An Indy's Pistol

Indiana Jones frequently carried some type of **handgun** sidearm during his adventures, especially when attempting to obtain rare antiquities, to protect himself from threats.

## An Indy's Pistol

### **Owner(s)**

Indiana Jones

Indy's first pistol was a French **Modèle 1892 Revolver**. In ***The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles*** World War I Western Front episodes, for the the Battle of the Somme and Verdun. Even though he never really pulls it out, he carries it in his holster.
During Indy's mission in German East Africa, he carried a rare Belgian **Nagant Model 1878 Revolver**. In *The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles* episode *German East Africa, December 1916*, for the battle where he leads a charge for the Askari troops.
His weapon of choice was a large **Smith and Wesson Revolver** ('N' frame type) with a shortened barrel. In *Raiders of the Lost Ark* Jones packs a .45 caliber S&W M1917, for the trip to Peru, which he ends up surrendering to Belloq; then in Cairo he uses a S&W 'Hand Ejector, Second Model' (also referred to as the 'Hand Ejector 2' or 'HE2') to dispatch the menacing ***Arab Swordsman***.
He also made use of a **Colt New Service Revolver**, and an Inglis-made **Browning Hi-Power 9mm Automatic Pistol**, on some of his adventures.
By 1938, Jones carried a commercially-available British **Webley "WG" Army Model .455 caliber revolver** during his trip to find his missing father and recover the Holy Grail. (*Note: While some written accounts indicate the model to be a Webley Mark VI, recent research and DVD screen captures prove that the 'screen used' pistol was the "WG" Army.*) Comparing the types of weapons that he and his father preferred, Jones drew a sketch of it in his journal. The Webley accompanied Jones on his trip to Haiti with George McHale in 1941 in search of the Heart of Darkness. Jones found that the Webley was too heavy for fieldwork, although he is seen with the "WG" Army Model again during *Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull*.

## Raiders of the Lost Ark (1936)

### Smith and Wesson M1917/ Hand Ejector Model 2 revolver

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Jones packs two different guns in his quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant. His primary sidearm, was the large frame Smith & Wesson M1917 revolver of the 'Hand Ejector Second Model Type' variant. It is seen after Jones barely escapes the Peruvian Temple, when Jones attempts to threaten his arch-rival René Emile Belloq, before surrendering the pistol to him. After Indiana is hired by U.S Government officials, he takes another M1917 revolver from his desk, presumably his spare gun and also his home defense weapon, and tosses it in his suitcase.

When Indiana heads to Nepal to ask ***Marion Ravenwood*** of her father's medallion, he uses it in the shootout against ***Arnold Toht***'s men, before switching to his Browning Hi-Power. During his frantic search for Marion in Cairo, Jones is confronted by the menacing ***Arab Swordsman***. When the swordsman shows Indy his skills with his humongous scimitar, Jones; seeing that he has no time for such a protracted fight, pulls out his revolver and dispatches the swordsman. He then uses it to fire it at several thugs including the driver of a truck full of explosives that careens out-of-control, rolls over and explodes.

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Believing Marion was in the truck, Jones goes on a depressed drinking state at the ***Marhala Bar***, before being confronted by Belloq and his men. Angry at Belloq for involving Ravenwood in the matters of searching for the Ark, Jones attempts to pull out his weapon, before being stopped by Belloq's army of thugs wielding MP40's. After escaping the Well of Souls with Marion, Jones attempts to commandeer the German plane that was to carry the seized Ark to Germany, but is intercepted by the ***German Mechanic***. During the brutal fistfight, Jones drops his M1917 / HE2, and tried several times to grab it, but was intercepted by the burly Mechanic. After the Mechanic is killed by the plane's propeller, Jones uses the gun to fire two shots at the planes hatch to save Marion and the two escape the scene to hide.

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### Trivia

* Two different S&W revolvers were used on the sets depending on the country they where filming in. A Smith & Wesson M1917 was used in the Peru (Hawaii) scenes and in the close-up insert shot of the gun in Indy's house. A Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector 2nd Model that fired .455 Eley blanks was used for the shot of Indy tossing his gun into his suitcase, in The Raven bar shootout, in Cairo, and in the flying wing fight. Both guns had 4 inch barrels, and looked extremely similar. What differentiated them was the front sights: the HE2 had an angular front cut sight, while the M1917 had a humped half-moon shaped sight.
* The Hand Ejector 2 is the British variant of the M1917.
* It is thought in Temple of Doom that the revolver fired in the Shanghai chase scene was the same cut down S&W .455 revolvers used in Raiders, but it is actually a Colt Official Police.
* Both prop guns are in private hands now after being auctioned off. The M1917 prop was nicknamed Stembridge after Stembridge Gun Rentals in California, and the Hand Ejector Second Model (that fired blanks) was nickamed Bapty after Bapty & Co., the British prop gun factory that supplied the weapon.
* In actuality, S&W Hand Ejector 2s never had 4 inch barrels, so therefore the prop was fitted with a custom barrel.
* Although it is hard to confirm, Jones presumably carries S&W M1917 revolvers during his adventures until 1938 in the Marvel Comic series, when he obtains his Webley.
* In PSP version of Indiana Jones and the Staff Of Kings, Jones carries a M1917/Hand Ejector 2 model, instead of his Webley.

### Browning Hi-Power

 File:350px-Inglis Hi-Power.jpg
Indiana also packs the legendary Browning Hi-Power, a 9x19 millimeter pistol designed and created by John Browning in 1925, and produced in 1935. The Hi-Power is Jones' backup gun, and is used seldom, only if Jones' Smith & Wesson is out of ammo.

When Jones is engaged in the shootout in Marion's bar, The Raven, his Smith and Wesson runs out of ammo and Jones quickly switches to his Browning and uses it to dispatch most of Toht's men before being surprise attacked by the Giant Sherpa.

