Iconic Image

What is the image in your head when you think of a 'gun'.  Like, if you dreamed about a person with a gun, what kind is most likely to show up in your mind.

Well maybe not YOU, loyal reader.  You are prolly a gun enthusiast and are extra familiar with guns. 

But regular folks.  Non enthusiasts. 

A lot of input for this is going to come from Hollywood.  That will be the primary source of image in their head.  Sure, everyone has SEEN a gun in real life.  Maybe even have one in the house, but they see more guns through the TV or movie screen.  (Maybe comics too for some people)  So, the more of a familiar type there the more it will become a default image.  Maybe. 

Or I could be talking out my butt.

If I had to guess I'd say a black revolver.   I am biased by my own life experience, however.  My formative years, the cops all had revolvers.  The opening to the Adventures of Superman had the closeup of a revolver in 'faster than a speeding bullet...'  All the TV shows were revolver heavy unless it was a WWII movie.  Cops shows and cowboy shows were revolvers.

But a 25 year old, now...  What gun is first to mind for his or her head?  Has the Glock style black generic semi taken over from the revolver?

I did a quick poll of folks around me.  I got "revolver maybe" and "shotgun usually" and "skinny skinny barrel" and "nothing specific but I am a gunnie" and "non specific black pistol, could be revolver or semi" and "Beretta" and "9mm Beretta" and "the one 007 has in the opening of his movies" and, oddly "Mauser BYF 42 is my default image."  And that last one was a Marine who owns no pistols.

Usually a pistol, you notice?

This would be entirely different in a different culture.  Burma?  Morocco?  Totally different cultural and real life exposure to firearms.   If you go your life rarely seeing a pistol, and never seeing a revolver, then a revolver shouldn't be the default.

But it looks like the Army and the Lethal Weapons movies have worked their way with the generation slightly younger than me.