Summary
- John Wick is a lethal and versatile assassin who uses a wide variety of weapons, including firearms, swords, knives, cars, and even a pencil.
- Some of the iconic weapons used by John Wick include the DTA Stealth Recon Scout sniper rifle, motorcycles, Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless pistol, Glock 26, and katana swords.
- John Wick’s proficiency with weapons, including his skills in martial arts and close-quarters combat, make him a formidable and feared opponent in the criminal underworld.
Warning! Contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4!Since the character’s debut in 2014, John Wick has quickly become one of the most popular action-movie antagonists of all time, thanks in no small part to Keanu Reeves’s hitman’s lethal prowess with a seemingly endless variety of firearms. Throughout the four John Wick movies, the titular assassin has used a wide variety of weapons to kill off his enemies, and he doesn’t just stick to guns, either. Swords, knives, his car, and even a pencil are all used by Keanu Reeves’ assassin with incredibly deadly proficiency.
Despite John Wick mastering many martial arts styles and close-quarters weapons, he’s also more than happy to take out his foes with bullets when needed. Many of these John Wick weapons are incredibly powerful, while others are only deadly because they’re being used personally by Wick, who is a master when it comes to thinking outside the box. Whether it’s a high-powered assault rifle or a simple pencil, nobody is quite safe when John Wick wields these weapons.
21 DTA Stealth Recon Scout (John Wick)
John Wick wields this powerful weapon like a sniper rifle in the first film, and it’s remarkably capable. It entered production in 2007, courtesy of Desert Tactical Arms, and has been featured in several movies, TV shows, and video games outside John Wick due to its excellent quality and intimidating looks. This bolt-action sniper rifle is one of the few to feature a bullpup design, making it very compact in comparison to others in its class. Both magazine and bolt lay behind the grip, shifting more weight to the rear of the rifle to create a better balance, and can also be attached with a suppressor.
20 Motorcycle (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
In addition to his many guns and blades, John Wick also uses a number of vehicles as weapons throughout the series including horses, camels, and cars. In John Wick 3, he briefly rides a motorcycle during a chase through the streets of Paris, and later uses the motorcycle as a weapon by letting it ride directly into Marko Zaror’s relentless Chidi. It doesn’t quite have the same lethal potential as a gun, but the sequence is nonetheless among the most memorable John Wick scenes, and perfectly showcases why John Wick is more than a simple action movie protagonist.
19 Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
Winston gifts this pistol to Wick in the third chapter, during the scene in the Executive Lounge. It’s a gun that has seen a lot of service as a U.S. military sidearm, beginning with its initial production in 1903. Simplistic, stylish, and reliable, the Colt 1903 was powerful enough to do its task, though it was a bit on the heavy side, and its stopping power has since been dwarfed by its successors. Nevertheless, it is considered a classic, particularly the film version, thanks to its good-looking pearl grip, and is one of the most recognizable John Wick weapons.
18 Glock 26 (John Wick)
One of the simpler guns in the franchise, John uses the Glock 26 in each of the first three movies. While it appears to be quite basic, it is one of Wick’s personal favorites, which is not good for anyone who might happen to find themselves on the other end of the barrel. The most memorable scene in which John Wick used this Glock in was the bathhouse sequence from the first John Wick, which made it one of the best movies for fans of action movie fight choreography. Chasing down the man who killed his beloved dog, Wick killed over a dozen henchmen, mostly with this weapon.
17 Remington 1875 (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
For all the advancements made in gun designs over the last few hundred years, it’s hard to beat the classics. John Wick: Chapter 3 features the killer brandishing one of these during the shootout at the antique weapon museum, in the first act. Wick’s on-the-fly modification of the Remington 1875 is a direct nod to the Clint Eastwood classic The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, where Tuco assembles his own Colt Navy from the individual parts of three separate guns.
