The Guns of Christmas…Movies [Ultimate Guide]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

With that in mind, we’re taking a look at some action-packed Christmas movies and the awesome guns used in those flicks.

Though action movies feature celebs like Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson, let’s be real, the actual stars are the guns.

Pistols, rifles, shotguns might as well be considered characters in these flicks as they are how the character interacts with his world.

Often hero or villain guns are distinctive and distinguished.

They are wielded to often great effect if you just so happen to be a square-jawed good guy with an ax to grind. 

So, without delay, let’s look at eight Christmas movies with the best guns (that aren’t Die Hard) — and, spoiler alert, one movie that is Die Hard. 

In no particular order…

The 9 Best Guns of Christmas

1. Lethal Weapon — Beretta 92FS

Mel Gibson’s wonderful, feathered hair takes center stage in Lethal Weapon.

But second to that glorious mane is Mel’s Beretta 92F.

Fun fact: Mel’s Beretta 92F is the same one used by Bruce Willis in Die Hard…no, really, it’s the exact same prop. 

Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs describes the 92F as a “nine-millimeter Beretta. Takes 15 in the mag, one up the pipe, wide ejection port, no feed jams.” 

Riggs is skilled in its use as we see him gun down about a dozen bad guys at a Christmas Tree lot — as Santa would have wanted.

We can’t forget the cute smiley he paints face onto a silhouette target at the range. But the biggest testament to wielding of the Beretta is when he takes down a sniper. 

The Beretta 92F lacks the enlarged hammer pin on the 92FS, but other than that, it’s all Beretta — a powerhouse of a gun designed for duty use.  

The M9 variant has served the United States military for over 30 years now, and as someone who carried an issued M9 and owns a Beretta 92FS, I’m a huge fan of the gun.

I most certainly understand why a spec-ops turned cop would choose it. 

2. Reindeer Games — Franchi PA3/215

Reindeer Games is a cheesy movie with a little charm. But I don’t blame most people for forgetting about its existence.

Though one of the best action scenes involves a water pistol loaded with rum and a lighter, there’s another weapon that always stuck out for me.

The Franchi PA3/215.

As a kid, I stayed up late to watch this movie on HBO…mainly due to my crush on Charlize Theron and the PA3/215.

The PA3 is based on the SPAS 12, another famed movie gun, but is pump-action only.

It’s the smallest of three models. And with the stock collapsed, it’s a mere 18.5-inches. 

Using the same stock as the SPAS 12, the gun strikes a very distinctive profile when fitted with a vertical foregrip.

The gun features a top folding stock in Reindeer Games, although big, bad guy Gary Sinise never deploys the stock.

The gun is so unusual, short, and tough-looking it’s hard not to love.

Short shotguns are all kinds of cool, and this might be the coolest one ever.

It’s a shame we can’t get one today. Santa, if you are listening, please leave one of these under my tree. 

3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang — Vektor CP-1

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was a surprise sleeper hit and one of Shane Black’s half dozen Christmas action movies.

This particular one involves a very cool Robert Downey Jr. and a still kicking Val Kilmer. This was more P.I. flick and less action movie, but it had its fair share of sweet guns. 

Of course, notable guns include an NAA Mini-Revolver, a Jericho, and the futuristic Vektor CP-1.

Wielded by a slick and slim Val Kilmer, the Vektor CP-1 fits his personality well.

Aside from the cool name, the gun sports a 9mm, striker-fired, polymer frame and semi-auto design. 

Much like Santa sliding down a chimney, the CP-1 is designed to smoothly slide in and out of deep concealment. The snag-free design knocks the Sig SAS P365 out of the park.

The odd safety is located in front of the trigger guard, making it truly ambidextrous. 

Oddly enough, this is a gas delayed blowback system…just like Hans Gruber’s HK P7M13. Do elves prefer gas delayed blowback in their Christmas guns?

I have no evidence saying they don’t, so, bam, they do. 

The Vektor CP-1 is only used a few times in the flick, but it most certainly stands out.

Sometimes it’s to intimidate a guard. While other times, it’s so Robert Downey Jr. can fire a gun while hanging from a coffin. 

4. The Long Kiss Goodnight — Colt King Cobra

Do you think your Christmas is stressful dealing with in-laws, cooking, wrapping presents, etc.?

Well, Geena Davis had it a lot rougher in the Long Kiss Goodnight.

This amnesia ridden assassin has to deal with hitmen and bad guys, all with Samuel L. Jackson by her side. 

You can’t get much cooler than Samuel L. Jackson, and likewise, his Colt King Cobra is pretty awesome too. So, when you combine the two, you get one bad mother trucker.

Samuel L. Jackson portrays a P.I. in the film, and both sticks and breaks from tradition with his choice of firearm. 

The classic P.I. piece is, of course, the Colt Detective model — a snub-nose revolver. Sam wields a Colt revolver…but chooses a model with a massive barrel.

It’s so cool and slick. Not to mention, it certainly “ain’t no ham on rye, pal.”

The Colt Kind Cobra is a .357 Magnum alternative to the Python. It ditches the vented rib of the Python for a more standard but still striking design.

Colt brought the Cobra back in 2019, so maybe, just maybe, one will appear under your tree this year. 

5. In Bruges — Steyr TMP

In Bruges is one of those weird comedy-action movies with a whole smart person aspect to it.

