Marvel movies, comics, and television shows might mostly be about super-powered people, but there is a healthy amount of firearms in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some are handled realistically. Some, well…not so much.
“You can tell it’s a fantasy because Bucky’s SAW runs rifle mags without issue.”
Guns of the MCU
by Travis Pike
The guns of Marvel include a little bit of everything. I mean everything, from Intratec’s Derringers to handheld M134 miniguns. Today, let’s take a little peek at the guns used by major characters throughout Marvel films and television shows. Original publish date, 03/30/22.
Rocket Raccoon uses some interesting weaponry but not much you’d see at your local range. We’ll look at some of those below.
Captain America M1911A1
Cap wields a period-appropriate M1911A1 during Captain America — The First Avenger. It’s a perfect companion for his shield and offers him some long-range firepower. Well, maybe not long-range, but further than he can throw a punch anyway.
Of course, Cap uses an M1911.
The Colt M1911A1 served the United States for over 70 years as the sidearm of choice for American soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. It’s a simple gun with a single stack magazine full of big fat 45 ACP slugs. For a WW2 movie, it fits perfectly beside Cap’s shield.
Ultimately Cap leads the charge over and over with the M1911, fighting the technologically infused Hydra soldiers. The Colt M1911A1 fits the movie to a T and is not just one of the guns of Marvel but an American classic. In this time period, it’s one of the more robust guns that’s second only to the younger, sexier Hi-Power.
Nick Fury Smith and Wesson M&P
It’s tough being in the Marvel world without any superpowers or super suits. You’re gonna need a gun, and Fury certainly has his favorite. Throughout the Marvel cinematic universe, Fury has wielded the S&W M&P series of polymer-frame, striker-fired pistols. This full-sized sidearm makes sense as a military man’s sidearm.
Nick uses a pragmatic and effective firearm.
This modern handgun offers you a very reliable blaster with a 17 round (or more) capacity magazine, a rail, and a polymer frame. It also allows you to swap backstraps for various hand sizes. It’s a simple, practical pistol.
The M&P is rather boring for the guns of Marvel, but it makes total sense as it is a practical weapon that’s extremely functional and reliable. Fury isn’t the type to get emotional about choosing his gun. He wants a gun that works the M&P works.
The Winter Soldier M249 SAW
In The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes wields tons of guns throughout the series. Including the M1941 Johnson rifle, a Skorpion, a COP Derringer, and more. Yet, he consistently wields the M249 SAW. At least in three movies, he chooses the SAW.
You can tell it’s a work of fantasy because mags work in the SAW without issue.
The M249 SAW came from the FN Minimi, and America issued it as a squad support weapon. It’s a belt-fed, air-cooled, light machine gun. Oddly enough, the M249 SAW he utilizes never sees a belt of ammunition. Instead, it uses the awkward and rather silly magazine port with a Surefire 100-round casket magazine. I’ve used mags in a saw…they tend to be rather unreliable.
Bucky’s a beast and wields the so-called light machine gun with relative ease. I guess a metal arm helps. He uses a Leupold HAMR 4X sight with a red dot mounted atop of it, as well as the para barrel and stock. Combined with the casket mag, it does look more like one of the guns of Marvel than it does your regular SAW.
Falcon Steyr SPP
Falcon goes akimbo pretty much all the time. Fast-firing machine pistols make sense for a high-flying commando. They’re light, won’t burn up fuel due to weight, and allow you to dispense lead rapidly on a fly-by. That’s seemingly how Falcon wields the Steyr SPPs.
The Steyr SPP Allows Falcon to dump rounds during a fly-by. (Courtesy IMFDB)
In real life, the Steyr SPPs are semi-auto variants of the TMP, an actual machine pistol. In the films, the guns operate at full auto and provide some compact firepower to the mechanically improved Falcon. SPP stands for special purpose pistol and was produced to complement the TMP on the civilian market.
SPP pistols use polymer frames, 30 round magazines, and a rather large layout for a handgun. However, they look cool and fit in well with the other guns of Marvel. Machine pistols actually make sense. When you are doing a fly-by you have limited time to dispense lead. The high rate of fire and dual nature makes it easy to hit your target via accuracy by volume.
Black Widow Glock 26
Like Falcon and Fury, Black Widow exists as a normal person in a super-powered world. She most certainly needs guns, and for a long time, she turned to the Glock 26 pistols. She carried two of these 9mm handguns on what appear to be Blackhawk Serpa leg rigs that ride way too low (as with most leg rigs – in the movies, and in real life).
Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson wielding her Glock 26. Glock 26s are small, but effective, albeit outdated in 2021.
The ole Black Widow Glock 26 isn’t a fancy blaster. It’s a double-stack, subcompact, 9mm handgun with ten-round OEM magazines. However, it can take any Glock 9mm double-stack magazine, so the capacity can go to 50 rounds via a drum magazine.
Black Widow deals with threats to the universe with the same gun a ton of people use to deal with criminals when concealed carrying. It’s not imaginative, but after several films, they’ve earned their places as guns in the Marvel universe. If I had to fight an intergalactic threat led by a Nordic god I’d likely bring a rifle but to each their own!
