back to article Scarface's explosive 'Little Friend' goes under the hammer

The M16 rifle used to explosive effect by Al Pacino as Cuban drug dealer Tony Montana in the climactic battle scene of Scarface goes under the hammer later this month in Los Angeles. The Scarface M-16. Pic: Julien's Auctions The non-firing firearm, complete with prop M203 grenade launcher, features large and loud in Brian …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Probable Cause

    The person who wins this the 'Little Friend' should expect a visit from at least two three letter US agencies.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Probable Cause

      It's a prop.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Probable Cause

        Your sarcasm shield is working perfectly.

        1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

          Re: Probable Cause

          This is the Internet.

      2. Swarthy
        Trollface

        Re: Probable Cause

        It's a prop.
        And that's why they should expect a visit, if the winner resides in the US. A real M16 would cost only a fraction, and be perfectly legal; I'm not sure about the grenade launcher, though.

        Somebody spending that much money for a gun that can't even fire.. that's un-american, and they must be up to something.

        1. O RLY

          Re: Probable Cause

          A real M16, as in an actual automatic weapon, has to have been manufactured before the modification of the National Firearms Act in order for a non-military, non-police US person to buy one. NFA-compliant M16s are at least $15k these days. New ones are much cheaper, yes, but illegal to own unless the owner is the military or a police organisation.

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Eddy Ito

          Re: Probable Cause

          The grenade launcher is considered "destructive device" and as it falls under the NFA it would be regulated as any other Title II weapon. Some individual states also have bans on civilian possession of some or all Title II weapons.

          Current going rate for an M203 is about $6k.

        3. Ian Michael Gumby

          @Swarthy Re: Probable Cause

          US Civilians living in 1 of 34 states where Class III weapons are allowed would have to file the proper paperwork (with background checks, etc... ) can own a fully automatic rifle provided it was manufactured prior to 1986.

          Plan to spend more than the 20-30K that you would for a prop.

          Full auto weapons tend to be more expensive although depending on the make/model, you could get one for a little as 20k.

          AR-15 rifles tend to start around $1500 and go up based on quality and customization.

      3. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Re: Probable Cause

        It's a prop.

        It used to work. Al Pacino burned his hand on the barrel when filming.

        So it definitely could shoot blanks when Scarface was being filmed.

    2. Dan Paul

      Re: Probable Cause

      It's a movie prop and those are very tightly controlled by the movie weapon master so they can ONLY fire blanks. Add some special effects and people think it's a real machine gun.

      The visit you could expect after winning this item is not the same agency you were thinking of though.

      The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms oversees who can have a fully automatic firearm and these regulations are also modified by State laws. South of the Mason-Dixon line, most people called them "Revenuers" because they'd bust up "stills" and dump liquor. In addition they chase smuggled or untaxed tobacco. BATF already has a poor record among these police agencies.

      Since we already have enough laws and law enforcement for most crimes, BATF is beginning to look more than useless. The states already regulate these issues to death. We don't need TWO bureaucracies doing the same thing.

      1. John Tserkezis

        Re: Probable Cause

        "We don't need TWO bureaucracies doing the same thing."

        The same bureaucracies think that two is not enough.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Dan Paul

        Curious how the movie weapon master modifies a firearm so it can ONLY shoot blanks? Do they bore out the cylinder a bit so it uses slightly larger bullets, meaning that if you accidentally load a real bullet it will be a bit too large and thus when fired be propelled at a far lower than lethal velocity?

        1. imanidiot Silver badge

          Re: @Dan Paul

          usually the barrel is pinned so a bullet can't go down and the chamber is ringed so a full size cartridge can't be loaded (blanks are usually shorter, so by making the end of the chamber slightly smaller the cartridge won't fit). Trying to fire a real cartridge from a blank gun is a REALLY bad idea in any case.

  2. Turtle

    Very Hip.

    There's nothing like watching someone firing a minigun or multibarrelled cannon from the hip. It gets me rolling on the floor every time.

    Serious Sam lives!... in every action movie; even the ones that take themselves, uh, seriously.

    1. Cameron Colley

      Re: Very Hip.

      They can be fired from the hip, as this bloke demonstrates:

      https://youtu.be/d84r8gMGxFQ?t=125

      Of course you need somebody dragging around a box of ammo and a battery though.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

        Re: Very Hip.

