History Main / BangBangBang

* Unsurprisingly, Homicide's themes tend to be at least 50% gun bangs. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiz4xAVzpf0 One example]].[[/folder]]

* WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow: The trope is averted in the episode ''Til Deaf'', where Lester accidentally fires his shotgun near Cleveland trying to shoot a deer. This resulted in Cleveland losing his hearing for one week, hearing only ringing in the ear and having to shout.

* ''Franchise/Aceattorney'':

*** The muzzle flash *can* happen with railguns, and in fact does with most modern working prototypes, but in the modern case it's friction-heat built up as the slug flies down a barrel designed to be mounted in at the least a large vehicle if not a small warship, banging along the sides the whole way. Both the shot AND the impact are much, much more pyrotechnic than you'd expect from a purely magnetic weapon, just because of the energies involved; they also tend to cause horrendous damage to themselves, and one of the primary obstacles to overcome is [[AwesomeButImpractical having to swap the barrel out after nearly every single round fired]].

* Somewhat averted in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. Many of the guns are quieter than your average gamer would expect, especially the good ole 9mm, and when heard from a distance, it sounds more like a PAFF PAFF PAFF when people are going at it some distance away. They did a very nice job with most sound effects in the game, especially those heard from a distance. The Hunting Shotgun (standard Remington 12ga 5-shot pump) also not only sounds pretty realistic (spoken from someone who owns almost exactly the same gun IRL), but also fires and reloads pretty realistic, although a bit fast.

** ''Videogame/Planetside 2'' has fairly accurate sounds for its miniguns, though their actual firerate is far lower than a real minigun; the MCG makes a realistic "BRRRRRRRRRR" noise but fires at a measly ~800rpm.

* In Rob Grant's solo ''RedDwarf'' novel ''Backwards'', [[TheAce Ace Rimmer]]'s CO resigns his commission and takes a bath before pulling out his sidearm and fires it inside the confines of his bathroom. The gunshot is so loud that his ears start to bleed and he exclaims "Bugger me, that was loud!" Justified in that he's in a confined and tiled space that would amplify the sound of the gunshot.

* In [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkmNvDGE3U this video]], the AR-15 is firing with a "pip-pip-pip" sound like a BB gun, and then the shooter fires his old Mosin-Nagant rifle, which makes a loud "BOOM!" and scares the man with the AR-15.
** Poor quality of mobile phone recording and echo of the concrete building. The "pip-pip" of a .223 rifle should sound more like "crack-crack" (any gun range instructor worth his salt would '''not''' allow the shooter to fire it without ear muffles even in open-air ranges).

* Averted in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E9TheFamilyOfBlood The Family of Blood]]". May have something to do with the fact that it takes place in 1913, so the audience doesn't expect the guns to sound like the Hollywood version of modern guns. Which is odd, because 1913-era guns sound much like modern guns, only with a lower rate of fire. The Hollywood version thereof, however, would have to wait until somebody invents the sound track. So TheCoconutEffect is averted.
** Also averted in the classic serial ''The Sea Devils'', where much genuine Royal Navy ordnance is shot off (including a Bofors anti-aircraft cannon), but the soft (for varying values of "soft", of course) "paf-paf" sound that the real guns actually have on camera is nothing like what an audience might expect.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', Lightning is about to pull over and ask the sheriff for help when the sheriff's car backfires, causing Lightning to panic, thinking he's being shot at.

Characters in fiction never seem to flinch or be in pain from the sound of gunshots, even when firing fully automatic weapons in confined spaces. People on TV never experience tinnitus or hearing loss, even temporarily. TV characters have the ability to fire their weapons and also hear tiny noises or whispers at the same time.

* Inverted in case three of ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorney Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney]]'', where [[spoiler:the killer uses firecrackers to fool witnesses into thinking the murder took place much later than it actually did.]]

* Lampshaded in one of DianeDuane's ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' novels; Spidey comments that real gunfire sounds nothing like it does in the movies, and fills in his own descriptions of the actual sounds, such as "rulers being smacked on a desk."

