10 Things I Wish Writers Knew About Guns
{ Or at least paid attention to }
The “AR” in AR-15 does not stand for Assault Rifle. It stands for “Armalite Research”.
Bullets do not travel in a straight line once they leave the barrel of the gun.
Magazines are what go into a semi-automatic, clips are what go into a revolver and some other types of firearms. If your character uses a specific firearm and you’re not sure what goes into it, do your research.
Silencers do not completely silence the firearm. People nearby will still know shots have been fired, and that sound will still be recognizable as a gunshot.
On that same note, guns are LOUD. They are often times much louder than most people expect them to be. Hearing loss is a very real safety concern.
Glocks. Factory Glocks don’t have a manual thumb safety. These can be installed using an aftermarket kit. No Glock that I know of comes with an external hammer that the shooter can cock. And yes, before you ask, Glocks are perfectly safe. There are three safeties in a Glock. If you fuck up with a Glock, it’s most likely your fault and not the gun’s.
You don’t need 20/20 eyesight to be a proficient shooter.
If you carry a handgun with a round in the chamber, you don’t need to cock the hammer before firing. If your character is law enforcement or an experienced shooter, they should be carrying with a round in the chamber.
Women can handle full-size guns just fine. (Whether they’ll actually carry them every day is a different question altogether.)
If your story or character is based in the US, be aware that there are a TON of regulations in the US at the local, state, and federal level. These laws may vary wildly by state. Even traveling to the state next door with a firearm may require your character to check multiple websites and/or law books to make sure they’re in compliance with the law (if they are law abiding). If your story is firearm centered, it might not be a bad idea to familiarize yourself with the laws and statutes governing firearms at every level — if your character would know about them, you might also want to know them, and trust me, there are a lot.