#Heat

Brownells, in large part, started the retro resurgence of the last few years. While they did get out of the game with complete guns, they still offer parts and uppers. The most recent batch of uppers is more modern and includes the Brownells 733, a Model 733 clone. Yes, the 733 we all know and love from the movie Heat. When Brownells offered me a review of this upper, I promptly sent them my shipping info and I started loading magazines.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves ranks the long guns (rifles, SMGs, and shotguns) of the movie HEAT, Michael Mann’s crime drama from the 1990s. In ranking the guns, James discusses the theoretical pros and cons of the different platforms seen in the film such as the FN FAL, Benelli M3, Galil, the HK91 and H&K’s MP5, the AK-47, AR-15, and fan favorite, Al Pacino’s FN FNC. Do you agree with the list? We invite you to leave your own ranking in the comments.

Today, James Reeves ranks the autoloading handguns from Michael Mann’s “HEAT” in a tier list. Mann’s films always show a sophistication with guns and gun handling, and HEAT is no exception, featuring 30 types of guns, including the Heckler & Koch USP, the SIG SAUER P220, the Beretta 92 and the 84 “Cheetah”, the Colt 1911, the Ruger P-Series, two Star Megastars, and even one, individual Glock pistol. James briefly discusses each in the context of the 1990s (including a disclaimer about .45ACP vs. 9mm in the ’90s) and ranks his picks. How would you rank these and why? Tell us in the comments and we’ll pin the best ranking.

Firearms fans and movie buffs often share a good deal of overlap. With so many excellent guns and gun-related scenes in such a plethora of films over the years, it’s easy to understand why. Many shooters will have a list of their favorite gun movies, scenes, or specific silver screen firearms. If you were to take a survey, it’s likely that you’d find the 1995 heist classic “Heat” on a significant number of those best-of lists. Now we have a new piece of cinematic ballistic history to discuss. KeepShooting.com sells an interesting smorgasbord of gun-related gear, and they’ve announced that they have acquired a unique prop gun from the above-named film classic.

During what was probably a weekend landscaping chore, some Phoenix homeowners got more than they bargained for when they started digging a hole for a tree. To their surprise, they dug up a duffle bag that contained a hidden stash of 4 guns and several magazines. This is all according to a post by the Phoenix Police Department who currently has the contents of the duffle bag under investigation.

At TFB we’re devoted to finding the best and most interesting firearms-related photos together with a short story. You’ll find them here, every day. Today we’re looking at an interesting build of a Colt 733 Commando.

Chances are, if you’re a firearms fan and have ever discussed “ top movie shootouts” or “ best gun films“, the classic 1995 heist action/thriller “Heat” has entered into the conversation. The infamous rolling shootout scene, which takes place on the streets of Los Angeles following a botched smash-and-grab bank robbery, is often hailed as one of the best action sequences in a film. Featured heavily in this scene are the robbers’ Colt 733s, converted to full-auto. These Colt Commando models are wielded effectively (complete with some controlled bursts and competent mag changes) by Robert De Niro as criminal Neil McCauley and by his partner-in-crime Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer. Colt Commandos are popular with the retro/cloner crowd, and for good reason. The design oozes nostalgia, and there’s an air of old-school cool about the fixed A2-style front sight with the integrated carry handle rear sight. Dead Air Silencers and Noveske Rifleworks have taken that inspiration and partnered up on an interesting “enhanced” 733-style collaboration, limited to only 50 units nationwide.

Hollywood and Guns have had a long and storied (literally) history. Guns have been featured in the film in every era and every genre. From Action, Drama, Thrillers, Horror and even the dreaded rom-com, guns are found in every single one of them. Today we’re going to select 10 of the best gun movie scenes from Hollywood. The rules are simple – No John Wick.

In the comments section of my recent Brief Thoughts article regarding caseless ammunition, there was a discussion about whether the cookoff issues of caseless would also be problem for LSAT-style polymer cased telescoped ammunition. Based on conversations I have had with subject matter experts regarding polymer cased ammunition in general, I noted that a lower cookoff threshold is one of the challenges I would expect CT ammunition developers to face. However, after some back-and-forth in the comments, I decided to contact LSAT/CTSAS program officer Kori Phillips regarding this issue (as it was not something I covered in my three-part interview with her), and she kindly agreed to allow her comments on the matter to be published here on TFB. They are below:

There is always plenty of items in our lives where we just “know” what the results of a given action and reaction might be without having to have seen the formal experiment. For example, I know that if one drops an AR on its buttstock from high up, the buffer tube will snap. But, I don’t know exactly what that height is, so it leaves the door wide open for an enterprising YouTuber to test the theory to my entertainment.

Do piston guns handle heat better than DI guns? If so, why? If not what shortcomings do they have? The video from the popular YouTube channel IraqVeteran8888 embedded below doesn’t quite answer these questions, but it’s still very interesting:

DI is usually identified as the weak link in the AR-15 system when it comes to sustained fully automatic fire. How vulnerable is that system to fully automatic fire? That’s a good question, but fortunately we have a few resources with which to examine it.

The US Army has tested – to some degree – Airtronic USA Inc.’s “Amerikanski” RPG-7 rocket launcher. From Kit Up!:

I think that most shooters would agree that shooting a shooting scene in Hollywood is usually far from accurate. All too often magazines never run out of ammunition, aiming is as simple and thinking, and simple cover stops armor-piercing rounds.

NRA Media Lab breaks down the shootout scene from the movie Heat. They want to see if some of the aspects of the shootout are legitimate. They focus on the shooting, moving and communicating aspect of the shootout.