History Main / GoodGunsBadGuns

Not to be confused with ReliablyUnreliableGuns, which is about "bad quality" guns.

* Double-Subverted in ''ComicBook/{{Marvels}}'', crossing over with ImproperlyPlacedFirearms. In the newsreel and the ending [=WW2=] scene, the Japanese and German soldiers are equipped with gangster Tommy Guns (an American weapon and typically depicted as "good" during the war) instead of the MP 40 or Arisaka rifle. So while they have "bad" guns, they have the ''wrong'' "bad" guns. Possibly justified [[RealityIsUnrealistic outside of]] [[TheEnemyWeaponsAreBetter the Germans capturing dropped Tommy Guns during the war]]. due to "Golden Age" comic book rules (which ''Marvels'', despite coming out in 1994, takes place during), which often depicted {{Mooks}} using Tommy Guns as short hand for "bad guys".

* Double-Subverted in ''ComicBook/{{Marvels}}'', crossing over with ImproperlyPlacedFirearms. In the newsreel and the ending [=WW2=] scene, the Japanese and German soldiers are equipped with gangster Tommy Guns (an American weapon and typically depicted as "good" during the war) instead of the MP 40 or Arisaka rifle. So while they have "bad" guns, they have the ''wrong'' "bad" guns. Possibly justified due to "Golden Age" comic book rules (which ''Marvels'', despite coming out in 1994, takes place during), which often depicted {{Mooks}} using Tommy Guns as short hand for "bad guys".

* In ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'', the standard Carrington Institute weapons are a renamed Colt Double Eagle (a double-action version of the M1911) and FAMAS, while the opposing [=dataDyne=] tends to favor the TMP and a mocked-up XM8. Where this starts to zig-zag is that, otherwise, a lot of the weapons are shared between both factions and others - said mocked-up [=XM8=] is also the standard-issue US military weapon, for instance, and the protagonist Joanna acting as an infiltrator in most levels means she has to use weapons [[OnSiteProcurement taken from killed enemies]] a lot of the time. It also does this for the completely fictional alien weapons later on in the game, with the good Maians using sleek, accurate, and possibly-biological blue and teal weapons that can trade off fire rate for more power, versus the bad Skedar having large and spiky black and green weapons that sacrifice accuracy for [[MoreDakka a fast rate of fire]].

* Played with in ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle''. The World War II era weapons of the Germans and Japanese are still around and in the hands of their respective country's soldiers, but they are slowly being replaced by more modern weapons, leading to cases of ImproperlyPlacedFirearms like the [=MP5=] - usually seen by Western audiences in the hands of good guy SWAT teams and elite units post-1990s - becoming the weapon of choice for the Nazis. American World War II weapons like the Thompson, 1911, and M1 carbine are seen in the hands of resistance fighters, though by Season 4, these are likewise being supplanted, this time by Communist Bloc weapons like the AK-47, typical resistance fighter weapons. Weapons like M2 machine guns and Winchester shotguns are seen in use by all sides, though whether this is a case of them being pressed into service by the Axis powers or their standing in for fictional guns the Germans and Japanese developed in this timeline is unclear. Lastly, revolvers and lever action weapons seem to be favored in the Neutral Zone, adding to its Wild West-like atmosphere.

* Played with in ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle''. The World War II era weapons of the Germans and Japanese are still around and in the hands of their respective country's soldiers, but they are slowly being replaced by more modern weapons, leading to guns like the [=MP5=] - usually seen by Western audiences in the hands of good guy SWAT teams and elite units - becoming the weapon of choice for the Nazis. American World War II weapons like the Thompson, 1911, and M1 carbine are seen in the hands of resistance fighters, though by Season 4, these are likewise being supplanted, this time by Communist Bloc weapons like the AK-47 in another role reversal. Weapons like M2 machine guns and Winchester shotguns are seen in use by all sides, though whether this is a case of them being pressed into service by the Axis powers or their standing in for fictional guns the Germans and Japanese developed in this timeline is unclear. Lastly, revolvers and lever action weapons seem to be favored in the Neutral Zone, adding to its Wild West-like atmosphere.

** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', Naked Snake plays this straight with an extensively-customized Colt [=M1911A1=] as his primary weapon. However, Ocelot zig-zags this, first using a Makarov ("bad"), then switching to a Single Action Army ("good", which he will later become famous for) on Snake's suggestion and using it as a "bad guy" gun, [[spoiler:then turning out to [[GoodAllAlong not actually be a bad guy at all]] and having been Snake's support agent ADAM the whole time]]. EVA, meanwhile, uses a Chinese clone of the Mauser C96 ("bad") as her primary weapon, [[spoiler:but is actually foreshadowing the fact that she's actually a Chinese double-agent who's more overtly there for the Philosopher's Legacy.]]

