There's a scene at the end of James Cameron's film "Aliens" when Sigourney Weaver, preparing to battle a horde of the slimy beasts, straps herself to the gills with an assortment of futuristic firearms.

Weaver seemed to channel the feel of all those weapons clanging against her wiry frame into some true inspiration. For proof, get a gander at her hardened nipples as she rides the elevator into alien hell. For the actress, there was a visceral reaction to the implication of empowerment strapping all those weapons on afforded her.

For the viewer, that image is no less affecting. Hot chick + guns = blood rushing to extremities.

Of course, not to be catty or anything, but when you take this equation and add big tits (Weaver ain't exactly Jayne Mansfield, who gave great head, ha ha) and real guns, you've got a combination that makes a lot of guys hornier than a Catholic priest at tee-ball practice. Be it buxom blondes and brunettes with long-barreled shotguns or voluptuous redheads with rifles, you don't have to be Charlton Heston to appreciate the erotic appeal of chicks with guns.

Obviously, there's a phallic element here somewhere. But, where? I mean, it's not as blatant as the blonde bimbo in the "Girls Gone Wild" infomercial who slowly and suggestively wraps her lips around a beer bong like it was a big, juicy cock, but it's not exactly a giant leap for mankind to figure out what that shiny, steel shaft is supposed to be.

The image of a scantily clad (or preferably not at all) hottie packin' heat broadcasts an interesting mix of messages. There's a definite vulnerability implied in a beautiful girl in nothing but a thong, teasing the camera. Contrast this (or compliment it) with the bravado brought about by bearing a Baretta, and you've got a powerfully arousing female archetype, kinda like an ass-kicking superheroine in sexy little bikini briefs (a la Wonder Woman).

It saddens me that, unlike when this fetish first cropped up a couple of years back, there doesn't seem to be many free sites where you can check out silicon-stuffed strumpets stripped to the skin, strapped and saucy. I guess you can say this about a lot of sex-related content on the 'net - free stuff used to roam wild and free online, like wild buffalo on the great plains. Also, many of the American sites you see try to play down the prurient nature of their content by espousing National Rifle Association-friendly Second Amendment propaganda. Of course, you can always do what I do, which is ignore that shit and check out the chicks.

One site that doesn't demand payment, nor accost you with politics (maybe 'cos they're British and don't give a piss about the Second Amendment) is www.gunsandgirls.co.uk. There's an unfortunate dearth of beaver, but big, bouncy boobies abound. The girls are all fairly hot, and of course, armed to the tits with some impressive firepower. There's a brunette in one of the photo galleries decked out in a fur coat and stilettos, and wielding a 9mm semi-automatic who's gotta be the hottest gun-toting babe since, oh, I dunno, Brigitte Nielsen?

But you need look no further than American television for a gander at gorgeous gals 'n' guns. Pamela Anderson's recently defunct (though it will live an eternity in reruns) series "VIP" was a virtual showcase on the subject. Many a nerd has knuckled away a night watching Natalie Raitano blast the hell outta bad guys while never failing to show a healthy dollop of abs 'n' cleavage. How could there be a higher calling then watching a TV show based on hotties shooting their way out of treacherous (if ludicrous) situations. The greatest part of it is that you can enjoy it with the sound down and not miss a thing!