Barry Lyndon movie fakery.

[springfield art]

Well,
Was O’Neal really Barry Lyndon?
No he was a guy playing a part.
The “trapdoors” are playing a part. In a sense the props are actors too.

Yeah! They're props, not trying to be an identification film for gun museum curators.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Still, do we not all return to dust? In one, two generations maybe, we are forgotten for the most part. Unfortunately, myths usually become stories of people who never existed with the constant retelling.

Edit: Imagine the above words being spoken by Reverend Runt during his funeral discourse.

Fun Fact:
the Reverend Runt is the same actor that played the band conductor in the Phantom of the Opera movie.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Interesting. Enfields were used quite a bit during the ACW. Given the chance, Union soldiers would discard Enfields in favor of pick-up Springfields after a battle.

Why? Were the Enfield's temperamental to shoot?

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Well,
Was O’Neal really Barry Lyndon?
No he was a guy playing a part.
The “trapdoors” are playing a part. In a sense the props are actors too.

I can let cheesey acting pass, but incorrect weapons?

 

[Kev308]

I’ll add to the misery. A lot of folks credit the daniel boone disney series as the reason for the popularity of muzzleloaders.
Then I found this ….

 

[rickystl]

I've read where Fess Parker had two guns in the Boone TV series. One, a genuine muzzle loader (made from an early 20th Century African trade gun) for some scenes. And another made from a trapdoor for other scenes. The trapdoor sold at auction about 3-4 years ago. Don't know where the other one went. Amazing these modified trapdoors were used in movies from the 1930's through the 1960's.

Rick

 

[reddogge]

In the Barry Lyndon Bullingdon duel scene when Bullingdon cocks his pistol and the hammer slips and the pistol fires, wouldn't the pistol have just gone back to half cock instead of firing? Single trigger, no fly. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

In the Barry Lyndon Bullingdon duel scene when Bullingdon cocks his pistol and the hammer slips and the pistol fires, wouldn't the pistol have just gone back to half cock instead of firing? Single trigger, no fly. Inquiring minds want to know.

Assuming the situation is real, he, being under major duress, probably had his hand wrapped around the pistol so tight, probably was holding the trigger back.
Just a thought.

 

[11th corps]

I watched Barry Lyndon again just a month or so ago. It's still a good picture.
Stanley K was a film genius.
You need to suspend reality when watching the movies. They are not documentaries.

 

[oldwood]

Over the years , those fake flintlock hollywood prop guns have shown up in many flicks. Only Forum folks can spot 'em right off.

 

[reddogge]

Assuming the situation is real, he, being under major duress, probably had his hand wrapped around the pistol so tight, probably was holding the trigger back.
Just a thought.

You are correct, sir. Here is the clip.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bar...ate=ive&vld=cid:5c96b73f,vid:riTJlDk8OVI,st:0

 

[Cayman like]

I've read where Fess Parker had two guns in the Boone TV series. One, a genuine muzzle loader (made from an early 20th Century African trade gun) for some scenes. And another made from a trapdoor for other scenes. The trapdoor sold at auction about 3-4 years ago. Don't know where the other one went. Amazing these modified trapdoors were used in movies from the 1930's through the 1960's.

RickView attachment 275454View attachment 275455

The African trade gun Fess uses is the same one Randolph Scott used in The Last of the Mohicans

 

[rickystl]

The African trade gun Fess uses is the same one Randolph Scott used in The Last of the Mohicans

Also used by Henry Fonda in Drums Along the Mohawk. LOL

 

[earlwb]

The trapdoors were hugely popular for movie prop flintlocks etc as they could use blank cartridges in them. Plus the movie prop houses had tons of them sold cheap as surplus years ago too. Heck they even cut some up to make pistols out of them too. Watch some of the old pirate movies to see them too. They probably had the trapdoor pistols in many of these movies mentioned too. I do not see it as detracting from the movie all that much. I do not mind.

 

[rickystl]

The trapdoors were hugely popular for movie prop flintlocks etc as they could use blank cartridges in them. Plus the movie prop houses had tons of them sold cheap as surplus years ago too. Heck they even cut some up to make pistols out of them too. Watch some of the old pirate movies to see them too. They probably had the trapdoor pistols in many of these movies mentioned too. I do not see it as detracting from the movie all that much. I do not mind.

It was actually a clever way to come up with flintlocks for movie use when nothing else but valuable originals were available during this time. Being able to use those 45/70 blanks would also save a bunch of production time not having to train actors or others in loading blanks for muzzle loaders and having someone keep the flints sharp. LOL The guns could then be re-used for later period western films by just changing the locks.
I've read that most of the mock flintlocks were painted a brass color as they show up as plain iron looking on the old B&W film.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Well on a recent episode of Oak Island all the experts could not figure out a ramrod barrel that was dug up. So......

 

[springfield art]

Why? Were the Enfield's temperamental to shoot?

The Enfields imported here, were not British Gov't. standard guns. They were commercial ones from the makers in Birmingham; the quality may have varied somewhat, or been "seconds" in a sense. There are contemporary written comments whereby the Union soldiers preferred the Springfields, and would grab them at first opportunity. I'm not sure if there were more mis-fires with Enfields or not, but you're sure to see more comments from the fellows on this neat site.