If Not My Favorite...........

[SharpsDressedMan]

it will do until I finally decide. This is my faithful reproduction of the famous Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Indiana Jones .45 revolver. There were two in the movie, but the Smith & Wesson 2nd Model Hand Ejector, originally in .455 Eley, and known as the "Bapty" gun (supplied to the movie production by Bapty & Co., England) was the one used for most scenes and the actually shooting. This "Bapty" model was cut down from a 6.5" barrel to 4", and fitted with a Baughman style ramp front sight, which makes the gun enthusiasts wonder where, how, or WHY such an obviously detailed gun ever came to be. As a prop gun rental, somewhere in its British history it started out as a WWI weapon supplied to the Brits in 1915 in one of two contracts, served England in the war, and obviously later "liberated" or sold to an English citizen, and ended up in the hands of the Bapty Co, for use as a prop/blank gun for movie use. The fine Baughman front sight was desired on revolvers after being introduced by S&W in the early 20th century on the finer, adjustable sighted revolver. No fixed sighted guns were made with that style of sight, to my knowledge. My gun had been previously converted, easily, to .45 Colt, but is still marked ".455". All that needed to be done for that conversion was a little relief at the rear of the chambers to allow the slightly larger rim of the .454 Colt to fit the .455 chamber.....no other reaming was necessary. My gunsmith, Kent Singletary of AZ, fabricated the sight, which included a dovetail to allow for windage adjustment, and a slightly taller blade to allow me to trim for a single load point of impact. He also widened the rear notch in the frame to better frame the front sight "picture". I am constantly amazed at how accurate these 2nd Hand Ejectors and 1917 Smiths shoot. You have to shoot one to believe it. All in all, it is a totally practical gun, as it is lighter than ALL other 4" N-frames, and even squeezes into some holsters intended for smaller frames (L&K). My trigger pull is still stock, heavy and stiff, but the action is still as tight as the day it was made, and I don't expect it to wear out any time soon. My gun is numbered approximately 3000 later than the original "Bapty" gun, so it could have been in the same batch to the Brits. It may be the only gun I'd ever NEED, but I would never admit that to my wife.

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[Dave T]

SDM,

My favorite (and I won't put any qualifiers on it) is the same as your's in concept, i.e. a DA revolver in 45 caliber with a tapered 4" barrel. I too had mine custom built but I refined it a little more.



I had a 45 ACP Mountain Gun built from a M25-2 that had had a Model of 1950 6.5" barrel installed. The tapered 1950 barrel was cut to 4" and the ramp and sight were pinned to the rib. The butt was rounded and after the action was tuned it was all bead blasted and blued. It is my favorite holster gun. (smile)

Dave

 

[Hondo 60]

SharpsDressedMan - now that gun has seen some honest work.

It may not look new any more, but it's got style.
As Pee Wee Simser told JD Cahill
"I'll say one thing for you, J.D. You got style. Yes, sir, you got style."

{Cahill US Marshall - John Wayne 1973}

 

[murf]

another plug for kent. he is the best.

murf

 

[1KPerDay]

Sharps, Thanks for the lesson. I've wondered about that revolver from Raiders quite a few times. Seems to me I remember the front sight blade being rounded but that may just be my poor memory.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

The OTHER Raiders/Lost Ark revolver WAS a S&W 1917 .45, and it DID have the half moon sight mounted on a 4" barrel, and the end of the barrel was "in the white" after the sight mounting. As far as I can remember, it was only used in the opening scene in So. America when Indy (Ford) surrenders his gun to Belloq at the mouth of the cave. They filmed that scene later, possibly in the US, and rented that revolver from Stembridge Gun Rental. Apparently, it was as close to the other gun as they could get on short notice. We never see Indiana Jones retrieving that revolver, and later he pulls out the Bapty revolver at his residence before embarking on the quest for the Ark.

 

[deputy tom]

Great story and really neat gun. I'm a big fan of the Indiana Jones series of movies and view them often. tom.

 

[rswartsell]

Sharp,

You need a bullwhip, leather bomber jacket and a fedora. Why do I feel like you probably have them?

