In 1994, one of the best action movies that’s also a comedy came out, and it doesn’t get nearly enough credit for just how cool it is. That movie is “True Lies,” the action-comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. If you have yet to see it, you should remedy that situation because you’re missing out. In “True Lies,” Arnold portrays a government spy who had never told his wife what it is he does. His wife, Jamie Lee Curtis, ends up getting involved, and much shooting and hilarity ensues. These are our top five picks for guns of “True Lies.” Warning: lots of spoilers ahead.
Beretta 92SB-C
One of the major bad guys in the movie is Juno, a character portrayed by actress Tia Carrere. Juno wields a Beretta 92SB-C at one point after she’s taken Jamie Lee Curtis’ character, Helen, hostage. Of course, that doesn’t go exactly as planned. Helen ends up going for the Beretta which leads to a fight for control of the gun, and ultimately, a random shot being fired. The shot in question takes out the guy driving the limousine being used to kidnap Helen, and with no driver, the limo begins to spiral out of control.
The Beretta 92SB-C is a compact pistol designed for use by law enforcement, but also for private citizens. It’s chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum (9mm Luger) and has a 13 +1 capacity, which is pretty good for a compact pistol. In fact, that’s especially good considering the era, because back in the 1990s, larger-capacity compact pistols weren’t the norm at all. This pistol was designed with an ambidextrous safety and had a loaded chamber indicator and a double-action trigger. Whether or not it was a reasonable choice for a woman focused on doing bad is another issue entirely.
Heckler & Koch P9S
First, you see that this is a Heckler & Koch, so you’re thinking it’s a pretty sweet pistol for a terrorist to carry (because yes, it was a terrorist who had the gun first in “True Lies”). Then it gets more interesting because it’s a P9S. This gun is being carried by the bad guy holding Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis in what can only be described as a torture chamber. The bad guy meets a meat hook up close and personal, and Arnold gets his gun. Then the firefights and escape commence.
The Heckler & Koch P9S has a roller-delayed action and a very unique and recognizable profile. This pistol was made in both 9x19mm Parabellum and 45 ACP, but it seems most likely the gun used in the movie was a 9mm. Something that makes this handgun so fascinating is that it has a bolt and bolt carrier, just like it was a much larger rifle rather than a compact pistol. At one point in the movie, while Arnold has the P9S, it appears to have been switched with a dummy gun as a prop. So, does Arnold get away from the terrorists? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.
Magnum Research Desert Eagle
You know how it is in Hollywood, it’s the really big guns that get the most attention (sure, there are exceptions, but bear with us here). The Magnum Research Desert Eagle is one of those massive handguns that gets a fair amount of love in the movies, and it shows up in “True Lies,” too. However, we never really see the gun or guns themselves, we see their outlines. This occurs when Arnold is x-rayed by the agency he works for. In the x-ray we see on screen, Arnold is armed with a pair of giant Desert Eagles in a shoulder holster. Does he draw them? No, he does not, and in fact, he’s armed with different guns in the various firefights.
The Magnum Research Desert Eagles pictured are probably the company’s popular 50 AE chambered model. Those guns have a six-inch barrel, overall length of 14.75 inches, and an empty weight of 4 pounds, 5 ounces. And yes, they can be used as bludgeons if you run out of ammo. The Desert Eagle is a ridiculously effective gun on target and thanks to its weight the felt recoil and muzzle rise are mitigated far more than you might expect. Considering Arnold’s size, too, it would’ve made sense to arm him with Desert Eagles.
MAC-10
For those who prefer full auto firefights, “True Lies” has that, too. The MAC-10 shows up in the hands of the bad guys (of course) and ends up being used by Jamie Lee Curtis. Arnold hands her the gun so she can assist in fighting terrorists, and she ends up dropping it. But thanks to movie magic, when it falls down a flight of stairs it fires repeatedly, dropping multiple terrorists as it falls. (If you’re wondering if that’s really possible, the guys on Mythbusters decided to try it out and declared it a myth.)
The MAC-10 is a blowback-operated submachine gun with a rate of fire between 1000 and 1500 rounds per minute depending on various factors, including caliber. It’s been made in both 9x19mm Parabellum and 45 ACP and while it’s anyone’s guess what chambering is used in the movie, it was probably the 9mm. It’s a fantastic gun but if you want to get your hands on one, it’s nearly impossible thanks to cost, tax stamps, and federal paperwork. Even so, it’s fun seeing the MAC-10 in movie action. Interestingly, the semi-automatic variant of this gun was included in the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.
Custom AKMS
You just can’t do a “True Lies” gun list without including the character Salim Abu Aziz, who was played by Art Malik. He does a fantastic job portraying a psychopathic, cold-blooded killer. His gun of choice is a customized AKMS with a shortened barrel. When he’s using the gun in his attempt to go after Arnold and, well, everyone, he’s running it with a pair of magazines taped together. The AKMS Art Malik runs has a hooded Norinco front sight. He does a pretty good job both on the ground and in the air until he meets his untimely demise.
The AKMS (Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy Skladnoy) is, as its name suggests, an AK variant. As such it was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and is a gas-operated rifle. It’s chambered in the expected 7.62x39mm and is basically an AKM, only with a folding stock. Of course, in “True Lies,” that folder is missing. The AKMS does have a selector switch and has a possible rate of fire of around 600 rounds per minute on full-auto. It’s definitely a weapon a bad guy would use, even today.
Between the dancing, humor, and 90s-style action, this is one movie you don’t want to miss. So whether you’ve never seen it or it’s been far too long, you should probably make time for some “True Lies” tonight.
Think we missed an awesome gun moment? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
