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The Guns of Christmas…Movies [Ultimate Guide]

Affleck Santa Reindeer Games
Take a tour through the wonderful world of Christmas movie guns and find out which films are a must-see for the holidays.
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    It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

    With that in mind, we’re taking a look at some action-packed Christmas movies and the awesome guns used in those flicks.

    Welcome to the Party

    Though action movies feature celebrities like Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson, let’s be real; sometimes, the actual stars are the guns.

    Pistols, rifles, and shotguns might as well be considered characters in these flicks as they are how the character interacts with his world.

    Hero and villain guns are often distinctive and distinguished.

    Reindeer Games Charlize Theron
    She means business, Santa.

    They are wielded to often great effect if you just so happen to be a square-jawed good guy with an ax to grind. 

    So, without delay, let’s look at eight Christmas movies with the best guns (that aren’t Die Hard) — and, spoiler alert, one movie that is Die Hard

    In no particular order…

    The Best Guns of Christmas

    1. Beretta 92FS – Lethal Weapon

    $622
    at BattleHawk Armory

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Mel Gibson’s wonderful, feathered hair takes center stage in Lethal Weapon. But second to that glorious mane is Mel’s Beretta 92F.

    Lethal Weapon Movie Poster

    Fun fact: Mel’s Beretta 92F is the same one used by Bruce Willis in Die Hard…no, really, it’s the exact same prop

    Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs describes the 92F as a “nine-millimeter Beretta. Takes 15 in the mag, one up the pipe, wide ejection port, no feed jams.” 

    Beretta 92F
    Beretta 92F

    Riggs is skilled in its use as we see him gun down about a dozen bad guys at a Christmas Tree lot — as Santa would have wanted.

    We can’t forget the cute smiley he paints face onto a silhouette target at the range. But the biggest testament to the Beretta is when he takes down a sniper. 

    Lethal Weapon Beretta

    The Beretta 92F lacks the enlarged hammer pin on the 92FS, but other than that, it’s still the same powerhouse of a gun designed for duty use.  

    The M9 variant has served the United States military for over 30 years now, and as someone who carried an issued M9 and owns a Beretta 92FS, I’m a huge fan of the gun.

    Travis 92FS on a stump
    Travis’ 92FS

    I most certainly understand why a spec-ops turned cop would choose it. 

    2. Franchi PA3/215 – Reindeer Games

    Reindeer Games is a cheesy movie with a little charm. But I don’t blame most people for forgetting about its existence.

    Reindeer Games poster

    Though one of the best action scenes involves a water pistol loaded with rum and a lighter, there’s another weapon that always stuck out for me — the Franchi PA3/215.

    As a kid, I stayed up late to watch this movie on HBO…mainly due to my crush on Charlize Theron and the PA3/215.

    Charlize Theron

    The PA3 is based on the SPAS-12, another famed movie gun, but is pump-action only.

    It’s the smallest of three models. And with the stock collapsed, it’s a mere 18.5-inches. 

    Using the same stock as the SPAS-12, the gun strikes a very distinctive profile when fitted with a vertical foregrip.

    Franchi PA3
    Franchi PA3

    The gun features a top folding stock in Reindeer Games, although big, bad guy Gary Sinise never deploys the stock.

    The gun is so unusual, short, and tough-looking that it’s hard not to love.

    Reindeer Games Franchi

    Short shotguns are all kinds of cool, and this might be the coolest one ever.

    It’s a shame we can’t get one today. Santa, if you are listening, please leave one of these under my tree. 

    3. Vektor CP-1 – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

    Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was a surprise sleeper hit and one of Shane Black’s half-dozen Christmas action movies.

    Kiss Kiss Bang Bang poster

    This particular one involves a very cool Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer. This was more of a P.I. flick and less action movie, but it had its fair share of sweet guns. 

    Of course, notable guns include an NAA Mini-Revolver, a Jericho, and the futuristic Vektor CP-1.

    Wielded by a slick Val Kilmer, the Vektor CP-1 fits his personality well.

    Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
    Val Kilmer and RDJ at their finest..,

    Aside from the cool name, the gun sports a 9mm, striker-fired, polymer frame and semi-auto design. 

    Much like Santa sliding down a chimney, the CP-1 is designed to smoothly slide in and out of deep concealment. The snag-free design knocks the Sig SAS P365 out of the park.