* ''VideoGame/SecondSight'' stands out as a game that completely averts this. For instance, a street gang has some members with revolvers and some with sawed-off shotguns, a violation no matter how the group is perceived (it's more good than bad, for the record.)

* ''Film/WhiteSunOfTheDesert'', being a Russian film, naturally inverts it as the "heroes" carry what would seem like "bad" guns to a Western viewer. However, zig-zagged even within that dynamic by the BigBad who carries a Mauser C96. Typically a Nazi-associated "bad" gun (despite pre-dating them by half a century), it was seen as a "good" gun associated with the Bolsheviks and UsefulNotes/RedOctober in the Soviet Union.

** ''VideoGame/GhostRecon1'' zig-zags this. Enemies, as always, almost always use the AK and similar weapons, and while a player in campaign is generally restricted to NATO weapons like the M16/M4, M24, and M249, there are also a few "bad" guns available to specialists and in multiplayer modes, like the SVD sniper rifle, the RPK-74, and the [=MG3=] (a 7.62mm NATO conversion of the infamous [=MG42=] used by UsefulNotes/NaziGermany). The expansions went even further to invert this for the Ghosts, giving them access to the Makarov pistol, several AK variants and even WWII-era DP machine guns.

** In ''Film/ThePredator'', the group of protagonists is a rather anti-heroic bunch of PTSD suffering veterans who've escaped custody (and one scientist who [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived her usefulness]]). However, they primarily use "good" guns, like a pump shotgun stolen from a guard and some police weapons, including [=MP5s=], after stealing a police car. The [[MenInBlack Stargazer]] organization, despite being "good" in-universe, primarily use a variety of "advanced", tactical-looking H&K products, classic "bad" guns in this circumstance. Oddly, when the two groups are forced into an EnemyMine against the Ultimate Predator at the end, the protagonists equip themselves with several classic "good" [=M4s=] from the Stargazer site, despite the Stargazer {{Mooks}} not really using them.

* '''Modern "Western" Military Firearms''': In large part due to their prevalence in Western media and other countries with pro-Western sentiments (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, etc.), the firearms used by "Western" militaries often end up in the hands of "good" characters. As the standard infantry rifle of the US military since 1967, the M16 (part of the Colt AR-15 family) and its 5.56 NATO-firing cousins used by other Western militaries are a very common example. Notable inversions occur when the [[ArmiesAreEvil military is portrayed as the antagonist]] in a given work, in the hands of PrivateMilitaryContractors, or as "gangster guns" (as in case of Israeli Uzis which are extensively used by NATO forces, as well as MAC-10 used by US military). These weapons have also fallen into the hands of Iraqi and Afghan insurgents due to the long US military presence in both nations, but media has been slower to demonstrate this.

* '''Modern "Western" Military Firearms''': In large part due to their prevalence in Western media and other countries with pro-Western sentiments (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, etc.), the firearms used by "Western" militaries often end up in the hands of "good" characters. As the standard infantry rifle of the US military since 1967, the M16 (part of the Colt AR-15 family) and its 5.56 NATO-firing cousins used by other Western militaries are a very common example. Notable inversions occur when the [[ArmiesAreEvil military is portrayed as the antagonist]] in a given work, in the hands of PrivateMilitaryContractors, or as "gangster guns" (as in case of Israeli Uzis which are extensively used by NATO forces). These weapons have also fallen into the hands of Iraqi and Afghan insurgents due to the long US military presence in both nations, but media has been slower to demonstrate this.

* In ''Series/SonsOfGuns'', there are no "bad guys", but one of Red Jacket's biggest claims to fame are modified AK-action weapons such as AKM derivatives and the Saiga semi-automatic shotgun. They have also done prominent builds using other "bad guns" such as four MG-42s in a quadruple anti-aircraft mount and a folding gun based on the Ingram MAC-10.

* Also inverted in many airsoft-themed anime and manga, such as ''Manga/StellaWomensAcademyHighSchoolDivisionClassC3'', where the Desert Eagle (a typically [[BlingBlingBang blingy]] looking HandCannon) often appears as a weapon of choice of the BigGood. Other inversions from the same series, Rento Kirishima, one of the nicest members of the titular club, uses an AK-47, the almost textbook example of a bad-guy gun, as her main weapon. The closest straight example goes to Karila Hatsuse, one the club's rougher members, which uses the more good-guy aligned "advanced" gun P90 instead.

