Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition
Key takeaways
- I recently finished a book by Steven Pressfield, 36 Righteous Men.
- Please note, the appearance of a book in the featured photo above doesn't say anything about the quality of its gun writing, good or bad.
- Probably my favorite is Jack Carr, author of the four-part "Jim Reece" series.
I recently finished a book by Steven Pressfield, 36 Righteous Men. Pressfield is one of my favorite fiction authors; if you haven't read Gates of Fire you don't know what you're missing. With that said, 36 Righteous Men wasn't my favorite Pressfield work. When I read a line about a character "flicking the safety off" her Glock I cringed†. I realized this wasn't the first book in recent memory with such a slip-up. Here are some common gun mistakes in fiction, as well as how to avoid making them.
Please note, the appearance of a book in the featured photo above doesn't say anything about the quality of its gun writing, good or bad. I just don't own very many fiction books.
Some authors really, really nail firearms stuff. Probably my favorite is Jack Carr, author of the four-part "Jim Reece" series. Carr gets every little detail right. But that's because Carr is an insider, a former SEAL, and probably a serious gun guy. Some others are, too. Marcus Wynne is phenomenally accurate in regards to gun/ammo/holster/tactics stuff. Stephen Hunter (of Bob Lee Swagger fame) is said to be similarly well-informed about firearms but I admit I've read nothing he's written.