We asked you to #ChooseYourWeapon and you responded. Here are the results.
By Derek Scarzella
It’s times like these that I am at my happiest. More than 900 people participated in our survey of various weapons from the action movies we love. Everything from Ash’s chainsaw hand to Indiana Jones’ whip was up for grabs, and the categories were divided up into bladed weapons, machine guns, pistols, and “special” weapons. Our readers let us know, once and for all, what is the ultimate chosen weapon.
With all the numbers collected we took the top weapons from each category by percentages and created this list. So, for instance, if a pistol got 9% on the pistol list and a sword got 10% on the sword list then the sword would advance to the final 10 because it was more popular despite being a different type of weapon. Unscientific? Yes. But with such a wide variety of weapons this was deemed fair. And trust us, there were clear winners in all categories.
So without further delay we present the ACTION A GO GO #CHOOSEYOURWEAPON TOP 10!!!!
10. Predator Helmut + Shoulder Canon from Predator (1987) and various sequels
Oh yes, the mighty PREDATOR Helmut and shoulder canon set up makes its way to #10. And what a choice! The helmet packs together various vision modes, sound analysis, and a wicked targeting system, creating one brutally cool package. Then you have the self-aiming shoulder cannon that effortlessly blasts whatever your looking at into itty bitty pieces. Truly a worthy weapon to make it to this list, and brutally effective against humans and aliens alike. I’ll take mine with teeth please.
9. Anduril AKA Flame Of The West from Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (2003)
How mighty is the sword that Aragon wields in the final Lord Of The Rings movie? So mighty that an army of ghost warriors have to bow to its power. IT is also so mighty that it gave Sauron, the embodiment of evil itself, a cold sweat when he laid eyes upon it. Yes, the “Flame of the West” is a worthy edition to this list and perfect when you need to sever an orcs head clean off.
8. Dirty Harry’s Magnum from Dirty Harry (1971)
Proof that nothing beats a classic! It’s been a long time since “Dirty” Harry Calahan (Clint Eastwood) first uttered the phrase “Go ahead…make my day” while holding his .44 Magnum revolver. But apparently to our voters it feels like yesterday! Loaded with 6 shots of pure justice this weapon has been the bane of criminals everywhere for generations. It may not be the most powerful handgun in the world anymore but it sure is a Hollywood legend that’s here to stay.
7. Hitori Hanzo Katana from Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)
Possibly the most well used weapon on this list, the Hatori Hanzo sword is no joke. Named after it’s maker, the master swordsmith Hatori Hanzo made a promise to never create “something that kills people” again. However, he relented when The Bride let him know that this blade was meant to fell none other than Bill himself. It’s appropriate that Kill Bill vol. 1 slows down and takes a second act breather when the Hanzo sword is introduced, because soon afterwards an unending river of blood is spilt once the The Bride posses it. Beautiful to look at and supernaturally effective, this weapon is legend and earns it’s place at # 7 on our list.
6. Phaser from and Star Trek film/TV show
Ok, technically this one got it’s start on TV and transitioned to film, but who cares! Another one that proves oldies are goodies, the phaser has been a tried and true weapon choice for space travelers for generation after generation. And why not? Being able to “stun” your opponent or make them completely disappear via super heated death has its advantages.
5. Ol’ Painless from Predator (1987)
Where do I begin? It’s big. It’s bad. It takes out whole sections of jungle with a few swipes and even makes a Predator turn tail and run like a scared child. Yes, Ol’ Painless only makes sense in a movie where a 9-foot tall intergalactic hunter takes out an entire special forces unit in the middle of nowhere. But you know what? We wouldn’t have it any other way! Honestly, the only thing that surprises me about this is that it didn’t place higher. But that is just a testament to the popularity of the weapons on this list. So rest well, Ol’ Painless. You done good.
4. Walther PPK from any James Bond Film
Bond seems to be more popular than ever these days, and so is his weapon of choice! The PPK beat some serious competition to make this far and honestly, it’s well deserved. Not many weapons can stay popular for 50+ years but this little pistol that packs a punch “like a brick through a plate glass window” has done the business and then some. Fun fact: In Dr. No (pictured) Bond is actually using a slightly longer barrel Walther PP instead of the shorter, and true, Walther PPK.
