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The guns that villains carry in well-written fiction can be used to characterize. You don’t have to just give your bad guy a “handgun,” “revolver,” or “Glock.” There are scores of choices available to help make your baddie unique and interesting. All of the kinds of guns I talked about in Part I and Part II are available for crooks to use, and there are a few other considerations as well.
The guns widely available in the U.S. may not be so accessible for residents of other countries. The Germans have their Lugers, Mausers, and Heckler & Koch; Belgium specializes in Browning; and Brazil has the Taurus brand, which are often available here in the U.S. But Switzerland has the Sphinx, Ukraine has the Fort series, Finland has the Lahti line, Turkey the Zigana, and Russian-area states have the Korovin, Makarov, and Stechkin. Most people – even avid gun owners – have never heard of those gun models.
Keep in mind that if you want your crook to carry an unusual gun, he (or she) has to have managed to get it into the country where he does his dirty work. It’s one thing for Lawrence Block’s hit man character, Keller, to travel around the U.S. from state to state, but if he were to travel out of the country by plane, he’s not going to be able to take his favorite guns with him and will have to purchase guns in another country. Even if he bought a gun on the street, he’s more likely to get a weapon widely available in that country. Say he’s gone to Italy for a hit. Perhaps he’ll manage to buy this silver Tanfoglio with the wooden handle.
The guns widely available in the U.S. may not be so accessible for residents of other countries. The Germans have their Lugers, Mausers, and Heckler & Koch; Belgium specializes in Browning; and Brazil has the Taurus brand, which are often available here in the U.S. But Switzerland has the Sphinx, Ukraine has the Fort series, Finland has the Lahti line, Turkey the Zigana, and Russian-area states have the Korovin, Makarov, and Stechkin. Most people – even avid gun owners – have never heard of those gun models.
Keep in mind that if you want your crook to carry an unusual gun, he (or she) has to have managed to get it into the country where he does his dirty work. It’s one thing for Lawrence Block’s hit man character, Keller, to travel around the U.S. from state to state, but if he were to travel out of the country by plane, he’s not going to be able to take his favorite guns with him and will have to purchase guns in another country. Even if he bought a gun on the street, he’s more likely to get a weapon widely available in that country. Say he’s gone to Italy for a hit. Perhaps he’ll manage to buy this silver Tanfoglio with the wooden handle.