Guns of 2010 Killers Movie: Armed and Humorous
When you think of great gun movies, you probably don’t immediately jump to the 2010 movie “Killers.” After all, it’s both a comedy and a somewhat unlikely cast for running guns (except for Tom Selleck). It stars Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, who play a newlywed couple where one of them tries and fails to conceal their past as a professional assassin.
Spoiler alert, the assassin was Kutcher. Anyway, the movie does include a nice selection of firepower, and that’s what we’re here to talk about. Here are our top five picks for guns of “Killers.”
Magnum Research Mark VII Desert Eagle
Although it might be a bit unlikely an assassin would stash a Desert Eagle for later use, that’s exactly what Ashton Kutcher’s character did in “Killers.” And when it became necessary, he handed it off to his wife, played by Katherine Heigl. The Magnum Research Mark VII Desert Eagle would be Heigl’s main weapon for the duration of the film. She used it about as well as expected given her character, and did things like accidentally dropping the magazine out of the gun during a particularly tense moment.
Is a massive handgun in 50 AE realistic for this? Maybe not, but it’s a movie.
The Mark VII Desert Eagle is, of course, chambered in what was most likely 50 AE. This model was the original 50 AE from the company and it wasn’t until they decided to change the components of the 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum guns that Magnum Research came up with the Mark XIX for 50 AE. It’s a gas-operated pistol with a 7 +1 capacity and some serious heft. It weighs around 72 ounces, empty, which does help mitigate felt recoil and muzzle rise. You have to admit it’s an intimidating-looking gun on the silver screen.
Glock 21
No movie is complete without a Glock, but most movies seem to tend toward including a G17, their popular 9mm model. In “Killers,” they instead chose the G21, which is chambered in 45 ACP. They might have given Heigl a bulky Desert Eagle as her main handgun, but Kutcher got a plastic fantastic Glock.
Throughout the movie, the G21 is used for everything from interrogation to car chases to the usual action of it being taken away by the bad guys and used against the good guys. Oh, and Kutcher uses it to threaten Heigl’s dad at the end (played by Tom Selleck).
The G21 is a full-sized pistol with a capacity of 13 +1. Because it’s a 45 ACP, it’s a little heavier when loaded, but even that’s only around 38 ounces (the Desert Eagle is far heavier). Glocks are understandably popular for their durability and price point, but they really do tend to shoot well, too. We’d be interested to hear what you think about the caliber choice for the movie, though.
Colt M4A1
Yes, apparently if an international assassin wants to take out a former assassin, they use out-of-date firearms. In this case, it’s the Colt M4A1, and while the AR platform itself is certainly not outdated, the M4A1 version is questionable. From its old-fashioned iron sights to its carry handle, this is not quite what you’d expect an assassin to use.
In the movie, the gun is wielded by actor Kevin Sussman who is attempting to carry out a hit on Kutcher so he can collect the money for it. Of course, he ultimately fails, and we like to think maybe it’s because he didn’t use a tricked-out modern version. Just saying.
We all know the M4 has been around for a while. It’s a full-auto capable gun used by the military, which is probably why it was chosen for the movie. The M4A1 variant was designed in the early 2000s and began seeing use by the United States Military in 2010. This is where we get into a classic versus modern (civilian, no-stamps, no-full-auto) platform debate. What do you guys think?
Heckler and Koch UMP45
The Heckler and Koch UMP45 makes an appearance when yet another assassin takes a shot at carrying out a hit against Kutcher. Dressed as a courier, the would-be killer leaps from a van wielding the UMP45. Does he succeed? No, and Kutcher takes his gun for later use. This is a relief because it’s always frustrating when perfectly good guns and ammo are ignored by the main characters.
This is a submachine gun that went into production in 1999, meaning your average guy can’t own one, not even with a stamp. It was actually used by the 5th Special Forces Group against insurgents in Iraq but hasn’t seen extensive use. It’s a blowback-operated, mag-fed gun that has a cyclic rate of around 600 rounds per minute. It’s a fun gun, and we just wish we could get our hands on one (legally). There are other chamberings out there and even a semi-auto version in 9mm.
Benelli M4
Calling shotgun got tactical in “Killers,” and also showed how this particular shotgun is a dual-purpose weapon (or so Hollywood thinks). In one scene, Kutcher basically uses the Benelli M4 as a makeshift pull-up bar in a closet. Could it work? Yes. Would we want to hang our weight from a shotgun? Not particularly. What if we hurt it?
The Benelli M4 is, as you can see, a shotgun of tactical design. It’s a piston-driven, auto-regulating, gas-operated system that was first designed for the United States Marine Corp. So, of course, it’s a 12 gauge. It’s drilled and tapped for optics but does have a Picatinny rail atop the receiver and ships with irons. The gun has a 5-round capacity, an 18.5-inch barrel, and a 14 3/8-inch length of pull. Whether or not it’s to be trusted as a pull-up bar is on you.
What’s your favorite scene from “Killers”? Share it in the comments section.