John Wick Magazine Flick: Real or Theatrical? 

I really like the John Wick movies and I’m not the only one. Globally, this franchise has grossed more than a billion dollars. The reasons for this varies. Some like Keanu Reeves, while others like the action and the acting. I also like all of those things. However, it’s the realistic gun-handling, not the plots, that keeps putting me in a seat. 

In preparation for this role, Keanu obtained expert gun training from Taran Tactical. He actually learned how to shoot, a huge departure from many in Hollywood, who seem to enjoy reaping the profits of action movies while deriding the tools they portray. And his training wasn’t just a one time activity. Keanu spent weeks training before every movie. He even took Haley Berry to Taran before her appearance in Chapter 3. 

Because of this, Keanu’s gun-handling is as realistic as possible coming off the Silver Screen. He does an excellent job throughout all four movies, there are rumors of a fifth, of showing how to shoot and reload firearms during a battle. However, there was one technique that had some wondering — the John Wick magazine flick. 

John Wick Magazine Flick

Those who closely watch the gun handling in the movies will notice that John Wick flicks empty magazines away from his guns as part of his speed reload. It is a very nice move that looks really cool. The is whether it an effective action, or merely something theatrical that looks great on the Silver Screen? 

According to Randy Watt, instructor at Gunsite Academy, the John Wick magazine flick is mostly about how it looks on the screen. 

“There is no point to flicking the magazine away from the pistol when reloading, but it looks cool,” said Watt. “It’s not wrong, just inefficient. It detracts from efficient reloading, slowing the process down.”

Watt claims that gun handling techniques need to be weighed against efficiency and effectiveness. He also says that the John Wick magazine flick requires too much repositioning of the pistol to be efficient in reloading. 

Other than that, Watt says the gun handling techniques and procedures used by the actors in these films are very good and realistic. Sure, some bits that are clearly for theatrical value, but overall, these movies have some of the best gun handling in theater today in his opinion. 

Working the Flick

I’ve been to Gunsite and have a lot of respect for its instructors, a few of which really upped my self-defense shooting skills. Still, I like to try things out for myself; I just have to learn the hard way. I decided to test the John Wick Magazine flick to see how it performs in the real world. 

To start, I loaded two rounds into a Ruger RXM with a fully loaded spare in a Galco Quick Magazine Carrier. The test consisted of emptying the gun on target from low ready before speed loading, in my usual manner, and firing a single round on target. I timed the test five times with my Pocket Pro Shot Timer set on random start. With those five strings, I average 4.7 seconds, with a best of 4.23 seconds. Basically, it takes me just a little under 5 seconds to start at low ready, fire two rounds center mass, perform a slide-lock reload and fire another round. Maybe not the fastest, but I can live it. 

A few days later, I practiced the John Wick Magazine flick for about an hour to get the hang of it. It started out feeling different but eventually I settled in to the form. I then shot another five strings under the same circumstances. Those strings averaged a little under 6 seconds, which is only a little bit slower. In fact, reload times using the John Wick flick were on par with my standard method, except for the two times I fumbled slightly inserting the magazine into the well. 

It wasn’t much, but both times it happened when bringing the gun back from the flick to the spare magazine. We’re talking about a quarter to a half second of fumbling, but it is still slower. 

Results & Thoughts

I could get faster with this method because I notice timed speeds continued to drop with repetitions. In the movies, Keanu is lightning fast with the John Wick magazine flick. He has practiced this method extensively with both handguns and rifles, as the second movie shows Wick using this technique with a Taran Tactical Innovations TR-1 Ultralight down in the catacombs. It was really obvious, and pretty cool, watching Reeves fling that magazine from an AR, before recharging and going back to kicking butt. 

I can even see situations where the John Wick magazine flick could be useful, some of which are shown in the movies. If the magazine fails to drop because it gets caught on something in a close-quarters situation, a flick might help. However, these situations would be an adaptation on the fly, and would probably be quite rare. 

The whole situation goes down to less is more. Fewer motions equal faster speeds. The John Wick magazine flick looks awesome. There is nothing even wrong with it, and with practice it could probably be super fast. My problem is that it gets away from the KISS (keep it simple stupid) method. The John Wick magazine flick can add time when milliseconds count, especially with a slight fumble. So, it probably needs to stay on the Silver Screen. 

Proper Speed Load

• Keep pistol at eye level as the hand repositions to press the magazine release. 
• At the same time, reach for the spare magazine with the support hand. 
• Line the index finger along the front of the magazine, near the top, as it comes out of pouch. 
• Press the magazine release while bringing the spare magazine up to the pistol. 
• Use the index finger tp line the magazine up with magazine well. 
• Insert magazine, using the palm to ensure it seats completely. 
• Release the slide into battery and return to shooting grip.