* Inverted in the Chinese film ''My War'', which depicts the Korean War from the Chinese perspective. The Chinese Communist protagonists wield a mix of Japanese (eg. Type 99 rifles, Type 92 machine guns), Soviet (eg. PPS-43 submachine guns, DP light machine guns), domestically manufactured weaponry (Type Zhongzheng rifles, ZB vz.26 light machine guns and Type 24 Maxim guns) and a few captured American weapons presumably taken off the Chinese Nationalists, such as M1903 Springfield rifles. The opposing US Army wields its iconic arsenal of M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, Thompson and M3 submachine guns, and Browning machine guns. However, the Americans use [=M1928A1=] Thompsons instead of the much more common [=M1A1=] by that stage in time, and Browning [=M1917s=] instead of the more widespread [=M1919A4s=] and [=M1919A6s=]. Justified as these weapons are leftovers from Chinese Civil War movies, where they're usually in the hands of Nationalist {{Mooks}}.

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list (nor is intended to be) and there are many, ''many'' models of firearm around the world that do not neatly fit within this binary. Some "Good Guns" in one time period may evolve into "Bad Guns" or vice versa. For example, the futuristic-looking Steyr AUG was made famous by the ''villains'' in ''Film/DieHard'', but variants have since been adopted by law enforcement throughout the world in the decades since and have become more often depicted as "good"; alternately, see the Tommy Gun, which went from a gangster's weapon that made [[TheRoaringTwenties the '20s roar]] to a heroic weapon during World War II. Others may vary depending on the nature of the work in question. For example, it isn't uncommon to see an AntiHero using a traditional "Bad Gun". Similarly, while MoreDakka may otherwise be a "Bad Gun" trait, having your hero pick up a [[GatlingGood Gatling Gun]] designed to be fired while mounted can be [[RuleOfCool downright awesome]]. Conversely, a DirtyCop or a SerialKiller may use a standard-issue or decommissioned "Good Gun" for nefarious purposes.

* '''Gangster Guns''': Anything associated with gangsters, be they [[TheMafia Mafioso]], [[GangBangers urban]], or [[GenericEthnicCrimeGang another ethnic crime group]], tend to be "Bad Guns", depending on the time period and location. The Thompson submachine gun (aka "Tommy Gun"), particularly the early models with the vertical foregrip and [[MoreDakka drum magazine]], is ''the'' Mafia weapon. The Italian mafiosi would also use anything made by Beretta as their {{National Weapon}}s, particularly the Model 38 submachine gun and the handguns for {{Professional Killer}}s. Machine pistols such as the Uzi, TEC-9, and MAC-10 are favorites of gangbangers, so are older revolvers if set in the modern era given their access to decommissioned firearms. Same goes for anything made by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobray_Company Cobray]], who produced the infamous Street Sweeper, one of the few guns banned ''by name'' in the U.S. TheIrishMob is often associated, especially if set during the UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, with hand-me-down American guns like the AR-18. TheMafiya will cross this over with the above Kalashnikovs, perhaps with the barrels and stocks cut for concealment. TheCartel may have any or all of these. Naturally, these are almost exclusively "Bad Guns" (Berettas notwithstanding), with the Thompson getting a reprieve in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII]] works.

* Sugan Man in ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' is a four-armed, villainous mutant who carries multiple weapons in battle. In addition to DualWielding an ax and [[DropTheHammer hammer]], he is known to carry "bad" TMP machine pistols.

* '''Law Enforcement Firearms''': Firearms typically associated with police and government agents are also likely to be carried by "good" characters. The Glock and Beretta families of handguns are common examples favored by police forces worldwide. Their BoringButPractical (or SimpleYetAwesome) nature in the hands of a hero instantly contrasts the [[BlingBlingBang flashier and more exotic]] guns often preferred by villains. Older works and older-set works may instead give their officers double-action revolvers, such as the Smith & Wesson Model 10 in .38 caliber[[note]]With over six million units produced, making it the most common handgun in the world[[/note]]. A favorite of {{SWAT Team}}s, government agencies, and regular officers who need a step up from their sidearm, the [=MP5=] submachine gun is another very common "Good Gun" with a law enforcement basis. [[ElitesAreMoreGlamorous Elite units]] may use more "advanced"-looking weapons as an inversion of the below-mentioned "Bad Gun" portrayals. Inversions most often occur when [[TheBadGuysAreCops law enforcement is the antagonist]] of the story, or (in case of Beretta handguns) being used as a NationalWeapon of TheMafia.