3. Captain America’s Shield from Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and the comics : )
Apparently patriotism still means something to our voters! Captain America’s shield has been a symbol of hope, freedom, and American awesomeness since 1941. It never really left the public consciousness, sitting right up their with Uncle Sam as a pop culture patriotic icon. Originally triangular in shape, the round shield is the most common form of Captain America’s shield, and the one you most certainly want to take into battle. With its vibranium construction its a perfect defensive weapon (and,if you’re a good frisbee thrower, an incredible offensive weapon as well). Good choice, people!
2. Auto 9 from Robocop (1987)
Ok, now we are at the top 2. The heaviest of the heavies. And near the top of this list? The venerable Auto 9! Robocop’s trusty pistol is simply a spectacular movie weapon. When hooked up to his internal targeting system it’s incredibly accurate. Robocop fires his pistol in 3 round bursts and lays down the law with it wherever it strikes. Never mind how effective it is, it just looks so damn cool. It screams future and everything Action A Go Go loves about weapons. Here’s one more picture of the Auto 9 being fired next to regular, nowhere near as awesome firearms.
Fun Fact: The Auto 9 is based on a real gun called the Berretta 93R. It is an Italian machine pistol that was heavily modified into this screen icon you see above.
Honorable Mention. Lightsaber from any Star Wars film NOT LISTED
Some people noticed that the lightsaber did not make it to the bladed weapons list or special weapons list. Why? The reason was simple. I love the lightsaber. You love the lightsaber. EVERYONE LOVES THE LIGHTSABER. People ended up choosing the lightsaber even though it wasn’t on the list for crying out loud. But it’s sheer popularity was why we left it off. We wanted to highlight more unconventional choices and get people out of their comfort zones to see what other movie weapons would bubble up to the top. So we don’t hate Star Wars and we aren’t dumb. We were just trying to do something different. So here. It’s on the list because it is AWESOME!
And, now that that has been taken care of…the number 1 movie weapon of all time is ….
(Are you excited?)
(I’m this excited.)
Drum roll please…
1. M41A Pulse Rifle from Aliens (1986)
This beautiful bad boy right here! The M41A Pulse Rifle wasn’t just popular, it destroyed the competition, taking 62% of votes in the machine gun category. That’s what you call dominance right there. And I can’t blame our voters! This thing fires 10mm caseless ammo and has an attached grenade launcher under the barrel. And boy does it kick ass! This is the one weapon in the known universe that Xenomorphs actually cower away from in fear. That’s right, the scariest creature in movie history wets itself when it sees one of these. And how could it not? This mean bastard is capable of ripping acres of them to shreds AND THEN lighting them up with grenades. The only real downside is that this weapon hasn’t shown up in every sequel over and over again. And if you ask me, that’s why all of them have mostly sucked. Really, this weapon is that good. Especially when you duct tape a flame thrower to it like the patron Saint of Xenomorph death, Ellen Ripley, does right here…
And here…
One more time…
Oh, I can’t let the fun stop. Here’s one more in its purest form…
So that is it in all of it’s glory. The M41A Pulse Rifle. The best of the best.
Fun Fact: It’s actually a Thompson sub machine gun– itself a gangster and movie icon — heavily dressed up for the part.
In Conclusion…
So this is it, the Top Ten Weapons from our #chooseyourweapon list.
Now if you want to create a super warrior from the winners of each category they would be using the M41A as their machine gun, the Auto 9 as their pistol, the Hattori Hanzo sword for the close combat, and brandishing Captain America’s shield the whole time. Oh man, that just sounds too fun.
Action A Go Go would like to thank everyone who participated in the voting. You guys rock and obviously have good taste!
If for whatever reason you found this lacking or want more movie fun, don’t worry. We’re going to make more lists so that we can ask you, the people, what movie weapons are best, or what car is the most iconic, or whatever. The possibilities are endless.
And again, thanks you guys. I know I had fun, and I hope you did to.
Now where are those Xenomorphs 🙂
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Derek Scarzella is a lone wolf running through the night with a heart full of dynamite and a limitless passion for Action movies and all things awesome. ‘Nuff said.