Movie guns?

Z

ZVP

New member
I have been watching the local Cable TV "Western Channel" and have noticed that in the old "B" movies the director arms the Bad Guy Gang Members are often armed with '51 Navys however they usually just draw the guns and brandish them, not actually shooting their BP revolvers.
I suppose arming the "Extras" was less important than giving them a Colt and some Blanks... You rarely (read NEVER) see anyone loading a Cap and Ball gun. Film minutes are too expensve to be wasted...
Heck even 'Ol Clint uses Cartrige conversions!
I guess realism only goes so far.
About the only movie I recall seeing a loading sequence in was the Lonesome Dove saga.
Anyone else remember seeing one?
ZVP
 
A while back we were discussing an issue of Bonanza where the Cartwrights had to reload. I think Little Joe had a Colt Navy.

In some movies or television shows, the extras were given rubber guns. I guess they weren't likely to commit suicide with them. :D
 
Hello, ZVP. If you can find the 1940 movie, ARIZONA..starring Jean Arther, & William Holden..you are in for a treat. Takes place in Arizona territory 1860.
Bad guys want to take over stage line run by woman, of course they are Confederate sympathizers. Best part is gift of Henry rifle to hero, ...and by the way..this is a REAL Henry..not the old Hollywood dodge of removing forend from a Win. 92". the scene in the saloon where bad guy is getting ready for gun fight..He is sitting at table, with a percussion revolver. Wooden case with all tools and flask & bullets in front of him. You can actually see his arm jerk as the ball is seated in cylinder..either they were using some kind of wad over powder..or this fellow knew his way around a percussion sixgun to make it look authentic! Good stuff!
 
There was a very brief moment in "Gettysburg" where Jeff Daniels ( as Chamberlin ) is seen finishing a reload of his Colt- pushing the barrel against a log ( I think- haven't seen it in a while ).
 
Yeah he fires about 20 rounds without loading then goes inside and loads twice without firing a shot.:eek:
 
Wow, those revolvers in Bonanza sure had more round capacity than a modern pistol. I could have sworn each of them fired 20 or more shots without a single reload.:eek:
 
Movies and TV ain't history.
"...even 'Ol Clint uses..." Changed cylinders in one of 'em. Josie Wales, I think. And 'Ol Clint doesn't think you should be allowed to own any firearm.
"...The episode was..." Took the barrel off too.
"...In some movies or television shows..." Most of 'em. Too expensive and unnecessary for extras to have real blank firing firearms.
"...more round capacity than..." I've always wanted one of Roy's SAA's.
 
Clint Eastwood changed cylinders on his 1858 Remington in the movie "Pale Rider". He took the barrel off his Colt open top revolver while he was cleaning it just before Tuco's bandito friends entered his room in "The good, the bad and the ugly". What was neither historically nor technically correct about that last movie, was that sometimes they showed the guns as being percussion with nipples one minute, the next minute they were either 1872 open top Colts or conversions both using cartridges. Even when Clint took the barrel off his gun to clean it in that scene, it showed him loading it with cartridges when he finished cleaning it and just in time to shoot all the banditos. All before the civil war was over and before either the 1872 open top was produced and before conversion cylinders were made and for that matter before cartridges came into widespread use. (Although cartridges were being used to a very limited degree by the Union). That gave me a chuckle. The prop master certainly took a lot of artistic license with that movie.

Y'all may find this link interesting.....

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Good,_The_Bad,_and_The_Ugly,_The


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How about "Quigley Down Under"? Wasn't there a scene where Crazy Cora is reloading a cap-and-ball revolver to defend herself and a young boy against a pack of dingoes?
 
Good job Bill.
The greatest movie ever produced, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" had quit a mixture. I studied them for a while.

The firearms there were simply for ease of loading. In the famous poster, where he has his arms crossed they are cap-n-ball Walkers. However, in the movie they are converted and don't even have front sites on them.
All for fun though, I forgive Ol' Clint for that.

However, at least we didn't see any '73's anywhere, man. I loved John Wayne, but he was going to use his favorite carbine and revolver no matter what the time period. Didn't matter to me than, nor now.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Outlaw_Josey_Wales,_The
 
And didja ever notice Clint frequently has some barrel protruding from the bottom of the Holsters? Ya'd think the armourer would make sure a big star had a correct fitting holster...
Oh well, it's the Movies!
ZVP
 
Stephanie B wrote:
How about "Quigley Down Under"? Wasn't there a scene where Crazy Cora is reloading a cap-and-ball revolver to defend herself and a young boy against a pack of dingoes?
Click to expand...

Right you are Stephanie, good catch.....

(Crazy Cora (Laura San Giacomo) packs lead balls into the Colt Dragoon, attempting to reload it before the Dingos come back.)
600px-QDUColtDragoon-2.jpg


From this below link to the "Quigley Down Under" guns.....
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Quigley_Down_Under

Revolver? What revolver? Was there a revolver in that picture? :p








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One of my favorite western movies.....

....and in spite of what I am about to say, will remain so forever, is Open Range. But a supremely disappointing part of the final sequence is where "Waite" seems to get around thirteen shots from his revolver. Earlier he speaks to Michael Jeter's character about placing some weapons where they can be retrieved but I don't remember any part of the movie which would have permitted time for that up to the point where he appears to be using a magazine fed (tongue in cheek) six shooter.

Just as an excuse for watching the movie for the umteenth time, I think I will pay closer attention to just how many shots he fires.

In Breakheart Trail (Is that the correct title?) Duvall fires his Walker in an attempt to signal his compadres. All but his hand and the grip of the Colt are out of the camera's view. You hear the pistol's report, but no movement of his hand from recoil, no smoke, no flash. Hrumph!.
 
Doc,
I agree, Open Range is a great movie.
I recently read an article where keven Costner was upset that the edited version of the movie made him look like he was shooting a 12 shooter. He was supposed to be pulling another revolver, but we don't see that.
The scene in question is where the entire gunfight starts and he pulls off the famous "head shot." But there seems to be lots of 12 shooter everywhere.
Anyway, can't find the article but if I do, I will post it.

OJW
 
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