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list (nor is intended to be) and there are many, ''many'' models of firearm around the world that do not neatly fit within this binary. Some "Good Guns" in one time period may evolve into "Bad Guns" or vice versa. For example, the futuristic-looking Steyr AUG was made famous by the ''villains'' in ''Film/DieHard'', but variants have since been adopted by law enforcement throughout the world in the decades since and have become more often depicted as "good"; alternately, see the Tommy Gun, which went from a gangster's weapon that made [[TheRoaringTwenties the '20s roar]] to a heroic weapon during World War II. Others may vary depending on the nature of the work in question. For example, it isn't uncommon to see an AntiHero using a traditional "Bad Gun". Similarly, while MoreDakka may otherwise be a "Bad Gun" trait, having your hero pick up a [[GatlingGood Gatling Gun]] designed to be fired while mounted can be [[RuleOfCool downright awesome]]. Conversely, a DirtyCop or a SerialKiller may use a standard-issue "Good Gun" for nefarious purposes.

* '''"Advanced" Guns''': Going along with the general theme that "good" guns are often BoringButPractical, a good way to signal a villain is to give him a futuristic-looking gun with lots of "bells and whistles". Black synthetic stocks, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullpup "bullpup"]] designs (where the breech is located behind the trigger and grip)[[note]]While many NATO countries have adopted bullpup designs for their primary infantry weapons, this reputation precedes them from back when the design was still cutting edge. Most are dropping them for something AR-based, however, and China is still primarily using them, leading the reputation to stick.[[/note]], fancy scopes, laser sights, extended magazines of all sorts, silencers, muzzle brakes, etc. are all accessories that can push a standard gun into this category. Weapons by German manufacturer Heckler & Koch (often abbreviated H&K) are prime examples in fiction dating back to at least the '80s, though many of their creations (such as the [=MP5=]) have been adopted by law enforcement around the world since, giving them a split reputation (see "Law Enforcement Firearms" above for inversions).

* '''Gangster Guns''': Anything associated with gangsters, be they [[TheMafia Mafioso]], [[GangBangers urban]], or [[GenericEthnicCrimeGang another ethnic crime group]], tend to be "Bad Guns", depending on the time period and location. The Thompson submachine gun (aka "Tommy Gun"), particularly the early models with the vertical foregrip and [[MoreDakka drum magazine]], is ''the'' Mafia weapon. The Italian mafiosi would also use anything made by Beretta as their {{National Weapon}}s, particularly the Model 38 and the handguns for {{Professional Killer}}s. Machine pistols such as the Uzi, TEC-9, and MAC-10 are favorites of gangbangers, so are older revolvers if set in the modern era given their access to decommissioned firearms. Same goes for anything made by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobray_Company Cobray]], who produced the infamous Street Sweeper, one of the few guns banned ''by name'' in the U.S. TheIrishMob is often associated, especially if set during the UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, with hand-me-down American guns like the AR-18. TheMafiya will cross this over with the above Kalashnikovs, perhaps with the barrels and stocks cut for concealment. TheCartel may have any or all of these. Naturally, these are almost exclusively "Bad Guns" (Berettas notwithstanding), with the Thompson getting a reprieve in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII]] works.

* Discussed in ''Film/InBruges'', about two Irish hitmen (who use "gangster" handguns like Beretta 92s) hiding out in the titular city, regarding the "bad" gun Uzi in an ArmsDealer store.

* '''Gangster Guns''': Anything associated with gangsters, be they [[TheMafia Mafioso]], [[GangBangers urban]], or [[GenericEthnicCrimeGang another ethnic crime group]], tend to be "Bad Guns", depending on the time period and location. The Thompson submachine gun (aka "Tommy Gun"), particularly the early models with the vertical foregrip and [[MoreDakka drum magazine]], is ''the'' Mafia weapon. The Italian mafiosi would also use anything made by Beretta as their {{National Weapon}}s, particularly the Model 38 and the handguns for {{Professional Killer}}s. Machine pistols such as the Uzi, TEC-9, and MAC-10 are favorites of gangbangers, so are older revolvers if set in the modern era. Same goes for anything made by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobray_Company Cobray]], who produced the infamous Street Sweeper, one of the few guns banned ''by name'' in the U.S. TheIrishMob is often associated, especially if set during the UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, with hand-me-down American guns like the AR-18. TheMafiya will cross this over with the above Kalashnikovs, perhaps with the barrels and stocks cut for concealment. TheCartel may have any or all of these. Naturally, these are almost exclusively "Bad Guns" (Berettas notwithstanding), with the Thompson getting a reprieve in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII]] works.

