If you were asked to list every Denzel Washington movie ever made, you’d definitely miss a few. He’s made a crazy number of movies over the years, and most of them include guns in one way or another. That makes choosing Denzel Washington movie guns difficult, but we gave it our best shot. Check out our top 5 list of guns used in Denzel Washington movies, in no specific order.
Glock 34
If you’re wondering why a Glock gets the first mention, it’s because it’s the gun that played a rather prominent role in Man on Fire. Then there’s the fact that when Denzel draws the gun in the movie from beneath a cover garment, he does so with pretty good technique.
You have to admit that proper technique isn’t something you see in movies on a regular basis. Aside from that nicely-executed draw, the G34 is the gun Denzel-as-Creasy uses to attempt to kill himself, only to have the gun fail to fire. He saves that round of ammo and later hands it to the man he feels is deserving of it, in a final way. (Seriously, just watch the movie.)
The Glock 34 isn’t the model you see making tons of appearances, not when you compare it to other models. It’s a long-slide gun chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and in real life, it sees use by some of the upper-tier law enforcement groups and teams, like SWAT. The gun has a 5.31-inch barrel length and an overall length of 8.82 inches. Standard capacity is 17+1.
Heckler and Koch HK45
You can’t put together a list of guns used in Denzel movies without including the Book of Eli. Why? Because it’s not every day an apparently blind man accurately wields guns for the duration of the show. That and the whole post-apocalyptic vibe that ranges from awesome to creepy is something you have to see to believe.
During the movie, Denzel, who is Eli, of course, carries and uses a Heckler and Koch HK45. Interesting choice the apocalypse, but certainly a good one.
Heckler and Koch makes some quality guns, and the HK45 is proof of that. If you could choose any handgun for the apocalypse, wouldn’t you want it to be one that’s incredibly well-made?
As its name suggests, the Heckler and Koch HK45 is chambered in 45 ACP. Standard magazine capacity is 10 +1. It has a 4.46-inch barrel and an overall length of 8.03 inches. A textured grip facilitates the shooter’s ability to keep a solid hold on the gun during use. Molded finger grooves are prominent at the forward portion of the grip.
Winchester 1894
Surprised? This is the rifle that shows up way back in the 1990s when Denzel filmed The Pelican Brief.
The movie was based on a book written by John Grisham and featured Julia Roberts as Denzel’s co-star. Denzel played Gray Grantham, a newspaper reporter, while Julia was an intrepid law student who stumbled onto a conspiracy. In the film, two Supreme Court Justices have been murdered, and of course, there’s a huge cover-up involving all sorts of dark things. During the course of events, Denzel-as-Gray uses the gun he has on hand, which is a Winchester 1894. So…big-city newspaper guys use lever-actions? Duly noted.
As its name suggests, the Winchester 1894 went into production in 1894. Although there was a brief break in production, it’s basically been manufactured ever since. The most common chambering is probably .30-30 Winchester, but it’s been made in other calibers, too, such as 357 Magnum, 45 Colt, and 444 Marlin. Capacity depends on the specific gun and its barrel length, which matches tube magazine length, so this is a gun that averages between 7 and 9 rounds. Now you know, if you’ve ever wondered, that Denzel has, indeed, used a lever-action rifle in one of his movies.
Smith and Wesson 4506-1
Finally, we get to Training Day. It’s the movie where Denzel plays a dirty cop who gets taken down by his impressionable rookie. In it, he has all sorts of firepower, but it’s his set of Smith and Wesson 4506-1s that gets the most attention. There’s one scene in particular where he fires the guns simultaneously while holding one of the sideways, gangster-style, that stands out.
If you’re wondering if this model was ever actually approved for law enforcement in California, we’ve got news for you: It totally was. In 1997 the infamous North Hollywood Shootout took place between armed robbers and members of law enforcement, and after that, the 4506-1 became an officially-allowed gun for duty use by the LAPD.
The Smith and Wesson 4506-1 is chambered in 45 ACP and has an all-steel frame, giving it some serious heft. A big pro of the gun’s overall weight is that it helps offset the felt recoil and muzzle rise of its chambering. It was in production from 1988 to 1999. This is a double-action/single-action pistol with an 8 +1 capacity. One feature of this model worth mentioning is that it is a combination safety and decocker lever.
Colt M1911 and Smith & Wesson M&P
This one’s a twofer. In Equalizer 2, Denzel plays Robert McCall. It was the first sequel to one of his own movies, and there was a lot of cool firepower. During one scene, Denzel-as-McCall dual wields a 1911 and a Smith & Wesson M&P (in another, does the same, but instead of the M&P, the second gun is a MAC-10). The 1911 is a gun McCall takes off a gangster and then uses to take care of business, as expected.
It seems safe to assume the 1911 used in the movie is chambered in 45 ACP. It’s a single-stack, meaning capacity is a bit limited, and not your typical bad guy’s choice of weapon. If you adore 1911s you’d say it’s a stellar choice due to its reliable performance and history of getting stuff done in battle; if you hate 1911s, you’d ask why they’d use a gun you expect to fail dramatically at the worst possible moment. Can’t really win talking aout 1911s.
What’s your favorite Denzel movie, and which gun use do you like best? Tell us in the comments section.
