OP noted a similar problem that the page was being used as a Useful Note. This thread is what led to the creation of the UsefulNotes.Guns Of Fiction pages.

My original concerns arose out of the TRS thread for Rare Guns, where I discovered that the subpages for Cool Guns were near-exact duplicates of Guns of Fiction. Given that it was created by the previous TRS thread, it appears that the thread clocked out and no cleanup was done for Cool Guns. As a side note, there was also a biref discussion on whether or not Guns of Fiction was even necessary on this site, since the list is already covered by the Internet Movie Firearms Database. It didn't come to a clear resolution, but it seemed in favor of cutting the GoF pages as well. May or may not be relevant, depending on how this thread goes.

Given the wick check, this usage extends to how the trope is used in general. Even being generous, only two wicks mentioned a gun being cool as the Troper's opinion, rather than an In-Universe reaction. Most of the misuse is the non-trope worthy "guns exist" variety so I propose for disambiguation.

Some disambiguation targets that came up in the wick check:

• Abnormal Ammo
• Arm Cannon
• Bling-Bling-BANG!
• Combo Rifle

Other possible targets that might make a gun "cool":

• Backwards-Firing Gun
• BFG
• Fantastic Firearms
• Gun Accessories
• Gun Porn
• Ikea Weaponry

1. Film.The Wolfs Call: Captain Grandchamp must take a rocket launcher out of the weapons cache in the sub to shoot down an attacking helicopter.
2. Toys.Nerf Brand: In a manner of speaking. The Vulcan is a belt-fed man-portable machine gun, the Longshot and Longstrike are sniper rifles, the Stampede is a carbine, the Maverick and Spectre are single-action revolvers, the Snapfire is a double-action revolver, the Rayven is a semi-automatic bullpup blaster, the Alpha Trooper, Rampage, and Raider are slam-fire shotguns, the Barrel Break is a sawn-off... yep, they're all cool in their own ways.

1. Characters.Arknights Snipers A To M: [Ambriel] Her Sniper Rifle looks to be a decorated Lee-Enfield. Bling-Bling-BANG!.
2. Characters.Bakuten Shoot Beyblade Primary: [Borg] All of Borg's shooters resemble and work like guns, just ones that shoot beys instead of bullets. Abnormal Ammo.
3. Characters.Batman Arkham Series Rogues Gallery Knight: [The Arkham Knight] His main weapons are two handguns which have been customized to be able to merge together and become an instant take-down sniper's rifle. Combo Rifle.
4. Characters.Fate Grand Order Archers N To Z: [Robin Hood] Not a gun but a bow in his case, which is in the shape of a crossbow that is mounted on his left arm. Arm Cannon.
5. Characters.Goldfinger: He wields a gold-plated Colt Official Police as his sidearm, although he uses a gold-plated Colt 1908 in the book. He and Bond struggle over later on his plane during the climax. The gun eventually fires, breaking a window and sucking Goldfinger out. One of Goldfinger's guards also pulls one on Bond when Bond escapes from his cell. Bling-Bling-BANG!.
6. Characters.Fist Of The North Star Lost Paradise: [Targa] Dual wields customized and very engraved M1911s and also a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun. Bonus points when you realize that having ONE functioning firearm, let alone three, is a huge deal in the apocalypse of the North Star. Bling-Bling-BANG!.
7. Film.Charlies Angels Full Throttle: Madison Lee wields two gold-plated Desert Eagles. She also has a custom gold-plated engraved Walther PPK/S as her backup weapon. Bling-Bling-BANG!.
8. Film.End Of Days: Jericho storms the Satanists' headquarters at the end with an Hechler & Koch MP-5 with an underbarrel Grenade Launcher. Grenade Launcher.
9. VideoGame.Parasite Eve: Though never referred to with a manufacturer's name, all the basic model numbers are accurate to real-life firearms (the textures considerably less so, at least until PE2), and a keen eye turned to PE1's roster can spot everything from the trusty Colt M1911A1 to the (normally disposable) AT4 rocket launcher to the Desert Eagle. A large chunk of the better guns in the game are found in the Chrysler Building. A.K.A.-47.