16 Katana (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
John Wick: Chapter 3 sees the assassin making greater use of swords and knives, and perhaps the most famous and mythologized type of sword is the Japanese katana, used by samurai for centuries. John uses a katana, as well as the wakizashi short sword, in his fight with the shinobi at the end of Chapter 3. He also briefly wields one again in the Osaka fight sequence in John Wick: Chapter 4.
15 TTI JW4 Pit Viper (John Wick: Chapter 4)
This 9-millimeter pistol is a gift from The Bowery King to John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4 to help him make it to the climactic duel with Caine. This gun was specifically designed for the movie and features a distinctive barrel. The Pit Viper helps John wade through a horde of assassins, although ultimately he has to use a number of other John Wick weapons to make it to the church on time.
14 TTI SIG-Sauer MPX Carbine (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
His weapon stance is one of John Wick’s signature character traits, and he shows it off when he wields an assortment of assault rifles. In the third film, he busts out an MPX Carbine during the fight at the New York Continental, equipped with an MRO sight and a laser module. The MPX is a variant of the popular SIG-Sauer combine, which fires 9x19mm, .357 SIG, or .40 S&W rounds. The MPX features a 14.5″-16″ barrel, and can fire 10, 20, or 30 rounds, depending on the choice of magazine.
13 Coharie Arms CA-415 (John Wick)
Luring his enemies to a church, Wick unloads upon them with a very powerful automatic rifle known as the Coharie Arms CA-415. It’s one of the most effective tactical assault rifles on the market, with a menacing look to boot. The CA-415 featured in the film has a shortened barrel, in comparison to the production model, with a holographic sight and a vertical grip added, for more stability. It fires 5.56x45mm NATO rounds in either full-auto or semi-auto modes, depending on preference and tactical situation.
12 The Car (John Wick: Chapter 2)
The Bullitt Mustang is considered one of the best movie cars of modern cinema, but John Wick’s car isn’t iconic because of speed or gadgets. At the beginning of John Wick: Chapter 2, he finally got his prized car back. After finally getting it back, Wick used his famous Mustang to kill the henchmen in various brutal ways. By the time the scene was over, the car itself was quite a mess, leading many fans to speculate if it had been worth it in the first place. It wasn’t the last time that a car would be used as a weapon in the John Wick series, as John throws adversaries into Paris traffic during the fight by the Arc de Triumph in John Wick: Chapter 4.
11 1TTI TR-1 Ultralight (John Wick: Chapter 2)
In John Wick: Chapter 2, there is a great scene where John is forced to fight off several enemies in an underground catacomb. Knowing this battle was going to happen beforehand, the experienced killer hid several now-infamous John Wick weapons to prepare. Among these hidden weapons is the TR1, by Taran Tactical Innovations. The film version was fitted with a collapsible stock, a pistol grip with a vertical foregrip, and a PRI Compensator. Like many of Wick’s rifles, the TR1 is compact, easy to control, and devastating in tight quarters.
10 Nunchucks (John Wick: Chapter 4)
John Wick shows how dangerous he can be even with an ancient weapon in Chapter 4, where he takes a pair of nunchucks from a samurai display case and uses them against the masked hitmen sent by the High Table. John uses the classic martial arts weapon to bludgeon and strangle his adversaries, steering them into each other’s bullets. It’s a nice nod to martial arts tradition amidst all the gunplay, and like every weapon in John Wick that isn’t a gun, showcases why so many in the criminal underworld fear Baba Yaga.
9 Kel-Tec KSG (John Wick)
John uses this weapon in the first film after he takes one from an enemy during a battle outside the church. The Kel-Tec KSG is a modernized pump-action shotgun designed for maximum stopping power, with more refined stability and less chaotic recoil. Despite its appearance, the KSG is not a double-barreled shotgun. Many people are mistaken due to the weapon’s twin tube magazines located underneath the barrel. It fires 12-gauge shotgun shells with several ammo capacity variants, depending on the version in question.