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Got the hat, and a nice leather jacket, but could never master the whip. Only problem, I look exactly like the aging Indiana Jones wannabe that others probably see me as. On the plus side, I shoot the gun better than that guy in the movies, and actually FEEL adventurous when I wear the hat. The bullwhip probably smacked me in the head more times when I was trying to learn to use it than I ever got it to "crack", but I made $200 on it when I sold it. I think I'd be better off accessorizing with a big knife.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Dave T, beautiful gun. Those "lightweight" .45 Colts are just so darn practical!

 

[rswartsell]

Well, I don't see any Bedouin assasins charging you with a scimitar, bullwhip or no. Thats good right there, don't care who you are. Nowadays I have nightmares about bedouin assasins.

 

[scaatylobo]

ENVY - that gun !

I too consider myself a huge fan of the movies and the whole persona.

I have the fedora & the bullwhip that I use 'fairly' well for an old coot.

Had the Hi-Power but that revolver is too SWEET and color me with envy !.

This pic is just the whip -- that hat was the same as Woody Harrelson's in Zombieland

 

[Iggy]

It's interesting how those old war horses just keep on ticking.

Here's a 1915 .455 Mk II HE that served with the British forces in WWI that now sports a Canadian .45 ACP barrel and a post war American .45 ACP cylinder that was pluggin' pasture poodles just last week.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I used to be a little embarrassed or sheepish about wearing the hat and coat in public, but I got over it. You only live once, and the fedora and leather jacket are a practical combination, and have a classic, tasteful look. I no longer think looking tasteful, or colorful, need to be apologized for, especially when some are covered with ink, body piercings, or pants that fail top cover the cracks of one's azz. I'm not an archaeologist, or international Nazi killer, but armed as I usually am, I feel confident that I am an asset to society, as my intentions are honorable. And THAT is my lifelong pursuit and adventure. Mentally, I am that well intentioned, nameless drifter that goes from town to town, and stands ready to help out the local folk against the evil cattle baron, etc. :

 

[Iggy]

Evil cattle baron?? Darn, I ain't sure but I think I may have just been insulted!!!

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

For evil cattle barons, see "Rustler's Rhapsody". If you aren't like Andy Griffith's character, you probably have nothing to worry about!

 

[Iggy]

I went took a gander at this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OICRkzQz47Y

That was my Granpaw, you scurrilous rascal you... Gee Whiz!!

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

This is totally unrelated, but possibly my favorite comic shooting scene in a movie, also from "Rustler's Rhapsody". For your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NARUgQRZhL8

 

[Iggy]

Looks like the ranch in Wyoming too..

 

[StrawHat]

I always wanted a 45 caliber N frame with the skinny barrel but when I was looking for one, the Mountain series was not even a thought. I had a M28-2 and a good man who could rebore and rifle a barrel. The skinny 35 caliber barrel was rebored and rifled to .452 and refitted to the frame. Then a 45 ACP cylinder was found and fitted. Last, a new frame lug. The result was the revolver I always wanted and now, the one I always carry.



In this photo, it is wearing the stock S&W grips but the butt is rounded and I have several different pair I made for it before deciding on something a bit smaller.

And I wear a variety of hats, all brimmed and crowned properly, (no caps need apply).

 

[Iggy]

An old cowboy ain't dressed unless he's got his hat on. That don't include inside a building unless it's a bar or a sale barn or such.

Ol hands cringe at seein' wannabe's eatin' in a restaurant with their danged hats on. My Momma taught me better.

 

[kBob]

Had a guy at the bar of a local restaurant look at me weird last night for setting my hat on the floor next to my chair at our table as there was nowhere to hang it. He was wearing his ball cap of course and well on the way to being flammable. Thtee things bother me about the place which has good food and used to seem more "family" the bar and its denziens, Fridaynight Karioke, Saturday night entertainers hurting guitars and ear drums.

-kBob

 

[murf]

kinda like not taking your hat off and placing it over your heart when our flag goes by or our national anthem is sung.

murf

 

[deputy tom]

I must say Steve , that when I saw that thumbnail I thought Woody with a goatee! tom.

 

[scaatylobo]

Thanks Tom

Pretty sharp eyes for an old coot .

Thank ya kindly Deputy !.