        That's what that literally unhinged robot doge is for, isn't it?

    2. Ian Michael Gumby

      @Turtle Re: Very Hip.

      If you're a big guy, you could probably carry the battery and ammo, but I wouldn't want to haul it for any real distance. In terms of firing the weapon... good luck trying to keep it under control.

      Machine guns tend to pull you off target. Usually to the right and up.

      1. Arctic fox
        Happy

        Re:"If you're a big guy, you could probably carry the battery and ammo"

        Just about carry is of course the word. One of the more ridiculous scenes of that type is from "The Four Feathers" (1939) which features a scene showing Gary Cooper storming through the gates of a desert fort firing a Vickers HMG (WWI vintage) from the hip!

      2. jason 7

        Re: @Turtle Very Hip.

        I would assume that blanks have far less kick than a real military round?

        Bit of bang and a bit of flash and that's all they have to do.

  3. Jay 2
    Happy

    And now the leg, eh?

    A very quotable film!

  4. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Pint

    I remember the M16 underbarrel launcher also being used in Luc Besson's "Nikita" (was he the first to introduce Rabid Urchin Girls With Unlimited Guns (RUGWUG)?) but the grenade that goes with it didn't look right at all and was front-loaded. I don't think so.

    (Additionally, the back-then rather futuristic looking Steyr AUG was shown with a silver finish like something out of "Barbarella" and was used for sniping instead of a proper sniper rifle ... WHY)

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Because the Steyr looks cool (didn't one of the Bad Guys in Die Hard had one?), and if the distance isn't too far any decent long barrelled rifle will do.

      That being said, as an ex-artillery guy I'd do my sniping with a cannon or a multiple rocket launcher anyway.

      1. Peter Simpson 1
        Mushroom

        That being said, as an ex-artillery guy I'd do my sniping with a cannon or a multiple rocket launcher anyway.

        Not much left of the deer afterwards, though...

        1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

          Saves using a grinder when preparing the meat patties.

  5. emmanuel goldstein

    the irony is this prop will probably be bought by some real-world coke baron. by a third party, obviously.

  6. Impunitus
    Facepalm

    Gun nut

    I wonder why nobody commented on the fact that the joined second mag is turned backwards (for purely aesthetic reasons, obviously), so the entire second load of ammo is facing the wrong way. Reminds me of that infamous HK commercial (try googling "hk ad bullets backwards"). Dang. I suppose this comment makes me a gun nut [shudder]. Even more so considering I'm on the old side of the Pond (no 'merikan genes in my blood, or so I thought).

    The movie was top-notch though. From before every director and his dog started relying entirely too much on CGI and when script, dialogue and acting were kings. Oh well. I'm getting old, I see.

    Cheers!

    1. emmanuel goldstein

      Re: Gun nut

      i think it's meant to be backwards. i'm guessing you pull the spent mag out and then rotate your hand as you bring the full one up into the receiver. maybe a commentard with experience of these matters can confirm?

      1. 38292757

        Re: Gun nut

        Mr. Goldstein,

        In the good old days, I'd give you a full 60 seconds of hate. Since we're both phoning it in, how's several seconds of mild peevishness?

      2. Impunitus

        Re: Gun nut

        Well, you can't flip it around, because the lip of the second mag is hidden in the plastic that holds the mags together. So you'd have to rip it out of the plastic, drop the first mag, insert the second (after turning it around). A lot of hassle. Then again, I'm getting old and cranky so I may be wrong. They should've plugged in a betamag for better visual effect. Not sure if it existed back then though (early eighties that movie was, no?)

        Cheers!

        1. John 110
          Joke

          Re: Gun nut

          Betamag? That's a bit old-school seeing as how VHS won that war!!

    2. jason 7

      Re: Gun nut

      I was always under the impression that taping a mag to another mag was bad practice as the top of the magazine that goes into the chamber can get knocked and bent out of shape in all the excitement.

      Something that only really happens in movies or by guys who think movies are genuine military tactics references.

      1. Danny 14

        Re: Gun nut

        indeed, most magazines are quite sensitive to damage (at least the damn L85 ones were). You wouldn't tape two back to back as a knock or bang will distort an already shitty magazine.

        I believe they eventually got H&K to redesign the magazines but that was way after I finished.

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