Doing so of course would or at least should expel a round/shell from the firearm.

So why do we see it so often?

Even those who have never handled a real shotgun know the sound, so that is the down-and-dirty answer.

Collage of movie stills from movies with the worst gun mistakes

Audiences have come to expect to hear it.

In fairness, sometimes it is even necessary.

Of course, the hammer would have already been cocked when they racked the slide.

Shotguns in the Blues Brothers

But why ruin a perfectly good moment by being realistic?

Many other times characters seem to rack the pistol again, even after having fired a round.

All this would do of course is expel the round that was in the chamber.

Shotgun held by actor in the movie Snatch

Pistol Slides Dont Lock

Another common movie troupe is the empty pistol.

Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, Ive kinda lost track myself.

That is what the T-800 did inThe Terminatorwhen he bought an Uzi off-the-shelf.

Men holding pistols in The Boondock Saints

You could argue that this was before the 1986 ban on the manufacture and sale of new machine guns.

Why he couldnt have used a shotgun and simply ratcheted it repeatedly is anyones guess!

If anything, it could show the pressure of having to worry about such things.

Still image from Drop Zone movie

Too often actors fall back on the cup-and-saucer grip, or have ashooting posture that is just wrong.

It was 1996sIndependence Daythat perhaps highlights this more than any other film.

Dirty Harry holding a revolver

Terminator UZI movie still

Death Wish movie still with actor holding gun

Rambo with a M60 machine gun

Saving Private Ryan movie still with MG42

Pulp Fiction actor holding gun with silencer

Bad holds on pistols in Independence Day

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