* Subverted in the Chinese film ''Operation Red Sea'', where the protagonists - Chinese special forces - are equipped with Chinese weaponry such as QBZ-95 rifles, while the Arab terrorists wield staple Soviet weapons, two different sets of typically "Bad" guns. The former is justified as being law enforcement weapons in Chinese media, which fall into "good" category similar to other elites' adoption of "advanced" guns in comparison to terrorists' older, low-tech leftover weapons.

* In ''Film/{{Avalon}}'', protagonist Ash carries a PPK and Russian SVD, and at one point borrows a broomhandle Mauser. Later, she trades her PPK for a dead player's Polish Radom pistol.

* '''Firearms of the Old West''': Ubiquitous in the real life [[TheWildWest Wild West]] and popularized by [[TheWestern the media version]], these tend to be "Good Guns" in the hands of characters in modern works thanks to their connections to cowboys and gunslingers, as well as their GoodOldWays factor. In actual "Westerns", as both sides are likely to use these guns, their ''aesthetics'' may be used to identify character alignment instead. For example, the "Good Guy" may have white pearl grips on his revolver to invoke LightIsGood while the "Bad Guy" has dark ebony, invoking DarkIsEvil. RevolversAreJustBetter and RevolversAreForAmateurs also come into play, but the odds are good that a revolver-wielding character is going to be "good". Exceptions when this falls under the hands of GangBangers in contrast to more "advanced" weapons used by law enforcement.

* '''Firearms of the Old West''': Ubiquitous in the real life [[TheWildWest Wild West]] and popularized by [[TheWestern the media version]], these tend to be "Good Guns" in the hands of characters in modern works thanks to their connections to cowboys and gunslingers, as well as their GoodOldWays factor. In actual "Westerns", as both sides are likely to use these guns, their ''aesthetics'' may be used to identify character alignment instead. For example, the "Good Guy" may have white pearl grips on his revolver to invoke LightIsGood while the "Bad Guy" has dark ebony, invoking DarkIsEvil. RevolversAreJustBetter and RevolversAreForAmateurs also come into play, but the odds are good that a revolver-wielding character is going to be "good".

* '''Gangster Guns''': Anything associated with gangsters, be they [[TheMafia Mafioso]], [[GangBangers urban]], or [[GenericEthnicCrimeGang another ethnic crime group]], tend to be "Bad Guns", depending on the time period and location. The Thompson submachine gun (aka "Tommy Gun"), particularly the early models with the vertical foregrip and [[MoreDakka drum magazine]], is ''the'' Mafia weapon. The Italian mafiosi would also use anything made by Beretta as their {{National Weapon}}s, particularly the Model 38 and the handguns for {{Professional Killer}}s. Machine pistols such as the Uzi, TEC-9, and MAC-10 are favorites of gangbangers. Same goes for anything made by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobray_Company Cobray]], who produced the infamous Street Sweeper, one of the few guns banned ''by name'' in the U.S. TheIrishMob is often associated, especially if set during the UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, with hand-me-down American guns like the AR-18. TheMafiya will cross this over with the above Kalashnikovs, perhaps with the barrels and stocks cut for concealment. TheCartel may have any or all of these. Naturally, these are almost exclusively "Bad Guns" (Berettas notwithstanding), with the Thompson getting a reprieve in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII]] works.

* Subverted in the Chinese film ''Operation Red Sea'', where the protagonists - Chinese special forces - are equipped with Chinese weaponry such as QBZ-95 rifles, while the Arab terrorists wield staple Soviet weapons, two different sets of typically "Bad" guns. The former is justified as being law enforcement firearms, which falls into "good" category similar to other elites' adoption of "advanced" guns in comparison to terrorists' older, low-tech leftover weapons.

* Inverted and Zig-Zagged in the Chinese ''Wolf Warrior'' films, where the Chinese protagonists are armed with modern PRC law-enforcement weapons such as the QBZ-95, but [[{{Mooks}} the rebel forces]] they tear through use [=AKs=]. In contrast, the villainous "[[WesternTerrorists foreign]] [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenaries]]" in both films are armed with American weapons such as M16s, M4s, M249 [=SAWs=], or M21 rifles. Tomcat (Scott Adkins) and Big Daddy (Frank Grillo), the two American antagonists in the films, both use [=M4A1s=] as their primary weapon.