    Vektor CP-1
    The Vektor CP-1

    The odd safety is located in front of the trigger guard, making it truly ambidextrous. 

    Oddly enough, this is a gas-delayed blowback system…just like Hans Gruber’s HK P7M13. Do elves prefer gas-delayed blowback in their Christmas guns?

    I have no evidence saying they don’t, so, bam, they do. 

    Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Coffin
    Only future Ironman could pull this off.

    The Vektor CP-1 is only used a few times in the flick, but it most certainly stands out.

    Sometimes it’s to intimidate a guard. Other times, it’s so Robert Downey Jr. can fire a gun while hanging from a coffin. 

    4. Colt King Cobra – The Long Kiss Goodnight

    $859
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Do you think your Christmas is stressful dealing with in-laws, cooking, and wrapping presents?

    Well, Geena Davis had it a lot rougher in The Long Kiss Goodnight.

    Long Kiss Goodnight Poster

    This amnesia-ridden assassin has to deal with hitmen and bad guys, all with Samuel L. Jackson by her side. 

    You can’t get much cooler than Samuel L. Jackson, and likewise, his Colt King Cobra is pretty awesome, too. So, when you combine the two, you get one bad mother trucker.

    Colt King Cobra (Photo: Rock Island Auction)

    Samuel L. Jackson portrays a P.I. in the film and both sticks and breaks from tradition with his choice of firearm. 

    The classic P.I. piece is, of course, the Colt Detective model — a snub-nose revolver. Sam wields a Colt revolver…but chooses a model with a massive barrel.

    It’s so cool and slick. Not to mention, it certainly “ain’t no ham on rye, pal.”

    Long Kiss Goodnight Cobra
    Get these mf’n snakes off my …oh wait, wrong movie.

    The Colt Kind Cobra is a .357 Magnum alternative to the Python. It ditches the vented rib of the Python for a more standard but still striking design.

    Colt brought the Cobra back in 2019, so maybe, just maybe, one will appear under your tree this year. 

    5. Steyr TMP – In Bruges

    In Bruges is one of those weird comedy-action movies with a whole smart person aspect to it.

    I enjoy it because Brandon Gleason is great – ignoring that whole existential weight of the Christmas thing.

    In Bruges Poster

    Word of warning – this isn’t your typical big gunfighting flick with massive shoot-outs. 

    Instead, it’s just a few action scenes sprinkled through two hitman’s stay in Bruges.

    Steyr TMP

    One of the most memorable scenes involves a character purchasing a weapon from an illicit arms dealer.

    The Steyr TMP momentarily graces the screen. But, surprisingly, we only see it once, and it’s never actually used. 

    In Bruges Steyr TMP
    Blink and you’ll miss it.

    Why did it make our list, then? Because of the way it’s handled. From a line delivered by Ralph Fiennes to the fact that he identifies the gun incorrectly.

    Again, a gun we only see once that’s never used, and you throw in the fact it’s incorrectly identified as an Uzi…how can it not be the star of the show?

    In Bruges
    It all makes sense to us…

    The Steyr TMP is a much more refined machine pistol than a Uzi. It offers a polymer construction, closed-bolt design, and an integrated vertical foregrip.

    Produced by B&T as the MP9, you can buy your very own (without the foregrip) just in time for Christmas.

    6. Walther PPK – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

    $738
    at GrabAGun

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the only Bond flick set during Christmas – at least that I know of. It’s also the only time ol’ George Lazenby played 007.

    Continuing the “firsts,” this film also marks the only occasion Bond gets married.

    On Her Majestys Secret Service Poster

    That said, this film is not the first or last time Bond ever wields the Walther PPK.

    Bond and the PPK are linked and always will be. The Walther PPK is the only gun as smooth and cool as James Bond, and it matches the spy’s need for a concealed carry weapon. 

    Walther PPK (Photo: Wikipedia)

    This movie takes place in a winter wonderland known as the Swiss Alps, with plenty of skiing, snow, and even a bobsled chase.

    A bobsled chase, people!

    With plenty of Walther PPK action along the way. 

    On Her Magestys Secret Service PPK
    Peep that PPK

    The Walther PPK gets some nice close-ups and some serious action and performs well above its .380 ACP real-life power.

    But it’s a Bond flick, so it’s what we expect. 

