The “Scream” franchise has been around for decades, and it’s become a classic in its own right. The most recent movie to join the horror series is “Scream VI,” which came out early in 2023. There are some gun surprises in this movie, so if you haven’t seen it yet, just be warned there could be spoilers here. These are our top gun moment picks from “Scream VI” along with some ideas of our own. If you think we missed something, let us know in the comments section.
Ghostface, with a shotgun?
One of the major departures of the “Scream VI” movie is that the biggest bad guy, Ghostface, has a shotgun. Fans either love it or hate it, with more seeming displeased he was armed with a gun. Of course, it’s technically not the first time Ghostface has ever had a gun, although it is the first time the gun in question has been used in this way. So, should Ghostface be able to call shotgun? We’ll let you make that judgment call for yourself.
As for the shotgun, it appears to be something like a modified Mossberg 590. The forend for the pump action is wooden and the grip is also wooden, appearing to have been sawed off (albeit cleanly). Although there’s been some speculation that this is a Mossberg 590 Shockwave, specifically the Nightstick edition, it’s quite likely a modified 590 Retrograde. There’s also the possibility it’s just a creation of the gun guy on the movie set and not one specific gun at all. Regardless, it’s a 12 gauge, pump action shotgun with either a hooked pistol grip or cut-off stock. The fact that it’s shortened makes it easier for Ghostface to conceal and smoother to maneuver as well (whether or not you think he should have it in the first place).
Smith & Wesson 669
Sam and Tara Carpenter are sisters in the movie played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, the latter of whom has become known as the new face of Wednesday Addams. During the course of the movie (spoiler alert) we find out that Sam’s biological father was actually none other than Billy Loomis, the very first Ghostface in the original “Scream” movie. Does that mean Sam is a bad guy? You’ll have to watch the movie for full details on that.
They give the character of Sam an interesting gun for the movie, though. It looks like a Smith & Wesson 669, a model sometimes confused with the Smith & Wesson 4506. The pistol has a rather blocky profile and is recognizable by its angled, somewhat pointed trigger guard and a forward-tilted magazine extension (pinkie rest). This gun was in production for a rather brief period in the late 1980s, making it a somewhat surprising pistol for this movie. It’s chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, has a 3.5-inch barrel, and a 12 +1 capacity. At 26 ounces it’s a little hefty but not by a lot. This is a double-action/single-action pistol. It has upright serrations at the rear of the slide and ridges on the forward face of the trigger guard, which is pretty indicative of the timeframe in which it was designed. Is it the kind of gun we’d really see the biological daughter of an infamous killer using? Maybe, maybe not. It’s certainly unique and eye-catching.
Ruger SR9c
The character of Gale Weathers, who’s played by Courtney Cox, almost always has a gun. It’s one of the things that’s endeared her to us because if Gale is one thing, she’s a fighter. In Scream VI the gun in question is a Ruger SR9c that she doesn’t hesitate to use against Ghostface. Now here’s your spoiler alert, so skip this part if you haven’t seen the movie yet. Gale gets threatened and fights back, gun blazing, pretty fast. Even so, her efforts aren’t quite good enough and at first, it does look like this 6th movie in the franchise will be Gale’s last appearance. However, we end up discovering she did survive, so if there’s going to be a 7th movie, she’ll probably be in it. Frankly, we really hope she is.
The Ruger SR9c is a popular compact pistol among a lot of concealed carriers. It’s chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and has an impressive 17 +1 capacity. Basically, it might be compact, but that does not mean it lacks in capacity. This pistol has a safety blade trigger, serrations at the front and back of the slide, and an accessory rail ahead of the trigger guard for lights and lasers. It’s incredibly affordably priced, too (it isn’t uncommon to see it for under $300 on various FFL sites). That doesn’t mean it’s not a durable little gun. Of course, using it didn’t exactly help Gale, because she did come out a little worse for the wear. She did live, though, so that’s a point in the gun’s favor.
The Not-a-Gun Buck 120
No, this one’s not a gun, but with all the fuss about who uses what guns in movies it’s nice to stop and make note of the edged weapons now and then. In the “Scream” franchise, the face of the bad guy behind the Ghostface mask changes, but they somehow tend to use the same blade: the Buck 120. This is a hunting knife, as you might have guessed, designed for deboning and other heavier tasks. It isn’t a short or fine enough blade for most hunters to use for field dressing, but it certainly has its uses.
The Buck 120 has a 7.375-inch blade and an overall length of 12.0 inches. The blade, which is made from 420 stainless steel, is 0.17 inches thick. This particular knife is available with different pommels, but the common-use model has a black phenolic pommel (it’s a type of plastic). Its overall weight is 8.3 ounces and features include a clip point blade and hollow blade grind. It has a satin finish. Buck Knives markets it as both a hunting blade and a knife meant as a conversation piece, and it is certainly that.
Gale’s Guns
In the half dozen “Scream” movies that have been made so far, Gale Weathers uses everything from Glocks to Berettas to the Ruger we mentioned above. We can’t help but wonder if Gale would be better served by a somewhat different firearm. Here are a few of our ideas for what Gale could use in the next movie:
- Magnum Research Desert Eagle in 50 Action Express
- Phoenix Weaponry Christine in 45-70 Auto
- Smith & Wesson Model 500
- Magnum Research BFR in 500 Linebaugh
- Cosaint Arms COS21 in 10mm
Or maybe after facing more than six serial killers, it’s time for Gale, and Sidney, to invest the time and money into some NFA items. This is the perfect example of when a full-auto gun would be quite useful. MP5, anyone?
What guns do you think the good guys should be using to battle Ghostface when the 7th movie in the franchise rolls around? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