1. AmericanDad.Tropes A To E: Very popular in the first season. There's even "Stannie Get Your Gun" which shows both sides of the American gun law debate, albeit ending with a "guns are good" stance.
2. BioShockInfinite.Tropes A To H: The weapons in general all have a considerable weight to them, from the Mauser pistol to the Pepper Mill.
3. Characters.Blade Runner Corporations: [Luv] Her double-barrelled blaster pistol◊.
4. Characters.A Certain Magical Index Dark Side: [Nishio] Like most DA operators, he uses a Heckler & Koch G36C.
5. Characters.Kamen Rider Gaim Mitsuzane Kureshima: [Ryugen] The Budou Ryuhou ^note Grape Dra-gun in Budou Arms.
6. Characters.Super Sentai Vs Power Rangers The Liveblog 2: [Tim] The Shutter Busters, given a custom black-and-white paint job and nicknamed "Ebony" and "Ivory".
7. Characters.X 23 Rogues Gallery: [Gabby] Gabby carries a MAC-10 during "Four Sisters."
8. Characters.You Only Live Twice: [Tanaka] He owns MBA Gyrojet guns and demonstrates them to Bond. He is seen using one in the Final Battle.
9. Film.The Bridge At Remagen: Sergeant Angelo carries a German MP 40 throughout the movie, probably also as a character establishing trait.
10. Film.Heat: We might as well list the roster, and see if you agree.
    • Hanna and McCauley's respective sidearms for starters; Hanna favours a Colt Officer's ACP with ivory grips, while McCauley uses a H&K USP at first, before switching to a SIG-Sauer P220.
    • Used in the armored car robbery:
      • Waingro carries a Star Megastar pistol, which he uses to execute the first guard.
      • Cheritto carries two guns - a Ruger KP90 pistol in a crossdraw holster on his tactical vest, and an FN FAL 50.61 Paratrooper rifle as his primary weapon. He uses the latter to shoot the third guard.
      • Shiherlis carries an M733.
      • Neil uses an automatic Colt M654 to mow down the second guard.
      • Trejo carries a Norinco Type 56-1.
    • In the bank robbery shootout:
      • Neil and Shiherlis are using Colt M733s. In the bank, when they have their masks on, to tell them apart, Neil has a dark black suit and Shiherlis has a gray suit.
      • Cheritto is using an IMI Galil.
      • Hanna uses a FN Herstal FNC-80.
      • Detectives Casals, Bosko and Schwartz both use M16A1 assault rifles.
      • Sergeant Drucker has a Mossberg 590 shotgun, and later uses his Beretta sidearm after his shotgun runs out of shells.
    • During the drive-in shootout:
      • Shiherlis covers McCauley from afar with an HK91 fitted with a bipod.
      • Cheritto takes out the truck driver before he can get away with a Benelli M3 shotgun.
      • The assassin tries to kill McCauley with a Steyr TMP. This was notably the second appearance of that gun in
11. Film.The Man From Hong Kong: Wilton has a Sterling submachine gun (possibly an Actor Allusion to Lazenby's Bond using one in the climax of On Her Majesty's Secret Service?). It only succeeds in shooting his furniture though.
12. Film.The Quick And The Dead: Fully invoked, as Raimi had the different characters use a vastly different array of guns instead of giving everyone Colt Peacemakers, as some westerns were wont to do.
    • The Lady uses an EMF Hartford Single-Action Army.
    • Herod carries a Remington 1875 normally but uses twin Colt "Civilian" Single-Action Armys in the fights.
    • The Kid uses a Cimarron Arms Single-Action Army.
    • Cort uses a Colt 1851 Navy.
    • Ace Hanlon uses a Colt Single-Action Army.
    • Gutzon uses a cap-and-ball LeMat 1861 model.
    • Dog Kelly uses a Colt 1860 Army.
    • Sergeant Clay Cantrell uses a Roger & Spencer .44, mounted on his belt with a swiveling "Bridgeport Rig" so he can fire without drawing.
13. Film.The Rocketeer: The FBI Agents and the Police use Colt Official Police revolvers, while the mobsters use Colt 1911 pistols and Colt 1903/1908 Hammerless Pistols. Also, in a nod to the comic books, The Rocketeer uses a Mauser C96 near and during the climax. In the comics, the Mauser C96 Broomhandle was his weapon of choice. In the climax, all the gangsters and G-men use Thompson sub-machine guns with drum magazines because, well, it's a pastiche of 1930s pulp adventure comics and movies.
14. Film.Tears Of The Sun: Let's see: M4A1, M249 SAW, M60E4, HK MK23 and a Sig Sauer P226.
15. Franchise.Lupin III Except for Goemon, each character has their preference.
    • Revolvers: Jigen loves his "Magnum".
    • Handguns: Lupin carries a Walther P-38.
    • Fujiko has the Browning M1910.
    • Handguns: Inspector Zenigata carries the Colt .45
16. Manga.City Hunter: A lot. Colt Python, Smith & Wesson Model 29, Desert Eagle, Colt M1911, and many more.
17. TabletopGame.Clue: The original guns in the British edition(s), a Dreyse M1907 and a gold Walther PP.
18. VideoGame.Gun: The game has a wide variety of Old West era firearms ranging from the usual Colt Single Action Army/Winchester Rifle/Double Barreled Shotgun load out to weapons which were common in real life but appear less often in fiction, such as the Colt 1851 Navy and Schofield revolvers all the way to rare guns such as the Ferguson Rifle and the Nock Gun. The Ferguson Rifle deserves a special mention, as its coolness is commented on a couple of times.

