The “Bad Boys” series of movies just might be some of the best cop shows made. Is it realistic? No. Is it full of random side stories and crazy shootouts? Yes. If you’ve never seen these movies, make sure you start with the very first “Bad Boys,” which was made in 1995. The series of movies is currently a trilogy that’s spanned decades and has managed to keep its main actors, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. If you’re wondering what to watch tonight, you can’t go wrong with “Bad Boys.” In honor of its awesomeness, we’ve chosen five guns used in the first movie to highlight, in no particular order.
Smith & Wesson 4506
You know badass cops have to have big guns, and Martin Lawrence’s character certainly manages that with his Smith & Wesson 4506. He uses it in multiple firefights with mixed results, although of course he ultimately wins. Now, it’s worth mentioning that Lawrence and Smith’s characters are part of the Miami PD, which has been issuing various Glocks as duty weapons for decades. Even detectives were and are issued Glocks for their backup guns. Does that mean the 4506 was never used? Actually, no. The Smith & Wesson 4506 did see use among law enforcement for a while, so it’s plausible.
The Smith & Wesson 4506-1 is the variant used in the movie. It’s chambered in 45 ACP, has an 8 +1 capacity, and was the first variant of the family of guns. This pistol has a 5.0-inch barrel, a rounded trigger guard, and Novak sights. It weighs over two pounds empty, so you can guess just how bulky it is. When all else fails, it makes a good bludgeon.
Sig Sauer P226
Will Smith’s character, Detective Mike Lowery, arms himself with a stainless steel Sig Sauer P226 for the duration of Bad Boys. The P226 is a 9mm pistol that gained some fame for its use by some Navy SEALs, but it’s also just a good all-around gun. Smith uses his handgun on everyone from carjackers to heroin dealers to his own partner, and since it’s the stainless version, it’s pretty flashy. (No, he doesn’t actually shoot his partner with it, it’s just the expected moment where he threatens him.)
The P226 is a nice model that’s offered today in a few variants including the Legion and the XFIVE. In its original design, it has a capacity of 10 +1, a 4.4-inch barrel, and an accessory rail ahead of the trigger guard for lights and lasers. It’s designed for hard use and, as Sig says, is “a force to be reckoned with.” The P226 Nitron has an overall empty weight of 34 ounces and is an alloy steel pistol, so safe to say it’s solidly built.
Sig Sauer P230
If you read this one as Sig P320 at first, you’re probably not alone. It’s not the P320, though, it’s the less-common P230. Smith’s character uses a P230 as his backup gun and also dual-wields it (of course). It’s another stainless steel pistol, so it has the same flashy, shiny look as the P226 he uses. It’s a relatively logical backup gun and he’s shown carrying it at the small of his back, positioned for a left-handed draw.
The Sig P230 is a rather diminutive little gun that’s chambered in either 32 ACP or 380 ACP. It was manufactured between 1977 and 1996, so it stopped being in production the year after the first “Bad Boys” movie was released. The P230 has an 8 +1 capacity in 32 ACP and a 7 +1 capacity in 380 ACP. It’s a DA/SA (double action/single action) pistol and has a blowback action. It eventually fell out of favor among law enforcement overseas and here in the United States mostly due to its small caliber. Technology marches on, and a lot has changed in the gun world over the years.
Smith & Wesson Model 27
There are probably more revolvers shown in the first “Bad Boys” than you’re likely to see show up in current cop shows. Among them is the Smith & Wesson Model 27, which is dual-wielded by a bad guy. Yes, dual wielding is a semi-common theme. In this case, the character Fouchet, who is played by Tcheky Karyo, uses it alongside his Beretta Cheetah in a shootout with Will Smith. He and his fellow bad guys manage to kidnap the woman they’re after and the drama increases from there.
The Smith & Wesson Model 27 was made with various barrel lengths, but the one used by Karyo is a snub-nosed model. The Model 27 first hit the market in 1935 and continues production today, although obviously it’s changed a little with time. It’s chambered in 357 Magnum, meaning 38 Special can also be used, and it has a six-shot cylinder. When it was originally made nearly a century ago, it was known as the Registered Magnum, and Smith & Wesson was making it in a ridiculous number of barrel lengths (literally any barrel length between 3.5 to 8.75 inches in length, in 0.25-inch increments).
Winchester Model 1300 Defender
Who called shotgun? The bad guys. The Winchester 1300 Defender was kind of “the” tacticool shotgun of the era, so it comes as no surprise it popped up in “Bad Boys” in the hands of a criminal. Later in the movie, Will Smith’s character snags one from a deceased gang member, so it’s technically used by both sides. This is a shotgun that doesn’t get nearly as much love today as it once did, and it’s kind of too bad because it’s a nice gun.
The Winchester 1300 Defender was designed in the 1960s and remains in production today. It’s a pump-action shotgun chambered in 12 gauge that’s made with an extended tube as an option for greater capacity. The variant seen in the movie has a silver finish and black pistol grip. It’s a solid gun and its earlier model run even saw use during Vietnam, although that one had the expected stock on it rather than a pistol grip. One of the reasons it’s not as popular as it used to be is likely the fact that it’s a pump rather than a semi-auto.
There’s some serious firefighting in “Bad Boys,” so if you’re interested in suspending reality for a bit and kicking back with an action movie where the good guys inevitably win, check it out. And if you think we missed a shining gun moment in this list, feel free to drop your favorites in the comments section.