* Averted in [[FanWorks/DiamondsCut Diamond's Cut]]. Guns fire pretty quietly in the film, assuming, of course, that they fire at all.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* The German [=MP40=] (also called the Schmeisser) has been described as sounding like "the scariest sewing machine you'll ever hear". [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQo9yZT_m8w Listen for your self]]; you need to take the volume down a bit to eliminate the high range that would not carry over any significant distance. The quote probably dates to a time when most people would be more familiar with the sound of a sewing machine than automatic gunfire, and refers only to the regular nature of the sound rather than the precise sound of the shots.
* TruthInTelevision -- only with high-powered guns, though, especially rifles that can still hurt one's hearing far away.
** You know how sometimes games and films have a weird metallic ringing noise along with the BOOM? It's obvious that no weapon could possibly make a noise like that. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS4tYKJ-RvQ Oh, wait...]]
*** The sound of the bolt mechanism ejecting the shell.
*** Almost any semi-automatic rifle will have a very distinct metallic component to it due to the action (ringing of recoil spring, sound of the bolt hitting home, etc). Normally this can't be heard at a distance over the muzzle blast, but if you are the actual shooter, the action noise becomes a big part of the sound produced by a gun firing. Even if you had a [[HollywoodSilencer magic silencer that turns the muzzle blast into mouse farts]], the action noise on some weapons (such as an AK) is loud enough to leave your ears ringing.
** The Russian SVD has a loud booming noise. However, the Chinese SVD (Type 79/85) ejects the shell extra hard. Their [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK3m_h0t0gE QBU-88]] also makes the same noise.
** As a large number of people can tell, the .223 / 5.56 NATO round will make a sharp crack [[note]]like a very dry wood splintering itself[[/note]] when fired in a long-barreled rifle in single shots. Larger rifle calibers in .30 caliber and up will have a deeper and more booming sound. On the other side, 9x19mm handgun ammo, despite what Hollywood may claim, is louder and deeper than a .223 if fired from a modern automatic pistol, and almost as loud as a full-powered rifle if the 9x19 cartridge is fired from a long-barrel carbine.
* Black powder guns actually do tend to have a ''bit'' of the bass "booooom" effect that's added to most gunshot sound effects. Also, some of the smallest guns make the biggest noise. [[http://www.naaminis.com NAA minirevolvers]] in .22 magnum are known for sounding a lot like movie SFX.
** Shorter barrels translate directly to a bigger bang, since much of the gunpowder hasn't yet been consumed by the time the bullet clears the muzzle (it also explains another reason short barrels reduce projectile velocity; bigger bang means more powder going to waste).
* In Vietnam, some US soldiers took to stealing AK's from dead NVA/VC soldiers. Aside from souvenirs, they did this because the AK has a rather distinct sound among assault rifles, so they could use them against the Viet Cong to sow confusion amongst them in battle.
** Unfortunately that tactic was more harmful than beneficial in some cases since, upon hearing the distinctive report of AK-47s, U.S. soldiers would often assume the fire was of enemy origin. This led to some friendly fire incidents.
* This also sometimes--depending on the construction of the range--add to the ''pleasures'' of a trip to a firing range, and increase your appreciation of ear protection.[[note]]It protects your hearing, and often it is well worth layering. Ear plugs alone are acceptable, ear plugs '''and''' muffs are better.[[/note]]
* In [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkmNvDGE3U this video]], the AR-15 is firing with a "pip-pip-pip" sound like a BB gun, and then the shooter fires his old Mosin-Nagant rifle, which makes a loud "BOOM!" and scares the man with the AR-15.
** Poor quality of mobile phone recording and echo of the concrete building. The "pip-pip" of a .223 rifle should sound more like "crack-crack" (any gun range instructor worth his salt would '''not''' allow the shooter to fire it without ear muffles even in open-air ranges).
* Some video game studios have actually used live-fire recordings, among other things to create their gunsounds. However, in some making-of videos on special-editions DVD's of the games, the gunfire in game is nothing like the live-fire recording.
* Hunting rifles being fired in the distance in a forest, will sound very similar to movies where guns are fired in the distance in some abandoned forest; a muffled, medium-high pitch crack, followed by a bassy echo. However, they will be exponentially louder in volume the closer you get to the source; a gun fired a mile away will be as loud as thunder rumbling a couple miles away. A quarter mile? A head on car collision. Within a few feet? As loud as a thunderclap hitting a tree a couple houses down from your house.
* Microphones in your run-of-the-mill camcorders and mobile phones are ''notoriously'' bad at picking up a gun shot correctly. Therefore the only way to truly find out what a gun sounds like when it's fired is to actually shoot one yourself. Or buy specialized recording equipment. [[note]]hint: the former is more fun[[/note]]
* Most [[GatlingGood electric-driven Gatling guns]] have a very unique sound unlike just about any other firearm. The sound has been compared to a loud buzz, hum or [[{{Fartillery}} a really long, loud fart]]. Often times, this sound will be replaced (for live action works) or substituted with a sound more akin to a traditional machine gun, [[TheCoconutEffect because of the belief that an audience will not recognize it as a machine gun with any other sound]].
* The MG 42 was infamous for its [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ptqNMGg948 distinct sound]], due in large part to its [[MoreDakka high firing rate]]. Almost every nickname it earned was due to the sound it made. American troops called it "Hitler's Zipper", while the Germans themselves were known to call it the "Buzzsaw".
[[/folder]]

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* On one episode of ''{{Shark}}'', it really ''was'' a car backfiring. Ditto ''Series/{{Friends}}''.

Averted in [[FanWorks/DiamondsCut Diamond's Cut]]. Guns fire pretty quietly in the film, assuming, of course, that they fire at all.

* Any movie in which there is a minigun. ''[[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Terminator 2]]'' had a powerful metal-like noise for its minigun, while the noise made by the one in ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'' was more electric (ironically, the physical gun used in both movies is the same). Of note that those artificial noises always make the weapon sound like it's shooting far fewer bullets than it does in reality. A real electric Gatling gun's sound is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1xIGm5GYp0 completely different]]. The buzz-saw sound of a Gatling gun is so unusual that the sound effect is normally a gun shooting far SLOWER than an actual Gatling gun would shoot.

* Partially averted in one scene in ''[[{{Film/Terminator2}} Terminator 2]]''. When the T1000 fires his police-issued sidearm, it sounds quite understated in comparison to your normal Hollywood gunshot.

* Most [[GatlingGood electric-driven Gatling guns]] have a very unique sound unlike just about any other firearm. The sound has been compared to a loud buzz, hum or [[{{Fartillery}} a really long, loud fart]].

If a gun makes way too much noise when it ''isn't'' being fired, that's NoisyGuns. See also BlownAcrossTheRoom for exaggeration of the ''results'' of gunfire. For when ''fistfights'' are louder than they should be, see KungFoley.

* Partially subverted in one scene in [[Film/Terminator2 Terminator 2]]. When the T1000 fires his police-issued sidearm, it sounds quite understated in comparison to your normal Hollywood gunshot.

* Partially subverted in one scene in {{Film/Terminator2}}. When the T1000 fires his police-issued sidearm, it sounds quite understated in comparison to your normal Hollywood gunshot.