Blade MAC 11
Blade made the MCU or at least helped it pop off with one of the first good comic book movies and gives us one of my favorite guns of Marvel. Blade grabbed that R rating and enjoyed it. Part of that R rating comes from the violence caused by Blade’s custom machine pistol. This futuristic-looking hand cannon is actually a MAC-11.
Blade paved the way for the MCU…With a MAC 11. (Courtesy IMFDB)
The MAC 11 in real life is a 380 ACP variant of the MAC-10. MAC-11s are much smaller than the big, blocky MAC-10. You have to be superhuman to effectively wield a machine pistol without a stock, and luckily Blade fits the bill. It makes a better-looking handgun and would be much easier to control than the MAC-10.
A MAC-11 fitted into a futuristic-looking shell. Blade wields it mostly one-handed and seems to control the blank dispensing of hellfire. He kills tons of vamps with the gun and even occasionally reloads, which is rare for a late 90s action flick.
Emil Blonsky DefTech 40mm Multi-Launcher
Emil Blonsky decided he’d take on the Hulk with nothing more than a little super-soldier serum and a 40mm grenade launcher. Specifically the DefTech 40mm Multi-Launcher. These revolver-type grenade launchers seem to be pump-action designs.
A 40mm only makes sense if you wanna gunfight a super-powered bruiser…well if you’re fighting most bricks anyway. Maybe not The Hulk.
Emil dumps 40mm HE into the Hulk and even seemingly makes him take cover. However, Emil then reverts to his handgun, which totally seems to work. I mean, if a 40mm won’t work, why not try a 9mm Sig P226R? They should have brought more grenade launchers and fewer assault rifles to this fight.
Multiple grenade launchers bring a lot of fire to the fight…at least for the first six rounds. After that, they reload slowly. What’s impressive is that Emil’s so effective without any kind of sights. Also, to hell with arming range!
The Punisher Kimber Warrior & More
The Punisher uses a ton of different firearms in the two seasons of his television show and his guest-starring part in Daredevil Season 2. I chose the Kimber Warrior not because it’s my favorite gun but because Frank wields it in Daredevil and both seasons of his television show.
Better make those eight rounds count. (Courtesy IMFDB)
The Kimber Warrior is a modern 1911 complete with Novak sights, aggressively textured grips, and a rail. Plus, they damn sure look cool, and looking cool is half the battle. It’s still just an M1911 with its rather outdated design. It packs eight rounds at most with the flush-fitting mags.
I guess it’s a good thing he knows how to reload.
At least as far as Frank goes. Frank plays a special ops commando with a history as a Marine. The Marine Corps clung to the M1911 for much longer than most forces, specifically their Force Recon Commandos. As far as the guns of Marvel go, the Kimber Warrior does a great job of matching the character.
Here’s a picture of Frank in a product image using a HK416 in his marine days. (Courtesy IMFDB)
Frank even get ahold of an M249 SAW in S1E11. (Courtesy IMFDB)
Deadpool IWI Desert Eagle Mark XIX
Time to talk about the merc with a mouth, so what kind gun does Deadpool use? Deadpool’s iconic weapons of choice are a pair of IWI Desert Eagle Mark XIX pistols. These hand cannons are instantly recognizable due to their design, showcasing the classic Mark XIX safety rather than the more modern style. Filmmakers confirmed the chambering as .50 AE, a powerful cartridge. However, Deadpool’s guns demonstrate some cinematic inconsistencies.
Deadpool’s custom Desert Eagles: a Frankenstein mix of Mark XIX models. They sport the classic safety of the Israeli-made IWI version but the smooth barrel of the US-produced Magnum Research guns… because accuracy is for other heroes like punisher, or nick fury. (Courtesy IMFDB)
In the highway fight, he claims to have “12 bullets”, firing six from each gun. Standard-issue Desert Eagles in .50 AE hold 7+1 rounds, and at another point, spent casings are marked to track firing order. This suggests prop modifications for dramatic effect or perhaps editing changes from an originally planned 16-round shootout. Also before the fight, he checks the mag and it sure looks like he’s got four left in the tank.
Section Contributed by Daniel Reeder
The Guns of Marvel
In a universe where aliens, interdimensional demons, monsters, supernatural creatures, and literal superheroes exist, guns don’t seem to be all that handy. Yet, we’ve seen a wide variety of bad guys put into the ground via a few well-placed rounds. Seriously, guns have always been the great equalizer, so guns are likely more necessary in the Marvel world than anywhere else. And sometimes they even change their respective gun’s magazines.
So, what’s your favorite? Which ones did I miss?
Let us know below.
About the Author: Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner and lifelong firearms enthusiast turned regular guy. Now that he no longer works the 240B like Charlie Parker did his sax across the “Graveyard of Empires,” he likes to write, shoot, and find ways to combine both activities. A self-proclaimed tactical hipster with an unhealthy flannel shirt addiction, Travis holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s okayest firearms teacher. You can connect with him on Insta if you’re so inclined: @travis.l.pike.
Absolutely love this article. Watching the Marvel Movies growing up, never really processed for me that these characters repped some gangster weaponry. Aside from Black Widow… (for obvious reasons).