We were already fans of actor Michael Rooker thanks to his excellent work in shows like “The Walking Dead” and movies like “Tombstone,” “JFK,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,” but our fandom reached a whole new level with the knowledge that he’s a long-time firearms enthusiast. In one of his latest Instagram posts, Mr. Rooker gave us a look at one of his weapons of choice. Check it out above.
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Yup, that’s a Benelli M1 12-gauge shotgun. Rooker’s also wearing a Concealable Multi-Threat Vest from Nevada-based company Safe Life Defense, which he calls the “the most comfortable vest I’ve ever had next to my skin.”
This isn’t the first time Rooker has shown off firearms to his nearly 800,000 Instagram followers. The photo gallery is just a sampling of what he’s displayed.
An avid shooter, Rooker told Western Shooting Journal back in 2014 that he shot guns when he was growing up in Alabama, but his interest in firearms began in earnest while he was working on “Tombstone.”
“I really got into the film Tombstone and the armor. It was Western-style single-shot shooting, and I ended up really enjoying the old style Colt single-action pistols. We went shooting every day; we trained every day to get ready for our scenes. I walked away from the movie after it was over wanting to continue shooting,” Rooker said.”
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When asked about his favorite guns, Rooker replied, “Benelli is one of my favorites; I have a shotgun and love it. I like my government Model 1911, although those guns are not usually that accurate. My gun is a single stack and a .45. If I were in a competition, then I’d have to shoot a 9mm. That sport is all about speed. I really want to shoot my old classic guns. But everyone warns me, ‘don’t shoot them, you’ll lose 50 percent of the value the first time you pull the trigger back.’ They’re the most gorgeous guns, especially my single-action Colt .45.”
During the interview, Rooker also opined on the topic of the Second Amendment, describing it as “The one right that can protect all the others. We started out with this very interesting document, the Constitution, and it’s worked all throughout the years. It’s pretty amazing,” he said.
We couldn’t agree more, Mr. Rooker.