1. Characters.Academy Of Merlin Justus: [Cole] Very good with shooting.
2. Characters.The Blockbuster Buster: [Eric] The Caretaker
3. Characters.Make A Good Level X: [Umbra] See Improperly Placed Firearms below. IPF only states character uses real-life guns.
4. Characters.Ressha Sentai To Qger: [Haru] Form Trigger, his default weapon.
5. Creator.Anna Akana: Anna loves to show off her prop gun.
6. DarthWiki.Alchemist Jacket Panic: The United States and its allies have TONS. The VC and NVA, not so much, though Les Collaborateurs have managed to get their hands on a few.
7. VideoGame.Army Of Two: All the entries appear in Army of Two.
8. VideoGame.Far Cry 2: A fair bit of that page's list is present and correct, save for the reversed models.
9. WebVideo.Skallagrim: In a change of pace, he tests and demonstrates the KRISS Vector.

1. Characters.Half Life Player Characters: [Adrian] [Walking Armory] Over the course of his journey, he acquires a pipe wrench, a combat knife, a Laser Sighted Desert Eagle, several alien Living Weapons, an M40 sniper rifle, and various other Cool Guns.
2. Characters.Project X Zone: [Guns Akimbo] Reiji has a revolver called Gold and a shotgun named Hollywood. Xiaomu wields Silver and Platinum.
3. Characters.Zombieland: [Columbus] [Shotguns Are Just Better] As his allies gather up submachine guns and semi-automatic shotguns, Columbus insists on sticking with his IGA Coach double-barrel shotgun. By the sequel, he still totes a shotgun, but has upgraded to a pump action.
4. ACommanderIsYou.Video Games: [Company Of Heroes]: Panzer Elite — Ranger/Technical ... The infantry are the cream of the crop of the German military, well-trained and armed to the teeth with the finest weapons the German war machine can produce, including the MP44, the FG42 and the Panzerschreck. Trimmed for length.
5. Film.Assault On Precinct 131976: [Crooks Are Better Armed] Justified by establishing early that the Street Thunder gang have gotten hold of a stash of stolen firearms, including scoped M16 rifles and Broomhandle Mauser pistols — the latter isn't exactly a government issue weapon, so they must have been stolen from a private collector... Example trimmed for length.
6. Hitman.Tropes A To C: [Bragging Rights Reward] Attaining a Silent Assassin rating in Silent Assassin and Contracts unlocks a variety of Cool Guns for 47 to use. However, particularly in Contracts, most of these guns tend to be silenced versions, dual versions, or silenced dual versions of other weapons acquired throughout the games... Trimmed for length.
7. Quotes.Boring But Practical: "So, welcome to the default option. A versatile pistol with broad appeal. It's true, there are better-looking weapons out there, and some more suited to specific roles. But there's a Glock 'good enough' for everyone. Besides, sometimes ugly is beautiful. And sometimes boring... [kills enemy with Glock] ...is exactly what you need.
   The Glock: Neutral. Universal. Perfect." Ahoy at the end of the same video.
8. Quotes.Game Mod:"Welcome to the...second-greatest horde shooter ever, Left 4 Dead 2. A game that usually starts like "Yeah! Shooting zombies with guns is fun!" and usually ends like "I can't believe we shot Yoshi with a Smith & Wesson 500"." TheRussianBadger
9. Right-Handed Left-Handed Guns: [Borderlands] Every gun has its magazine either at the bottom or on the left side while every playable character is right-handed, no matter how little sense it makes to hold a gun by the stock to reload it (even when the magazine is at the bottom). Again, this series is all about looking cool as hell while shooting bad guys with otherwordly cool guns, then who cares?
10. ShoutOut.Scribblenauts: In the sequel, "Sleuth Diplomacy" spawns a tommy gun.
11. VideoGame.ARMA: [Friendly Sniper] Lt. James in the third game, Miller's right hand man is quite friendly with you and the Task Force survivors, and uses his signature Mk14 EBR, a Marksman rifle. Although he uses combat optics rather than a sniper scope, he still fulfills the role. Unless you see Miller as the bad guy, which means he's The Dragon.
12. VideoGame.Receiver 2: [Difficult But Awesome] ... And of course, it's the Colt Single Action Army. With it you can channel your inner Clint Eastwood or Revolver Ocelot. Trimmed for length.
13. WebVideo.Chapel: [Double Tap] Burke nails a couple of cops at close range with a silenced .25 Colt in "Handcuffed."
14. YMMV.Nightfire: [Game Breaker] The AIMS-20 is a two-in-one assault rifle and grenade launcher with an infrared scope. The rifle's burst-fire mode does a lot of damage even for an automatic, and the grenades travel in a straight line, similarly to rockets. If you pick this up in multiplayer, you're pretty much all set for anything. The only real drawbacks are that the grenades don't deal as much damage as other explosive weapons, and its reload time is a little on the slow side, particularly for said grenades. Sadly, it only appears once in single player, in the penultimate level, Countdown.