8 Dueling Pistols (John Wick: Chapter 4)
The final battle in the entire John Wick series takes place not with modern firearms but with ceremonial dueling pistols, as he takes on Donnie Yen’s Caine in a traditional battle of pistols at dawn. The dueling pistols in John Wick: Chapter 4 have a lot of ornamental detail and evidently pack quite a punch, ultimately felling John Wick himself after he takes a shot to the gut. The choice of such an old-fashioned weapon for John Wick’s final fight reflects the series’ nature as ultimately a classical revenge tragedy.
7 Smith & Wesson SW1911SC “E-Series” (John Wick: Chapter 2)
In the second film, John earns the ire of fellow assassin Cassian, one of the most dangerous criminals in the John Wick films. The two square off against each other in a subway, where Wick fires at him using an E-Series SW1911SC, which has been outfitted with a suppressor module. This unique John Wick weapon allows him to walk away without suspicion. The scene is humorous, as no silencer is capable of muffling the sound of gunshots to that extent, but it’s all done for the sake of dramatic style. The E-Series is Smith & Wesson’s line of SW1911 models based on the original Moses Browning design, and is available in an assortment of finishes, materials, and special features.
6 Knives (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
When the ammo runs out, would-be assassins need to rely on whatever they can get their hands on. If there are no pencils lying about, Wick will fall back on knives, which are a trusted alternative. He’s exceptionally gifted with them, as evidenced by the battle in the antique store in the first act of the third film. Whether he’s using them as stabbing or throwing weapons, Wick knows how to properly utilize knives in a fight. In the scene in question, he’s spoiled for choice. It’s one of the tensest battles of the franchise, with one of the goriest, and most gut-wrenching kills, as well.
5 Benelli M2 Super 90 (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
The final battle of the third chapter starts out looking a little grim for the protagonists of the series. A large team of heavily-armed assassins is sent into the Continental Hotel to murder Wick, but when he starts shooting back at them, it is revealed that their armor is completely bulletproof. John compensates by grabbing a Benelli M2 Super 90. It’s loaded with armor-piercing rounds that end up evening the score quite effectively. The M2 is a super shotgun available in either tactical or field models and fires 12-gauge shotgun shells in either 4, 5, or 7-capacity limits. It’s also semi-automatic, for easier use in combat.
4 Dragon’s Breath shells (John Wick: Chapter 4)
One of the most memorable fight scenes in the entire John Wick franchise comes towards the end of Chapter 4, as John Wick fights his way through a building full of enemies, with the scene mostly filmed from a top-down perspective. The action is enhanced by his use of dragon’s breath shells — shotgun ammunition that produces a flash of fire when it is released. These bullets do exist in real life, although they are usually custom-made and illegal in many jurisdictions. The dragon’s breath shells help to add to the memorable scene, providing a source of cinematic light as well as setting many of John’s foes on fire.
3 A Pencil (John Wick: Chapter 2)
“I once saw him kill three men in a bar… with a pencil, with a f***ing pencil.” This statement in the first film ended up foreshadowing his use of a simple pencil as a weapon in the next film, which ends up being one of the most infamous John Wick weapons. His utter relentlessness to survive and kill his enemies is defined by this classic tale. Cornered by two assassins, John was left with few options, and grabbed the only weapon he could find nearby. Having had previous experience taking out three assailants with a pencil, he had little trouble replicating the effect for just two, even while suffering numerous wounds.
2 His Bare Hands (John Wick)
While John Wick is a master of all kinds of weapons, he’s also extremely dangerous with his hands empty. There are a number of different martial arts disciplines used in John Wick, and John effortlessly moves between styles armed and not. This creates some of the franchise’s most memorable combat sequences, such as the epic fight scene with Zero and his shinobi pupils in Chapter 3. While there are a number of impressive guns and blades used in the epic action franchise, the most powerful weapon of all is John Wick himself.