Brannigan

Brannigan is a 1975 British crime/action movie starring John Wayne and directed by Douglas Hickox (Zulu Dawn, Sky Riders). Brannigan would end up being Wayne's second to last film. After turning down the lead role in Dirty Harry and witnessing the film's unexpected box office popularity, Wayne made two modern day police movies in rapid succession. After completing McQ (1974), Wayne starred in Brannigan.
Lieutenant Jim Brannigan is a tough Chicago P.D. detective who is sent to London to retrieve American mobster Ben Larkin (John Vernon). Brannigan quickly crosses paths with Commander Charles Swann (Richard Attenborough), a civilized, formal, upper-class Scotland Yard officer, who finds Brannigan's two-fisted approach to police work to be the exact opposite of the low-key British approach. Eventually, the two men come to respect and like one another as they work together to take down the mobster. 
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=Handguns=
== Colt Diamondback ==
A Colt Diamondback is carried and used by Brannigan (John Wayne) throughout the movie. It is a source of tension between Brannigan and Commander Swann (Richard Attenborough), since it is against Scotland Yard procedure and English law for Brannigan to carry and use a firearm. Naturally, Brannigan continues to carry it and uses it despite his protests. 
== Mauser M712 ==
Rather typical of the time period when Brannigan was filmed, a firearm takes on a co-starring role- actually two, in the case of this film. Brannigan's (John Wayne) Colt Diamondback and Gorman's (Daniel Pilon) Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer. The M712 is a selective fire version of the famous Mauser C96. It accepts either a twenty round or thirty round detachable box magazine instead of the integral ten round magazine of the older model Broomhandle and was introduced in the early 1930s at the end of the model's production run. It was an attempt to modernize the almost forty-year-old design. On full auto, it has a very high cyclic rate and wasn't very accurate without the combination stock/holster attached. However, it is a very dramatic and distinctive looking pistol and was very popular with filmmakers in the 60s and 70s, especially with European filmmakers. It is the perfect pistol for the contract killer in this movie and goes well with the Jaguar that he is driving.
== Colt Detective Special ==
A snub-nosed revolver is carried by Commander Swann (Richard Attenborough) of Scotland Yard. There is only a brief glimpse of the revolver, but it appears to have the lines of a second generation Colt Detective Special.
== M1911 ==
Mr. Fields (Mel Ferrer), lawyer to the gangster Larkin (John Vernon), carries an original M1911 pistol. In the screencap there is no arched mainspring housing- in 1974 (the year of the movie's production), Colt was still manufacturing the M1911A1 with the arched mainspring housing. Also, considering that the movie was filmed in England, there is a strong possibility that this M1911 is one of the models chambered for .455 Webley Auto that was manufactured for the British military. 
== Luger P08 ==
At the beginning of the movie, Brannigan (John Wayne) uses a Luger P08 in a plastic bag to coerce information out of a counterfeiter. He tells the bad guy that the Luger has no serial number and will not have any prints thanks to the plastic. After the low-life talks, he grabs the Luger when Brannigan seemingly has a mental breakdown and puts it down on a table within arm reach of the counterfeiter. It turns out that the Luger was empty all along.
== Walther P38K ==
Carried and used by one of Larkin's (John Vernon) kidnappers, Charlie (James Booth). An examination of the barrel shows that it is threaded for a suppressor. While it may be a Walther P38K "compact", there is a possibility that it is actually a full-sized P38 with a shortened barrel.
=Shotguns=
== Double Barreled "Coach" Gun ==
A Double Barreled "Coach" shotgun is set up by the contract killer Gorman (Daniel Pilon) in Brannigan's apartment. It is wired so when Brannigan (John Wayne) opens the door, the shotgun will be fired via a cord and pulley system. Brannigan is suspicious, however, and mule kicks the door open while standing off to the side.
thumb|none|400px|Remington SPR210 Shotgun Hammerless Coach Gun - 12 Gauge
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Category:movie
Category:crime
Category:British Produced/Filmed
Category:Action Movie
Category:Detective
Category:Douglas Hickox