    7. Colt Walker – Fatman

    Fatman is a Christmas action flick starring Mel Gibson as a world-weary Santa.

    Of course, he’s working for the United States government and fighting off a hitman hired by a spoiled child.

    Fatman Movie Poster

    Because this is a newer film, I’m not offering any spoilers outside of Santa’s choice of handguns.

    We see he likes the classics, and that makes sense for a man who is a few hundred years old. 

    He starts with a 1911 to take care of “trash,” as Misses Clause states, but later wields a classic Colt percussion revolver.

    As Santa locks and loads, he grabs his 1911 and mutters, “I’ll take the Walker too.” Clearly, Santa is old-school cool with a Colt Walker. 

    Colt Walker Revolver (Photo: Historicalarms.com)

    The Colt Walker was an early Colt revolver and an improvement on the Colt Patterson. The Walker was a .44-caliber model and, at the time, was a big gun.

    Captain Walker was a Texas Ranger, and he wanted a lot of power for close-range fighting. The Colt Walker offered that. 

    I can easily see why Old Saint Nick would want that same power. 

    Fatman Colt Walker

    Seeing Santa blast away with an old-school six-shooter brings a bit of Christmas joy to my heart. But to be fair, Santa shooting any gun seems fun.

    Fatman is, simply, a fun flick.

    8. The Red Ryder – A Christmas Story

    $65
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    The Red Ryder BB gun stars not only in A Christmas Story but in Home Alone as well.

    It’s also a staple Christmas present for kids around the country. 

    A Christmas Story Movie Poster

    Heck, I gave my son one for Christmas last year, and today, we took it out to light up a steel gong. It’s really the perfect gift. 

    In A Christmas Story, the gun is the “official Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.”

    Red Ryder has even released this famed model – complete with sundial and compass. 

    A Christmas Story edition Red Ryder Carbine. (Photo: paulleve)

    The Red Ryder BB gun is definitively the star of this film. It’s often discussed, thought about, commented on, and finally used in the final scene.

    It acts as both a character and desire for the character — one constant theme little Ralphie is always asking for. 

    Christmas Story Red Ryder
    Making all those Red Ryder dreams come true

    A charming movie about the childhood Christmas experience, the film also pulls double duty, reminding us why we should all wear eye protection. 

    9. H&K MP5 – Die Hard

    $2,599
    at BattleHawk Armory

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Finally, we land on the Christmas action movie of all Christmas action movies…Die Hard.

    Die Hard Movie Poster

    Choosing one gun from this iconic movie is tough. We have lots of stars here!

    The Beretta 92F, the HK P7M13, the Steyr AUG, and even the unappreciated Walther P5 all come to mind.

    Steyr AUG with Aimpoint PRO
    The Steyr AUG is awesome, but it can’t beat out the star of the show.

    However, only one gun can be chosen, and we all know what that is — the MP5. 

    As soon as John McClane gets his hands on an MP5, he pulls a gruesome joke in writing, “Now I Have a Machine Gun, Ho, Ho, Ho” on poor Tony’s dead body.

    HK MP5A3 (Photo: HK)

    The MP5 is actually a chopped semi-auto HK94, which was an imported rifle variant of the MP5 with a 16-inch barrel. It was common for armorers at the time to convert HK94s into MP5 wannabes.

    Die Hard gives us an MP5A3 wannabe with a collapsing stock used by both McClane and the terrorists. The MP5 is so much more than just a gun here.

    Die Hard MRP5
    C’mon, he just looks cool.

    McClane actually uses the gun as a tool, trying to extend the stock to descend down an air conditioning shaft. 

    John goes through three MP5s throughout the film, often using the tried-and-true video game move…pulling a gun off a dead guy and keeping on.

    MP5 Die Hard
    Spray and pray, my man.

    In real life, the MP5 was one of the best submachine guns available for decades. While it’s showing its age these days, the MP5 is still a fan favorite and is used worldwide. 

    Final Thoughts

    As the cold sets in and Santa starts making his list, we have time to reflect on Christmases past. That means digging into some of our favorite gun-centric holiday flicks or even watching some new ones.

    Regardless of what your preferred film is, we hope you enjoyed our roundup of some of the most memorable guns to grace the big screen.

    christmas_guns
    Happy Holidays!