I enjoy it because Brandon Gleason is great – ignoring that whole existential weight of Christmas thing.

Word of warning, this isn’t your typical big gunfighting flick with massive shoot-outs. 

Instead, it’s just a few action scenes sprinkled through two hitman’s stay in Bruges.

One of the most memorable scenes involves a character purchasing a weapon from an illicit arms dealer.

The Steyr TMP momentarily graces the screen. But, surprisingly, we only see it once, and it’s never actually used. 

Why did it make our list then? Because of the way it’s handled. From a line delivered by Ralph Fiennes to the fact that he identifies the gun incorrectly.

Again, a gun we only see once that’s never used, and you throw in the fact it’s incorrectly identified as an Uzi…how can it not be the star of the show?

The Steyr TMP is a much more refined machine pistol than an Uzi. It offers a polymer construction, closed-bolt design, and an integrated vertical foregrip.

Produced by B&T as the MP9, you can buy your very own (without the foregrip) just in time for Christmas.

6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service — Walther PPK

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the only Bond flick set during Christmas – at least that I know of. It’s also the only time ole George Lazenby played 007.

Continuing the “firsts,” this film also marks the only occasion Bond gets married.

That said, this film is not the first or last time Bond ever wields the Walther PPK.

Bond and the PPK are linked and always will be. The Walther PPK is the only gun as smooth and cool as James Bond, and it matches the spy’s need for a concealed carry weapon. 

This movie takes place in a winter wonderland known as the Swiss Alps with plenty of skiing, snow, and even a bobsled chase.

A bobsled chase, people!

With plenty of Walther PPK action along the way. 

The Walther PPK gets some nice close-ups, some serious action, and performs well above its .380 ACP power.

But it’s a Bond flick, so it’s what we expect. 

7. Fatman – Colt Walker

Fatman is a new Christmas action flick starring Mel Gibson as a world-weary Santa.

Of course, he’s working for the United States government and fighting off a hitman hired by a spoiled child.

Because this is a newer film, I’m not offering any spoilers outside of Santa’s choice in handguns.

We see he likes the classics, and that makes sense for a man who is a few hundred years old. 

He starts with a 1911 to take care of “trash,” as Misses Clause states, but later wields a classic Colt percussion revolver.

As Santa locks and loads, he grabs his 1911 and mutters, “I’ll take the Walker too.” Clearly, Santa is old school cool with a Colt Walker. 

The Colt Walker was an early Colt revolver and an improvement on the Colt Patterson. The Walker was a .44-caliber model, and at the time, was a big gun.

Captain Walker was a Texas Ranger, and he wanted a lot of power for close-range fighting. The Colt Walker offered that. 

I can easily see why Old Saint Nick would want that same power. 

Seeing Santa blast away with an old school six-shooter brings a bit of Christmas joy to my heart. But to be fair, Santa shooting any gun seems fun.

Fatman is, simply, a fun flick.

8. A Christmas Story — The Red Ryder

The Red Ryder BB gun stars not only in A Christmas Story but in Home Alone as well.

It’s also a staple Christmas present for kids around the country. 

Heck, I gave my son one for Christmas last year, and today we took it out to light up a steel gong. It’s really the perfect gift. 

In A Christmas Story, the gun is the “official Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.”

Red Ryder has even released this famed model complete with sundial and compass. 

The Red Ryder BB gun is, definitively, the star of this film. It’s often discussed, thought about, commented on, and finally used in the final scene.

It acts as both a character and desire for the character — one constant theme little Ralphie is always asking for. 

A charming movie about the childhood Christmas experience, the film also pulls double-duty, reminding us why we should all wear eye protection. 

9. Die Hard – H&K MP5

Finally, we land on the Christmas action movie of all Christmas action movies…Die Hard.

Choosing one gun from this iconic movie is tough. We have lots of stars here!

The Beretta 92F, the HK P7M13, the Steyr AUG, and even the unappreciated Walther P5 all come to mind; however, only one gun can be chosen, and we all know what that is.

 The MP5. 

As soon as John McClane gets his hands on an MP5, he pulls a gruesome joke in writing “Now I Have a Machine Gun, Ho, Ho, Ho” on poor Tony’s dead body.

The MP5 is actually a chopped semi-auto HK94, which was an imported rifle variant of the MP5 with a 16-inch barrel. It was common for armorers at the time to convert HK94s into MP5 wannabes.

Die Hard gives us an MP5A3 wannabe with a collapsing stock used by both McClane and the terrorists. The MP5 is so much more than just a gun here.

McClane actually uses the gun as a tool, trying to extend the stock to descend down an air conditioning shaft. 

John goes through three MP5s throughout the film, often using the tried-and-true video game move…pulling a gun off a dead guy and keeping on.

In real life, the MP5 was one of the best submachine guns available for decades. While it’s showing its age these days, the MP5 is still a fan favorite and used worldwide. 

Conclusion

As the cold sets in and Santa starts making his list, we have time to reflect on Christmases past. That means digging into some of our favorite gun-centric holiday flicks or even watching some new ones.

Regardless of what your preferred film is, we hope you enjoyed our roundup of some of the most memorable guns to grace the big screen.

Have you ever given a gun or received one for Christmas? Do you want to argue that the movies aren’t Christmas flicks? Let us know below! Need some last-minute gift ideas? Check out the Holiday Gift Guide and Bug-In/Bug-Out: Best Gifts for Preppers.