Strange firearms incidents in movies/shows

[toot]

Crazy Cora?

what ever , she certainally was CRAZY!!!

 

[gvandersluis]

did he use a BP, cartridge weapon, or a muzzleloader to kill the INDIAN? just courious?

It was a “big fifty” 50.90 Sharps borrowed from a fellow buffalo hunter Bat Masterton.

 

[toot]

Bat Masterton, or Masterson of OK, CORALL FAME? I guess it was prudent that there was a BIG FIFTY, IN THE GROUP. and to take another mans weapon and not be familiar with it and pull off that historic famous shot!! those were the days when a mans life was measured in days not years!!

 

[user 51569]

did he use a BP, cartridge weapon, or a muzzleloader to kill the INDIAN? just courious?

I’m not sure anyone knows 100% but many agree he used a .50-90 or -110 cartridge. It had only been designed ~2 years prior in 1872 and wasn’t even in “mass production” yet. When reading the account and knowing how new the cartridges were, I got the feeling that he took the shot sort of as a “let’s see what this thing can really do.” During a lull in the siege because everyone present, including the shooter seemed somewhat surprised it even made it that far. "I was admittedly a good marksman, yet this was what might be called a 'scratch' shot."-billy Dixon about the shot.

“Controversy prevails over the exact range of Billy Dixon's shot. Baker and Harrison set it at about 1000 yards, while a post-battle survey by a team of US Army surveyors, under the command of Gen. Nelson A. Miles, measured the distance: 1,538 yards, or nine-tenths of a mile. For the rest of his life, Billy Dixon never claimed that the shot was anything other than a lucky one; his memoirs do not devote even a full paragraph to "the shot".[4] He, however, did confide to people in the area that he took to the shot near an outcropping of rock that the hunters regularly shot from their camp in a betting game. In addition, he spoke about the incident that made him shoot at the Indians on the hilltop.[5]

Forensic archaeologists have discovered that the guns in use at Adobe Walls included several Richards' Colt conversions, some Smith & Wesson Americans and at least one Colt .45 (then new on the frontier) pistol, along with numerous rifles in calibers .50-70, .50-90, .44-77, .44 Henry Flat and at least one .45-70 (also very new). At the time Sharps did not use designations like .50-90 ("Big Fifty" Sharps). Instead, it designated cartridges by bore size and case length. Technically, the "Big Fifty" was known as the .50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch. Depending on the bullet used, the case could be loaded as any of what was later designated .50-90, .50-100 or .50-110. The .50-90 loading used the heaviest bullet and gave the best performance at relatively short ranges out to about 100 yards. The two heavier loads used relatively lighter bullets and gave better performance at extended ranges. This makes it more likely that Billy Dixon's shot was made with a .50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch case loaded to .50-110 specification. In Sharps' nomenclature, the .50-70 was first known as the .50 Sharps 1-3/4 Inch and later as the .50 Sharps 2 Inch, and was sometimes referred to as the "Little Fifty."

 

[SamTex1949]

Crazy Cora?

 

[Crow-Feather]

did he use a BP, cartridge weapon, or a muzzleloader to kill the INDIAN? just courious?

He used a black powder cartridge, 50-70 sharps, to shoot 1536 yards killing an Indian named Coyote Dung.

 

[Crow-Feather]

Forensic archaeologists have discovered that the guns in use at Adobe Walls included several Richards' Colt conversions, some Smith & Wesson Americans and at least one Colt .45 (then new on the frontier) pistol, along with numerous rifles in calibers .50-70, .50-90, .44-77, .44 Henry Flat and at least one .45-70 (also very new). At the time Sharps did not use designations like .50-90 ("Big Fifty" Sharps). Instead, it designated cartridges by bore size and case length. Technically, the "Big Fifty" was known as the .50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch. Depending on the bullet used, the case could be loaded as any of what was later designated .50-90, .50-100 or .50-110. The .50-90 loading used the heaviest bullet and gave the best performance at relatively short ranges out to about 100 yards. The two heavier loads used relatively lighter bullets and gave better performance at extended ranges. This makes it more likely that Billy Dixon's shot was made with a .50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch case loaded to .50-110 specification. In Sharps' nomenclature, the .50-70 was first known as the .50 Sharps 1-3/4 Inch and later as the .50 Sharps 2 Inch, and was sometimes referred to as the "Little Fifty."

The standard factory loads, produced and sold by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company and the Sharps Rifle Company were .50/100/425 (.50 caliber/100 grains black powder/425 grain grease grooved bullet) and .50/100/473 with a paper patched bullet. Factory loads manufactured by any of the Sharps companies were mostly hand-loaded which made them expensive to produce. This naturally invited competition. Winchester offered the cartridge loaded .50/90/473 with paper patched bullets which may be how the cartridge came to be commonly known as the .50-90. The .50-90 Sharps is similar to the .50-100 Sharps and .50-110 Sharps cartridges. All three use the same 2.5-inch (64 mm) case, the latter two being loaded with more grains of black powder. All rifles made for the .50-90 Sharps should be able to use the .50-110 and .50-100 cartridges due to the case dimensions being nearly identical.

 

[Eutycus]

The Rifleman struck match heads with his rifle, is a 44-40 even close to being that accurate? What always got me bout the "Hollywood Gun Experts" and pistoleros was their hearing.To be that good would have required alot of practice. That much practice would have been rough on the ears, as in being next to deaf. And probably would have cost a pretty penny as well.

 

[Phfinneuss]

Wow! This subject line really took off!

In the Revenant, when he fired, the muzzle flash occured t h e n the pan charge flashed.

Someone commenting here (in this line of comments) stated,- ..shouldn t be ridiculing Hollywood here. They re just..
This is a departure from the context of this subject. We re talking ridiculous and sloppy inaccuracies and so on, within multi-million dollar productions , .

Baldwin,- Can you believe it?!?! Allowing actual ammo capable 'prop' guns! Knowing the dual nature of these arms, there s no excuse for a person in Baldwins position to handle an actual firearm in a manner where the portrayal of shooting someone with it occurs, WITHOUT ensuring the weapon is cleared etc. It was his final responsibility. Wrongful death? Manslaughter? Reckless endangerment resulting in death?

-------------------------------------------------
1- Colt s 'Gold Filled Shooters Pins' -offered by Colt in the 80s wth the purchase of an Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series pistol (Revolver)

 

[gvandersluis]

I’m not sure anyone knows 100% but many agree he used a .50-90 or -110 cartridge. It had only been designed ~2 years prior in 1872 and wasn’t even in “mass production” yet. When reading the account and knowing how new the cartridges were, I got the feeling that he took the shot sort of as a “let’s see what this thing can really do.” During a lull in the siege because everyone present, including the shooter seemed somewhat surprised it even made it that far. "I was admittedly a good marksman, yet this was what might be called a 'scratch' shot."-billy Dixon about the shot.

“Controversy prevails over the exact range of Billy Dixon's shot. Baker and Harrison set it at about 1000 yards, while a post-battle survey by a team of US Army surveyors, under the command of Gen. Nelson A. Miles, measured the distance: 1,538 yards, or nine-tenths of a mile. For the rest of his life, Billy Dixon never claimed that the shot was anything other than a lucky one; his memoirs do not devote even a full paragraph to "the shot".[4] He, however, did confide to people in the area that he took to the shot near an outcropping of rock that the hunters regularly shot from their camp in a betting game. In addition, he spoke about the incident that made him shoot at the Indians on the hilltop.[5]

Forensic archaeologists have discovered that the guns in use at Adobe Walls included several Richards' Colt conversions, some Smith & Wesson Americans and at least one Colt .45 (then new on the frontier) pistol, along with numerous rifles in calibers .50-70, .50-90, .44-77, .44 Henry Flat and at least one .45-70 (also very new). At the time Sharps did not use designations like .50-90 ("Big Fifty" Sharps). Instead, it designated cartridges by bore size and case length. Technically, the "Big Fifty" was known as the .50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch. Depending on the bullet used, the case could be loaded as any of what was later designated .50-90, .50-100 or .50-110. The .50-90 loading used the heaviest bullet and gave the best performance at relatively short ranges out to about 100 yards. The two heavier loads used relatively lighter bullets and gave better performance at extended ranges. This makes it more likely that Billy Dixon's shot was made with a .50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch case loaded to .50-110 specification. In Sharps' nomenclature, the .50-70 was first known as the .50 Sharps 1-3/4 Inch and later as the .50 Sharps 2 Inch, and was sometimes referred to as the "Little Fifty."

(Having been to the site all I can say is that it was a helluva long shot. Here in Oz we hold an annual match called The Billy Dixon which culminates in a single shot at a target replicating a man sitting on horseback facing the shooter at an undisclosed distance in excess of 1100yds. The target has been hit 13 times since 2000

 

[user 51569]

Wow! This subject line really took off!

In the Revenant, when he fired, the muzzle flash occured t h e n the pan charge flashed.

Someone commenting here (in this line of comments) stated,- ..shouldn t be ridiculing Hollywood here. They re just..
This is a departure from the context of this subject. We re talking ridiculous and sloppy inaccuracies and so on, within multi-million dollar productions , .

Baldwin,- Can you believe it?!?! Allowing actual ammo capable 'prop' guns! Knowing the dual nature of these arms, there s no excuse for a person in Baldwins position to handle an actual firearm in a manner where the portrayal of shooting someone with it occurs, WITHOUT ensuring the weapon is cleared etc. It was his final responsibility. Wrongful death? Manslaughter? Reckless endangerment resulting in death?

So the complaints are guns in movies aren’t realistic enough but also movies shouldn’t use real guns

 

[vintovka]

Said this before. Got to watch Combat being filmed and met Vic Morrow. If the sound of low power blanks, propane fueled MGs (and about a hundred folks watching 2 guys act ) wasn't enough, it was the German "soldiers" talking in 60's "surfer dude" dialects between scenes that killed it for me.

 

[Poguetx]

A recent one I noticed was in John Wick 3. During the antique shop fight, he grabs an 1875 Remington and swaps cylinders with a Colt, doing an impromptu cartridge conversion. Why not just use the Remington?! I was really surprised at this error, since they usually pay very close attention to firearms details!

 

[vintovka]

Ever see "enemy at the gates" ? Slow it down and take a close look at the M91 Nagant rifle the kid is shooting at the wolf trying to attack the horse. You can see where the scope mount was removed and filled in with wood.

 

[springfield art]

It is unusual but I have seen it done. Ground was hardpacked.

Movies are full of B-grade shootouts where there's a Richochet with almost every shot, even when clearly the 'bullet' is going into wood, like a window sill. Sound effect guys seem to think every gunshot has a richochet noise.

 

[springfield art]

A recent one I noticed was in John Wick 3. During the antique shop fight, he grabs an 1875 Remington and swaps cylinders with a Colt, doing an impromptu cartridge conversion. Why not just use the Remington?! I was really surprised at this error, since they usually pay very close attention to firearms details!

Never saw that! Wow. Plus the cylinders would NOT match up. Good eye!

 

[Muley Gil]

'You don t like us Navy folks?' 'I like ya real well. When we need to go fight somewhere , ,.'

Oh, I like the Navy just fine. My dad was retired Navy, 20 years, and my step-dad was a WW II Navy signalman.

 

[Capnball]

Movies try to entertain, not educate us. If movies were education we'd be dumber than we presently are.

 

[shorthair]

The Rifleman struck match heads with his rifle, is a 44-40 even close to being that accurate? What always got me bout the "Hollywood Gun Experts" and pistoleros was their hearing.To be that good would have required alot of practice. That much practice would have been rough on the ears, as in being next to deaf. And probably would have cost a pretty penny as well.

See some of what Bob Munden did with Winchesters and Colts in his performances.