pistols used in the raid
does anybody know the type of pistol they use in the movie
shareThe revolvers appear to be Model 1875 Remmington Army Models. An anachronism technically speaking, but the the profile of this model is so like that of the Civil War era Remmington and other "cap and ball" revolvers, it creates the proper illusion. Actual percussion revolvers are unreliable and even somewhat dangerous to users and bystanders because of cap-jamming, chain fire, and peices of exploded caps flying about. The profusion of cap and ball reproductions of today was not available in the 1950's, and the actual period revolvers, though not yet considered particularly valuable antiques, may have been difficult to find in good working order. So, it was too much trouble for most producers to use the real thing, and the 1875 Remmington was frequently substituted in Civil War era movies of the 1950's. One of the few in which actual percussion revolvers were used was Red Mountain (1951), a Civil War Western with Alan Ladd. I haven't seen that picture in a long time, but if I recall correctly one of the combustible paper cartrides that type of revolver uses actually figured as a major plot element!
I am surprised none of the legion of gun nuts on IMDb has not ever replied to this very old post. This is an issue which seems to particularly rattle the cage of that crowd.
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He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45
There's not a lot of activity here. That's why the gun *ahem* aficionados have not paid a great deal of attention to the question.
Wisdom comes when one learns from one's mistakes (aka LEXYLADYJAX)
Dear FranksDaughter13:
Didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else who likes guns is a "nut". Clearly I'm one myself, in this respect at least. Hope that fixes the frog in your throat! Happy shooting!
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He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45
What sort of pistol did Van Heflin use to shoot Lee Marvin at the church? It looked like some sort of large derringer. It was not one of the larger cavalry pistols used later in the film.
sharemichaelskaggs-09062:
You are correct that the weapon Van Heflin used to shoot Lee Marvin in the church was a stubby single-shot, percussion, muzzle-loaded pocket pistol, about .50 caliber, of a type manufactured by Henry Deringer and a couple dozen others in the antebellum period. Such were still in common use at the time of the Civil War, though rapidly being supplanted by single-shot and multi-barrelled pocket pistols which loaded with rimfire cartridges.
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He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45