The Guns of KILLER INSTINCTS Part 2: Secondary Characters

Continuing this four-part series on the guns used throughout my vigilante revenge thriller, KILLER INSTINCTS, we take a look at the guns carried by the rest of the "good guys" (hahaha) throughout the novel. As mentioned in Part 1, I'm going to try and avoid spoilers as much as possible, so if I am rather vague here and there, it is to protect your reading pleasure.

Steiger

Glock Model 21 .45 Automatic

William first meets the multimillionaire when he's standing on his yacht's deck "wearing a bulletproof vest, with a .45 Glock in one hand and a life preserver in the other, just in case".

Since Steiger lives aboard a 160-foot yacht, I wanted a pistol that fired a powerful cartridge capable of going through light cover, with no concern for concealability.

Heckler & Koch Model 91 7.62mm Rifle w/ Scope

In Steiger's arms locker aboard the yacht, he also has a H&K 91 7.62mm rifle with a scope. Again, for defending a yacht, this is a pretty good rifle, considering its firepower and range.

Mossberg Model 500 Stainless Steel 12-Gauge Shotgun

Last but not least, Steiger also keeps a stainless steel Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his arms locker. A model kitted like this, with adjustable stock and pistol grip, would be idea for room-clearing duties aboard a small ship like Steiger's Benetti yacht.



James

M249 SAW 5.56mm Light Machine Gun

James is a young mercenary and former US Army Airborne Ranger. He carries an M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). Given the tight quarters the assault element is fighting aboard the Liberian freighter, this variant with folding bipod and stock would seem ideal.






Tommy

Galil ACE 5.56mm Assault Rifle

A former SAS soldier until wounded by a roadside bomb, Tommy carries a Galil assault rifle. While not standard British issue, the Galil is a well-made and battle-proven weapon and would be found all over the world. This particular Galil ACE model is a newer design, but its collapsible stock would be handy for shipboard operations.

Kenneth

Benelli M4 12-Gauge Semi-Automatic Shotgun

Kenneth is a former SWAT officer from an unnamed US city, who gets a thrill from breaching rooms and kicking butt. He carries a Benelli semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun, probably something like this Benelli M4 with adjustable stock.

Colt Python .357 Magnum Revolver with Six-Inch Barrel

 In addition to his Benelli, Kenneth carries a .357 magnum revolver, a Colt Python, in a thigh holster. William thinks the combination of shotgun and magnum revolver makes Kenneth look like "an 80's action movie hero". I'll point out that Carl "Ironman" Lyons from the Able Team books carries a 4-inch barrel Python as his "backup" handgun...






Richard

Colt Delta Elite 10mm Automatic

The Delta Elite 10mm automatic is a powerful pistol built by Colt on the frame of their classic M1911 .45 auto. The full-powered 10mm cartridges turn this into a magnum-level handgun, but with an 8-round magazine capacity and all the speed and reaction time of a "cocked and locked" automatic. Richard carries this as his personal firearm throughout most of the novel, and it shows that he is a shooter with very particular tastes in terms of what he wants from a combat handgun.

Heckler & Koch MK 23 SOCOM .45 Automatic

The Heckler & Koch MK 23 SOCOM .45 automatic was created for special forces units as an "offensive handgun". For most military forces, a sidearm is considered purely a defensive weapon for officers, drivers, and other personnel who need protection but not the bulk of a full sized weapon. The MK 23, on the other hand, was designed to be a weapon for eliminating sentries, guard dogs, and other "offensive" shooting situations. The pistol shown here has a suppressor and a laser sight. Most likely, the laser is tuned so that it can only be seen while wearing low-light goggles. Richard carries this gun when he's "operational", as opposed to everyday carry.

Springfield Armory Longslide .45 Automatic

This longslide .45 automatic is similar to the sort of pistol Richard keeps in his desert "cache" away from his cabin. The longer barrel and better sights would make engaging at long distances easier.

Remington 770 Sporter ,308 Bolt Action Rifle

Along with the pistol, Richard also kept a scoped bolt-action rifle in the cache. He felt that with the two weapons, plus the limited supplies and ammunition stored there, he could engage any threat that prevented him from returning to his cabin while on one of his morning or evening runs in the desert. The rifle shown here is a Remington 770 Sporter in .308 Winchester.

AR-15 Heavy Barrel with Scope

While training with his DeLisle Carbine, William is led into the desert for several days by Richard, who carries with him an AR-15 with long-range scope. This gun figures heavily in a scene where Richard tests William on how far his new "outlook" on life has taken his sense of morality.

Jamie

Colt Government Model .45 Automatic

Having developed a familiarity with "old slab-sides" while in the Army, Jamie is most comfortable with an M1911-styled pistol. I always imagined Jamie's gun had some subtle modifications, which is why I picked the Colt Government Model, depicted here with Novak combat sights and an aftermarket trigger, hammer, and grip safety. as well as slide groves cut down by the muzzle. I've actually handled and fired a Colt Government Model and found it to be a very fine pistol. For Jamie, showing that he sticks to a more traditional gun, but with some slight modifications, helps represent his special forces background.

Tokarev T-33 7.62x25mm Automatic

 Near the end of the novel, William finds a cache hidden by Jamie. In it, among other things, Jamie kept this Tokarev T-33. Although primitive by today's standards, during Vietnam it was a typical NVA or VC officer's sidearm. It can be reasonably presumed that Jamie "acquired" it while fighting in Southeast Asia and tucked it away as a keepsake, kept separate from his other guns as it would be, no doubt, illegal contraband taken home from the war.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 Special Revolve

Jamie teaches William how to shoot a handgun for the first time using a very basic, 60's vintage Smith & Wesson Model 10. This is about as fundamental as a pistol can get, but at the same time, countless police officers around the country carried one of these for decades. In the hands of someone who knew what they were doing, even the modest Model 10 could be a deadly handgun.

It is noted by William that Jamie's specimen had some "grooves" cut into the grip near the back-strap, and Richard seems to indicate that he knew just what revolver this was when it is later mentioned to him. I've decided that's a story for another day, and another novel...