Kind of a semi-silly question, but how reliable are Walther P99s as converted blank guns? Seems like the only ones I ever see in movies are first-generation models, like the Umarex models in Casino Royale or the QPQ-slide P99s used by Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld movies and Karl Urban in The Bourne Supremacy. I've yet to see any of the 2nd or 3rd-generation models in movies (though Activision and Treyarch modeled one for the Quantum of Solace videogame recently). What's up with that?

The crimp does not hold extra powder the way loads are set now. That would be on extra hot round and it would cause issues over time. All the crimp is for is to assist feeding of the blank rounds. The closer the black is shaped like the original cartridge the better the weapon functions.

The only ones I have seen are the ones that Bapty and Ellis Mercantile had and they were early versions. It's not that they are difficult to convert to blanks and the reliability is based on how they were converted. The main problem is that to some prop masters they looked like Glocks. Also some armories went and purchased SW99 because they looked close enough to the Walther P99.

I don't see why revolvers aren't used more, no adaptor needed, and they are popular among shooters.

Name a large metro police department the uses revolvers? The same goes for military units. Although revolvers are popular among shooters they fall far behind the popularity of semi-auto pistols. You will see revolvers in shows but only a couple compared to the rest unless it's a period film. The period films being made has more 1911 and Colt 1908 Pockets in them now.

I hate movies and shows taht show that every civilian and gangbanger has a beretta 92 though. And many more rural PDs give out revovlers, as a 6, 7 or 8 round 357 is more than enough for what's needed. I personally prefer a revovler or 1911, i'm split on that one.

The use of the Beretta 92F series pistols is a prop masters preference unless the script calls for something special. The few shows done using a rural PD have used revolvers as in Jesse Stone series and In the Heat of the Night series. It's just a fact of art imitating life that Gang Bangers caught to day with weapons have a semi-auto although they are mostly cheap pistols like the Lorcen .380 they also weapons as nice as a custom 1911. The mix of revolvers to pistols is about 70% to 75% in favor of the pistol. It's all about image with gang members and using a revolver (Grandpa's Gun) does not help their image with other gang members.

I remember hearing from someone who was processing weapons confinscated by police that most gang guns are saturday night specials like raven .25s and the most desirable gun they saw was a ruger single six. I guess it looks cooler in movies to have a glock or beretta.

It doesn't shock me to see gangbangers with Berettas (although I don't think they could get there hands on a 92, maybe a 92F or 92FS :)) that was my hinter to use proper Beretta designation, if no one caught that....

How hard is it for some gang member to take a Beretta off a dead cop or buy it from a black market sale? Berettas are common enough that some gangster with one isn't too shocking.

Like Steve said, autos dominate todays PDs and revolvers are sadly not as common. Enough private owners enjoy them though, so seeing a protaganist or off-duty cop with a revolver isn't as uncommon.

I think someone should re-invent the wheel with wheel-guns by building a new syle cylinder, that quick releases and can be swapped with a new one. This way, the cylinders act as magazines and make them less of a disadvantage to autos. I always liked the old blackpower revolvers like the Colt 1860 and the Remington 1858 because they offer this advantage, except some people didn't take advantage of it and tried to reload one all the way during a gunfight. Idiots.

Yeah, crooks typically use something they can conceal well enough that a cop's patdown could miss it, which it rarely does. Raven .25s are good enough guns (my mom owns a nickel one with pearl grips, although she's never shot it), and for the record, Saturday Night Specials refer to inexpensive snub nose revolvers, I don't believe autos are ever given that name.