In a lot of movies, there are scenes like this, where a two guys point guns at each other, and then drop them in order to have an unarmed fight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5KjROcT4II
Other movies do it too like Coriolanus (2011). Sometimes it's not even to have an armed fight, and one person wants to take the other alive, like Natural Born Killers (1994). I couldn't find those clips online though. But how do you write it so that two guys point guns at each other, and do not shoot. I mean if I myself were in that situation I would shoot if someone pointed a gun at me, and I already had one pointed at them.
I asked a few cops who I acquired for research for the script for, and they said they would shoot immediately as well in those situations, so how do you write a situation where you don't want two armed men to die just yet and point guns at each other without shooting, and make it believable?
Caveat Emptor, I know next to nothing about filmmaking.
I say this as a longtime advocate of and believer in more realism in motion pictures, novels, comics, etc; don't bother. It's a convention by now. People have seen it so many times, they accept it as just one of those silly things that work in movies and not in reality. Like how everything has to make a sound, foreshadowing, music follows the narrative, etc. Part of the art. I've come to believe realism is more about tone and voice than physics or logic.
On the other hand, it's a cliche. But you already knew that.
As for making it work, channel the idea that these two fellas DIDN'T WANT to shoot each other. They both kinda knew the other would feel the same way, too. So they go into the "gun pointing process" with it in their heads that the other guy doesn't want to pull the trigger either, so they both are at the "if he twitches I'll blow his head off" point. And neither gives a bad move, so they both sorta slowly aim away, then lower their weapons. I'd have them both be very conscious of the other's movements, and have them mirror each other precisely, so as to not give any advantage. (I could see a very
Pulp Fiction type scene here, with some funny dialog where they negotiate to mirror one another, set the rules, etc.)
Also, despite what I said about "twitching," you should consider having each guy move. It's much easier to get shot if you're standing still. If you're moving, even at walking speed, you're much harder to hit. You're also much closer to going faster (running or diving/rolling for cover) if need be, since you're already moving. And what's wrong with not being twitchy while heading for cover? Maybe they should be walking before they see each other. Then they each draw a bead, but keep moving. Much easier to believe that way. It seems there are a lot of ways to lessen the unrealistic impact, which should be your goal if you want to keep it as written.
The key is that each of them would rather beat the other to death than shoot him. Shootin's too quick for that *(@*!.
I'm sure it's been done before plenty of times, but, having them both point guns and pull the trigger and find their guns empty is technically a way to fulfill your requirements: they both draw, they both point. Sure, they pull, but it doesn't do anything. So then they go at it hand to hand.
If you insist on making it realistic, just write it differently. They shoot at one another, bobbing and weaving, taking cover, until they're out of ammo. Or until they're both reloading, and they negotiate a "let's step out and settle this hand to hand" agreement.
Hope that helps.