    Have you ever given a gun or received one for Christmas? Do you want to argue that the movies aren’t Christmas flicks? Let us know below! Need some last-minute gift ideas? Check out the Holiday Gift Guide and Bug-In/Bug-Out: Best Gifts for Preppers.

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    14 Leave a Reply

    • Andrew James Hodges

      Kevin doesn't use a Red Ryder in Home Alone. He has a pump action, Red Ryders are lever action.

      Also, I recently was informed that First Blood (Rambo 1) takes place near Christmas. So would the M60 qualify as an honorable mention for this list?

      December 26, 2024 6:22 pm
    • JD

      Unpopular opinion: but Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie. It is an action movie, that takes place DURING Christmas. If anything, it is more akin to a Harry Potter movie. Bruce Willis is running around a giant tower, hiding from Alan Rickman!

      December 21, 2024 12:55 pm
    • TA

      "Daylight's End"
      Springfield M1A SOCOM

      Low budget gun porn with a non stop plotline.

      January 17, 2022 2:23 pm
    • Ralph

      “I want an official red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle.” Every boy’s Christmas wish including mine, makes this a true classic. Of course, my name is Ralph(ie), my brother was Randy, and the entire movie is the story of my childhood. Never got the red Ryder, but a break barrel single shot .17 cal pioneer Chinese pellet rifle. Still have it (still accurate) and about 30 other replica air guns (and a few real-steel - as they’re called in air gun world.) Never did shoot my eye out though. No better intro to the wonderful world of guns exists than A Christmas Story. Thanks for including this classic! Now, where did I put my HK MP5…?

      December 24, 2021 7:19 pm
    • David

      From In Bruges
      Actually, even though the camera focused on the Steyr TMP, there is an Uzi in the lower right hand corner. Probably a difference from dialogue and camera work. Sure they picked Uzi because it's a more recognizable name to the average person.

      December 22, 2021 6:05 am
    • Alastair

      In the 1990 movie “Scrooged” , there is a coming attraction for a bogus Christmas movie called “The Day the Reindeer Died” with some kind of as I remember communist attack on Santa at the North Pole. Luckily, Lee Majors appears with a Minigun to save the day. I think it’s the most over the top Christmas Movie gun, and the whole bit was pretty funny.

      December 21, 2021 7:47 pm
    • John

      You forgot Robocop! I once wondered what type of gun he carried inside his hip so I looked it up. (Always assumed it to be a Desert Eagle.) Turns out it's a Hollywood modified Beretta 93R, which was an actual handgun capable of 3 round bursts. The "cobra assault canon" seen throughout the movie as a rifle that fires explosive rounds capable of blowing up cars is a modified Barret M82. There are in fact a few Desert Eagles in the film along with an HK, a Sig P226, a few Mossbergs, Uzi, Mac 10 and a few other popular guns. The sights on the Cobras, which look similar to modern holographic sights, were originally intended to have cool looking computer graphics running across their lenses, but the movie went over budget and so the lenses were left blank.

      December 21, 2021 7:35 pm
    • Jim Hovater

      The Duke's 1873 Colt SAA in 'The 3 Godfathers'.

      December 21, 2021 5:57 pm
    • Tadd

      It was Danny Glovers character that described Mel Gibsons gun. Just say’in

      December 21, 2021 5:36 pm
    • PDS

      Chuck Norris's Invasion USA is set during Christmas, so technically it's a Christmas movie, right?
      Chuck weilds Micro Uzis, should have brought more ammo.

      December 18, 2020 7:17 am
    • Rick

      That's not a Colt Walker in your photo - it's a Dragoon 3rd Model. C'mon.

      December 17, 2020 8:08 pm
      • Rock Island Auction

        Came to say this. Love the article, just needs one quick photo switch. We might even have a photo of one around here somewhere. :)

        December 18, 2020 5:32 am
      • Jacki Billings

        Oops. Sometimes we make mistakes. Thanks for pointing it out!

        December 22, 2020 2:05 pm
    • Mike Deets

      While stationed at Ft Wainwright, my ex gave me S&W model 429 for Christmas. Needless to say, I had to go shoot it. Called my neighbor and we headed to the city (Fairbanks) range. It was around -30 so we get out of the running truck, each fire 6 rounds, then jump back in the truck and hold our hands in front of the heat vents. We did this for almost an hour, which was how much daylight we had.

      December 17, 2020 5:18 pm
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