Tom Selleck on authenticity of guns, etc.

[redlevel]

Selleck is in my list of top four or five cowboy actors. One of my favorite scenes is from Crossfire Trail, when he charges through town with the Schofield blasting. He stops in the corral, breaks open the S&W, and loads it two at the time. He also carries a converted open-frame Colt in that movie, and one of the bad guys carries a nickeled Remington revolver.

Here is a link to a video where he discusses his views on authenticity of weapons in the movies.

Immersive Display Player

 

[feralmerril]

He is one of my favorites too. I used to have a GF that managed a big & tall store in lancaster california. Tom and his brother owned the building. Her name was martine. He made a movie with his GF that died named martine. For awhile I thought he named the character after her, but then I belive it may come out of a book the movie was wrote from. She did have a outfit that she claimed he gave her. I had a nice picture of her, tom and his brother bob standing together in her store. She died on me at home with cancer back in christmass of 98. Since I got married I threw out or gave away all her stuff to avoid "issues" at home. I belive toms brother bob was at least toms heigth. He was a blond guy. He managed their real estate business. They owned a lot of stores in lancaster, palmdale, victorville and elsewhere.

 

[Glock 'em down]

Yeah, good ol' Tom Selleck is one of my very favorite actors. This Sunday, May 9th, the 6th installment of his Jesse Stone movies Jesse Stone: No Remorse will air on CBS.

In the Jesse Stone movies, he uses a Smith & Wesson Gunsite edition 1911. In the 5th movie, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice he was shot and injured in his right shoulder in the opening scene and is forced to swith to a revolver because he refuses to put an ambi safety on his .45, claiming "I don't like 'em" as his only excuse.

You gotta love that!

Anyway, there's a scene where he puts his Gunsite 1911 in his nightstand drawer and pulls out an ivory grip Colt Python snubbie...I'm thinking. It could be a Detective Special, because it doesn't really show any real close ups of it. But you can tell it's a Colt by the shape of the stocks.

Anyway...yeah, Tom is a REAL gun guy and a true hero to us and our way of life. Definitely the last of his kind, I'm afraid.

 

[PDL]

interesting interview. What museum was that, anyone know?

 

[PALADIN85020]

Selleck is OK in my book. He's a "gun guy" and striving to portray time-period authentic guns in his movies is really appreciated. Probably like most of you, I cringe when I see '92 Winchesters being used in movies that portray the 1870s, etc. He evidently subscribes to the notion that if you're going to do it, you should do it right. His passion for authenticity evidently extends to other accoutrements, and I applaud him for that. I wouldn't know one saddle from another, but it's nice to know an effort was made there, too. I'd like to believe when I see a period movie that what is portrayed was actually the way it was. Although there were a few minor glitches, I'd point to the movie Tombstone as striving to be pretty authentic, at least as far as the firearms used was concerned. It's one of the reasons it's my favorite western.

I'm looking forward to seeing Selleck's next "Jesse Stone" adventure on TV this Sunday. As always, I'm sure he'll do a great job.

 

[Iggy]

The westerns of the late 50's and 60's use to make me cringe. They all used modern saddles, hats, and guns to portray the 1880's and 90's and their accuracy was atrocious.

I could forgive Gene, Roy, Hoppy, and the Lone Ranger, they never really tried to be authentic. Some of the movies back then were just plain awful.

Cavalry troops with "94" Winchesters really stuck in my craw.

 

[2000Z-71]

My understanding is that Selleck trained extensively with Mike Venturino in the shooting and handling of BPCR rifles fro his role in Quigley Down Under. I do enjoy his westerns and I appreciate the fact that they try to make them historically authentic.

 

[mlk18]

Not only is he a great actor he is definitely a well spoke and intelligent gun advocate. I make it a point to see (and buy) every movie he is involved with just like I avoid every movie the involves the most vocal anti-gun actors.

 

[jag312]

interesting interview. What museum was that, anyone know?

That is the Autry Museum in the Los Angeles area. I'm not too sure about the exact location. It might be in Pasadena. I'm planning to visit there in June.

Roy Rogers, the man, was a very nice guy. His costumes were something else. However, I would have loved to see someone dressed like him ride into Dodge City in the 1870s.

 

[Camster]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The westerns of the late 50's and 60's use to make me cringe. They all used modern saddles, hats, and guns to portray the 1880's and 90's and their accuracy was atrocious."

Years ago I watched a movie(or perhaps an episode of Bonanza?) and one of the actors had a Marlin 336.Oy-not even a Winch 94.

 

[zoom6zoom]

That is the Autry Museum in the Los Angeles area. I'm not too sure about the exact location. It might be in Pasadena. I'm planning to visit there in June.

Looks like it's in Griffith Park.
GeneAutry.com - Museum

 

[feralmerril]

The autry museum changes a lot. Its great. I have been to it about 5 times. They pretty much bought out the old john bianchi lawmen and outlaw museum that was at temcula years ago. They feature all the old western stars, and everything old west. I love the place.

 

[perrazi]

spoke to tom selleck for about 20 minutes at the winter las vegas show several years ago. at the time he was collecting sharps rifles but was well versed on all of the older guns. definitely not one of those, look at me i'm a star type people.

 

[feralmerril]

I loved it a few years ago when tom was fighting a fire on his ranch in southern california. He was dirty, sweating and shoveling when a reporter asked him something. It was on the news and filmed when he said, why dont you put down that camera and grab a shovel and help me!

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

You don't get your history from Hollywood. In the movie "Rough Riders"
TR carries an ivory handled Colt SAA, he did own such a handgun but at San Juan Hill he carried a Colt M1889 Navy salvaged from the Maine. The Spaniards did not have Maxims, if they did we'd have never gotten up that hill. I think it was Tom Mix who created the image of the "cowboy"
that we now have, his contemporary William S. Hart tried to portray a more realistic image. Look for Gail Davis from the "Annie Oakley" TV program-one picture shows her with a pair of Colt Official Polices tricked out to look like SAAs.

 

[armadillo]

I agree with him. I hate to see a western movie set in 1860's where everyone is armed with a Winchester 1892.

One of my favorite movies for authenticity is "The Big Trail" with a very young John Wayne made in 1929.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Tom Selleck is definitly a great actor that plays his parts very well. Also was on the NRA Board of directors. He knows his firearms & doesn't allow 1892 Winchesters when the movie is set in 1866. In "Quigley" he used a Sharps 45-110-550.

 

[mm6mm6]

Selleck is the best.

Do you remember the final scene from Magnum P.I. with Ivan?

For those who never saw it or didn't watch the show, just watch this clip. All you have to know to appreciate it is that Magnum's friend was killed by Ivan just before the friend was going to see the sunrise.

YouTube - "...Ivan, Did you seen the Sunrise?" Magnum P.I

Seriously powerful. Seriously outstanding!

 

[29aholic]

Selleck is the best.

Do you remember the final scene from Magnum P.I. with Ivan?

For those who never saw it or didn't watch the show, just watch this clip. All you have to know to appreciate it is that Magnum's friend was killed by Ivan just before the friend was going to see the sunrise.

YouTube - "...Ivan, Did you seen the Sunrise?" Magnum P.I

Seriously powerful. Seriously outstanding!

That was one of my all time favorite episodes of the series. Anyone notice the Colt he uses in Magnum is NOT a 45? In the opening credits each week it showed him shoving a magazine in the gun that appeared to be from a 9mm or 38 Super.

 

[Glock 'em down]

Nope, it's a 9mm.

Here's a neat little article.

Magnum, p.i.'s Colt Pistol