I recall seeing this made-for-TV movie around 1974 when it was released and being very impressed by the cold, docudrama approach used. From what I remember, it is a powerful statement against the over-prevalence of gun use, without being preachy. From what I have read in reviews so far of the just-released Nicholas Cage film, Lord of War, the opening sequence of the Cage movie (which visually traces the history of a bullet from manufacture in the U.S. to its use executing a person in Africa) seems to have been inspired by the story technique used in The Gun from beginning to end. It's sometimes a little surprising what certain directors did earlier in their careers. I would not have associated John Badham with this movie.
Review of The Gun
