This page contains information and errors about guns used by characters in Spaghetti Westerns.

Special thanks to Robert Cadek and Matthias Recktenwald for their knowledge and help.

Handguns  -  Machineguns  -  Rifles

'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly':

Angel Eyes is using a Remington Army, Cal. .44 , converted for metal cartridges. The coversions where actually made first after the Civil War, because of the Smith & Wesson patent from 1858. Angel Eyes Remington should have been a percussion model to be correct. Then again Angel Eyes might have convinced a gunsmith to make him a conversion.

 

Blondie is using a Colt Navy, Cal. .36. Converted for cartridges. Same thing as with Angel Eyes Remington: Conversions where made first after the war but Blondie might have convinced a gunsmith, too.

 

Making a gun from three different guns, like Tuco, is nonsense. (Colt Navy grip, Joslyn cylinder, Smith & Wesson barrel). The cartridge issue also comes to play in the gunshop.

 

One of the guns Tuco is playing with in the gun shop is a Belgian Galand, Cal. 10.4mm, constucted in 1868. The movie is set in the American Civil War (1861-1865). The gun should not have existed at that time.

Tuco has a percussion Colt Navy in this scene but it is not loaded. There are no percussion caps on the nipples. The powder and the bullet were loaded into the cylinder from the front. (But not trough the barrel). The percussion caps were put on the nipples, which Tuco apparently forgot.

'The Great Silence':

Silence uses a Mauser C96 Broomhandle. Production began in 1896. The gun is loaded from top with a stripper clip. We never see Silence load the pistol in the movie. Silence's holser is also somewhat modified. It opens up to the front while the original opens to the side. The way the holster is attached to Silence's belt is also modified from the original. A speed draw from the holster in not the easiest thing to do. 'The Great Silence' takes place in 1898, so the pistol is not too moders for the movie. Howard Hughes states some mistakes in his book, "Once Upon A Time In The Italian West - A Filmgoers' Guide To Spaghetti Westerns", about the Mauser C96 used in 'The Great Silence'. He states it's a 9mm which is wrong, it is 7.63x25mm. There was a 9mm version made in 1916. It had a large red 9 engraved and painted on the handle, hence the nickname "Red 9" (see 2 pictures down). Hughes also writes it has a selector switch which turns it between semi- and "fully automatic". This is a much later model called M712, Schnellfeuer or M1932 which production began in 1932.

The Mauser can also be seen in Tepepa:

 

 

'Fistful of Dynamite':

General Huerta (right) had a FN Browning "High Power" 9mm. Designed in 1925 by John M. Browning. Adopted and improved by FN Herstal (Belgium) and wasn't available until 1935. A too modern gun for the Mexican Revolution in 1911.

'Django':

Django uses a Colt Model US Army Peacemaker 1873. On the graveyard he removes a screw from the trigger guard with his teeth. The Model 1873 has no screws there, the trigger guard cannot be removed.

Almost every Colt Peacemaker in the Spaghetti Westerns has a frame/grip
made out of brass. This never existed. From 1873 till today this model
has an iron grip. This is because of the Italian manufacturers like Davide
Pedersoli, who started in the 1960's to make replicas of the old Wild
West weapons.

'Sabata' & 'Return of Sabata':

Sabatas four barreled gun is a fake. Roughly based on a Derringer, Sabatas gun also has three extra barrels concealed in the grip.

In 'Return of Sabata', Sabata also has a "sqeeze gun". Very exotic and rare. 7 shot .32 rimfire, nickel plated palm sqeezer pistol called "The Protector". Made by "The Chicago Firearms Co." circa 1900.

A quote from 'Return of Sabata'. Sabata: "-I bought this weapon, same as yours a year ago for $12. Now if you are going to charge me $24 here, taxes or not, that sounds like legalised theft." Gunsmith: "-Never mind mister, we don't like stranger with tough talk."

Today it's worth about US $1500 to $2000. .32 rimfire cartridges could be hard to find today, but they are still manufactured in Brazil.

Also makes an appearence in Johnny Yuma and can be seen in the gunshop in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (below)

The "flip board" duel guns in 'Return Of Sabata' are Sharps Derringer Model 1859 cal. .22. Also chambered for cal .32.

Mr. Stengels single shot duel pistols are probably one of a kind. These where weapons made for rich people and made as individual originals.

'The Big Gundown':

Baron von Schulenberg's Revolver is a a pinfire revolver in the style of Eugène Gabriel Lefaucheux from France. Eugène and his dad were two of the most influental gun inventors, but especially in the English speaking countries really underrated. Millions of these, sometimes cheap, sometimes expensive different models, were made between 1850 and 1875. Von Schulenberg's holster is modified for a 'swifter' draw.

At the Brokston residence we have a box with weapons. From left to right, Colt Peacemaker Single Action Army, Smith & Wesson Russian 2nd or 3rd Model (replicas of this gun came not until the end of the 1990's, so it's an original in the box), Colt Navy Model 1851. The bottom one is a somewhat 'improved' copy of an 'over-and-under' Derringer from Remington. The other small gun at the top is possible a Belgian No. 46 pocket revolver or similiar folding trigger pocket revolver. (Jonathan Corbett pick up both Colt's)

 

 

The Mercenary:

Sergei Kowaski's pistol in 'The Mercenary' is a Spanish made Astra 400. Production began in 1921 so the gun was 10 years too new for the Mexican Revolution, where the movie takes place.

The pistol uses 9mm Largo cartridge. Production ceased in 1946 after serving as the standard issue sidearm in the Spannish Armed Forces for 25 years.

Can also be seen in Arriva Sabata!: