The Dirty Harry movie gun(s)

[Wingmaster]

Does anyone know the story behind where the Dirty Harry movie gun or guns were bought and where they might be today?
I was talking to a guy the other day that claimed they were bought by "The studio" from a gun shop in Great Falls Montana. He claimed their were 4 guns purchased.
He also claimed that after the movie was completed, 2 of the guns were returned to the shop, one was given to Clint Eastwood, and one was kept by the producer or some other movie exectutive.
The two that were returned to the shop, he said, one was kept by the owner of the shop and he claimed to have the other one.
Is this guy full of sh**? I assume he is, but I guess stranger things have happend.
Thanks

Wingmaster

 

[OIF2]

John Milius has one. He did the screenplay. And I think there were only two guns.
Bob

 

[KEN L]

My recollection is that Milius contacted S&W and the two guns were made up from parts on hand since at that point in time none were being made. At that point in time the 29's weren't real popular sellers, so attention was directed to the production of more "saleable" models. Once the movie came out, production couldn't keep up with demand causing the prices to soar way above what suggested retail should have been. And, as we all know, it took a few years for that to be remedied.

I seem to remember Milius got one of them and Clint the other.

 

[NFrameFred]

There has been more myth and misinformation about those guns than just about any I can think of.

Milius had at least one of the guns and I believe it's currently on loan to the NRA museum.

As far as the story in the OP, yeah, from everything I know the story is bogus. And as far as "S&W made up a couple from parts on hand because there were none being made because it was a poor seller" - that's entirely false. Truth is the guns were pretty much always hard to come by and there was a backlog of orders; the Dirty Harry franchise just kicked that into high gear to a ridiculous level.

Gun shop commandos spin their yarns and internet myth/misinformation takes on "fact" status when it gets repeated ad nauseum by those who aren't particularly bound by the truth or knowledge of the facts when it gets in the way of a good story where they can sound like they know something someone else doesn't. Like . . .

"They used an 8 & 3/8 barreled model in some shots to make the barrel look longer" ?

"There were no 44 magnums available and the gun in the first movie was a model 57"

"It was a model 25 that was loaded with '5 in 1' blanks"

" Clint's character admitted he only used 44 Specials"

The list goes on.

Wikipedia is one of the worst offenders in this since the information is submitted and not verified on many subjects; and apparently much of it is wrong. And everyone knows that it must be true since " I read it on the internet!"

I'm sure there are others with more thorough knowledge about the disposition of the movie guns who will chime in. But I always take with a grain of salt any gun story I hear that begins with, "well I heard . . . "

 

[4-Screw]

I thought that was an actual quote from the movie Magnum Force:

Officer Phil Sweet: What kind of a load do you use in that .44?

Harry Callahan: It's a light Special. This size gun it gives you better control and less recoil than a .357 Magnum with wadcutters.

 

[Mule88]

4-Screw is correct. Dirty Harry did make that statement in Magnum Force.

 

[sceva]

Yes; but note that he said "light special" not .44 special. While that could mean .44 Special it could just as easily mean a less than full power load in the .44 mag case.

 

[gkitch]

We've talked about this before. The scene in question has them on an indoor range and prepaing for a shooting competition. They were talking about target loads, which would be appropriate in text. What shooter would use full house magnums for practice or competition?
John Milius and Clint Eastwood are real shooters in real life and the realism of their expertise comes out in these movies.

 

[Tunachaser]

Clint collected a lot of the guns that were used in his movies, and in one movie, I think it was Magnum Force, he did say that he used Rabbit Loads/44 Spec., because the recoil was more manageble.

 

[gkitch]

great excuse to see it again!

Hmmm.....will have to watch Sudden Impact again soon. Havent seen it in years and it was an all-time favorite.

 

[Doc44]

Two Model 29-2s were made in S&W's tool room for the movie Dirty Harry. The guns were shipped to Mr. Lookabaugh, the S&W representative in the Los Angeles area. The disposition of these guns is unknown to collectors as far as I know. Model 29s (4-screw frame, S206000 range or so) were used in Magnum Force. One of these was donated to the NRA Firearms Museum by John Milius and is on display there. About a year ago, Jim Supica brought it to the Tulsa show and some of us were allowed to examine it. I assume Mr. Milius has the other one used in this movie. The revolver is now fitted with smooth stocks and has a commemorative shield about the movie on the right stock panel.

All of the revolvers used in the movies have 6 1/2-inch barrels.

Bill

 

[Art Doc]

NframeFred- The 8" gun is not a myth. It was used for some publicity stills (not in the movie) to make the gun look bigger.

In Magnum Force Callahan states that he uses "light special loads" for better control. We have pondered what that was supposed to mean and some interpret it as 44 Special ammo although he brags about the power of the 44 Magnum so it could be some scripting written by the unknowing.

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

I always assumed the quote attributed to Clint in "Magnum Force" was a reference to the loads he was using in the competition, not what loads he would be using while on the street. Just my $.02.

 

[Art Doc]

A Magnum Force gun was given to Millius? I thought I read it was an original DH gun. Oh well. I guess in the end it really doesn't matter. So here were are, 40 years after the movie came out, still talking about the guns.

As for props from movies disappearing, this happens all the time. It's amazing how little concern is shown for props. The chopper Peter Fonda rode in Easy Rider disappeared off the set following filming. I have an acquaintance who did some Hollywood screenwriting. When the original Star Trek show was canceled costumes (Starfleet uniforms), hand-held props like phasers, in fact the entire set of the Enterprise bridge were all thrown in the trash. The guy I know rented a truck, called some friends, and took it all home. For years he had the bridge partially assembled in his garage. It's only years later that people think of these things as historic or valuable.

I have no doubt that nobody really paid attention to the two revolvers laying around when the film shut down. Some stagehand probably bagged them.

 

[NFrameFred]

Saxon Pig, I know that in the publicity stills in one instance the longer barrel was used but I still maintain they were not used in the movies. As I recall they wanted the poster to have the muzzle pointed toward the viewer and appearance of that effect exaggerated.

As far as the "light special" line in Magnum Force, I've seen the interview where the director was questioned about the supposed discrepancy and Milius states that Clint blew the line that was supposed to be that he used a "special light load" and he transposed the words to "light special load" but the scene was OK otherwise and they thought nothing of it at the time.

As has been stated, the context was the upcoming pistol competition and it is generally understood that they were talking about what gear/loads they were using for the department championship.

"Officer Phil Sweet: What kind of a load do you use in that .44?

Harry Callahan: It's a light Special. This size gun it gives you better control and less recoil than a .357 Magnum with wadcutters. "

He's obviously referring to what I've said above. By the same token, one would not argue that the motorcycle units were carrying 357 Pythons loaded with wad cutters on duty. Context . . . . .

The whole persona of Harry Callahan and the driving force behind the other star of the movies (the model 29) was it was a 44 magnum. As an old friend I have is wont to say, it just don't make walkin' around sense that the character would be using light 44 special loads for duty use given the story line, subject and point of the main character carrying such a gun.

But that is one myth that will never die since many seize on that one flubbed line as on obvious flaw in the make up of the "Dirty Harry 44 Magnum" story.

 

[brainflood]

Found this little video on You Tube featuring John Milius and his aforementioned S&W M29 from the Dirty Harry films.

YouTube - Dirty Harry's S&W .44 Magnum. A National Firearms Museum Treasure Gun

Mind you, the twist in the tale is the plaque on the grip refers to both Dirty Harry & Magnum Force films, so I'll leave it to the more knowledgable to explain.

 

[stantheman86]

Were the same two guns used up until the 1988, with "Dead Pool"? I would think that over 17 years, the studio would have acquired some new 29's.

There was also the scene in Dirty Harry where he throws the 29 on the ground and you can hear it clank on the cement.......unless they dubbed in the sound, I would assume that gun was cosmetically damaged and couldn't be used anymore.

I love all the myths........It was a .41 Magnum because the studio couldn't get a 29........I doubt that a major movie studio with a nearly limitless budget would have a problem getting two Model 29's from S&W.

It is obvious to any of us Callahan was referring to using a "light Special" when he was talking about a competition load for the Police Pistol Match that he later shoots in against David Soul's character. Still this so called "error" is repeated over and over by people who think they "caught" a mistake in the movie and that Harry doesn't really use a .44 Magnum. As was said, Clint is a gun guy and so is Milius, both of them would have caught a glaring error like that.

 

[Art Doc]

I said it wasn't used in the film, only in the posters for effect.

 

[jrobil]

Celebrity Casino in Deadwood, SD claims to have one on display.

 

[one eye joe]

Yes; but note that he said "light special" not .44 special. While that could mean .44 Special it could just as easily mean a less than full power load in the .44 mag case.

OR less than a "full power load" in the .44Spl. case.........