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The two fought over the handgun, and quickly work together to shoot Toht's henchman that was ordered to shoot them both. After the Sherpa is subdued, Jones retrieves his gun, and escapes the burning bar with Marion. Later on in the adventure, the Browning is pulled out by Jones on the ***Bantu Wind***, after the engines were stopped due to the Nazis boarding the ship for the Ark. Jones doesn't fire it, but tucks it in his waistband. However, his Hi-Power is taken by Belloq and his men, before they open the Ark.

### Trivia

* Jones uses a Fabrique Nationale Hi-Power during the shootout in ***The Raven***, and is seen with the similar Inglis Hi-Power, manufactured by Inglis of Canada, on the Bantu Wind. While the FN Hi-Power was introduced in 1935, the Inglis Hi-Power did not start production until early 1944.
* Due to the Browning Hi-Power being introduced in 1935, and the year in which Raiders is set, 1936, the firearm would have been exceptionally rare, state of the art, and expensive to possess.
* Chronologically speaking, the Hi-Power was probably brought as a backup gun after Jones' ***awry experience in India***, after having lost his revolver and being unable to defeat the ***Thuggee*** swordsmen fast enough. It also explains why Jones is quick to kill the Arab swordsman after having been through that.
* It is unknown where Indy keeps his Browning, possibly in his satchel. However, Jones didn't carry his bag inside Marion's bar, so he probably kept it in his jacket someplace.
* The cosmetic differences between a FN Browning Hi-Power and the Inglis Hi-Power is that the FN Browning variant has brown wooden grips and adjustable sights. The Inglis has the built in sights, a distinctive rear-sight "hump", and black grips. The frame on the FN Browning is black, while the Inglis has a grey color.

## Emperor's Tomb & Temple of Doom (1935)

### Colt Official Police

 File:500px-ColtOP4.jpg   During 1935, Jones decided to carry an American make for the first time as a sidearm. That same year Jones took an archaeological trip carries the gun and even uses it against the Ivory Hunters in Ceylon. After Jones recovered The Heart of Koru Watu, he is hired by Chinese government official Marshall Kai and his assistant Mei Ying to help recover The Heart of The Dragon, an ancient artifact buried with the First Emperor. Jones is sent to Prague to take the Mirror of Dreams which would help guide him to the tomb's location, and takes his Colt Official Police with him. Jones is later captured by the Nazi's after taking the second piece of the artifact and is imprisoned in Istanbul, having the Colt confiscated. Jones realizes that their leader, Albrecht Von Beck was alive, whom Indy had a scuffle with in Ceylon. Before awaiting certain torture, he is freed by Mei Ying, and after fighting dozens of Beck's men, he recovers the weapon and gear and escapes. Jones and Ying begin to see that Kai betrayed them, and had formed an alliance already with Beck and the Nazis and prepared to double-cross them when they find it, so the duo head to Hong Kong. Jones does not bring his weapon with him, and leaves it with his adventuring gear behind. When they enter the Golden Lotus Opera house, Mei Ying is abducted and Jones barely escapes with his new found ally, Wu Han. Jones reclaims his gear, and the two head off to follow the Nazi Submarine Mei Ying is imprisoned in by Beck and the Nazis. Jones later hides the weapon in his satchel when he disguises himself as a Nazi, and after freeing Mei Ying, he falls through a trapdoor, and works his away around to The Black Dragon Fortress. Jones and Ying find the remains of the Mirror, and return to Wu Han to take a train to Xian China. Jones carries the Colt one last time during his search in the Tombs, and uses it to combat Ch'in Shi-Huang-Ti. After defeating him, Indiana carries the weapon through various adventures, until he and Wu Han are hired to find the Remains of Nurhachi.

Indy's use of his revolver was cut short in his next adventure, due to it being dropped out of a car window by Willie Scott. After Indy escapes Club Obi-Wan with Scott and Short Round, Indy is cured of his poisoning while being chased Lao Che and his men in a car chase. Indy quickly pulls the revolver out from his bag and fires off all six shots at Lao's men, killing his driver.

 File:600px-IJTD-ColtRevolverIndya.jpg
Realizing he is out of ammo and that Lao Che was still pursuing, Jones tells Willie to hold the revolver while he goes through his bag for ammo. However when his back was turned, the hot metal of the fired revolver made her drop the gun out of the car window, much to Jones's dismay. During the final battle against Mola Ram and the Thuggee cult, Jones is confronted by two swordsmen. Jones smiles smugly and reaches in his holster, only to painfully remember that Willie dropped his gun during the chase in Shanghai. After discovering the blunder, he smiles sheepishly, and quickly subdues the two, and takes a sword.

### Trivia

* It was thought and debated for more then 27 years that the gun used was a Colt New Service revolver, until research showed it was a 4 inch Colt Official Police.
* The Colt Official Police was loaded for .38 Special, and was a famous gun at the time and popular with Law Enforcement for its accuracy and power, until much stronger calibers came out.
* The prop gun dropped was a 5 inch Smith and Wesson Model 10, and not a rubber prop gun as previously thought.
* The scene when Jones faces the swordsmen is a reference to Raiders of the Lost Ark, (when Indy guns down the swordsmen) and when he chases the two swordsmen but is chased by a bigger crowd of swordsmen, is a reference to Star Wars (1977) another George Lucas film, and ironically occurred to a character Harrison Ford also portrayed.
* Its a strong possibility that Jones used the Colt Official Police that same year, on his adventure to find The Emperor's tomb. However, sources indicate it was a Colt New Service revolver, a completely different make from the Official police,being loaded for .45 ACP.

## Last Crusade & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (1938-1957)

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When Indiana discovers that his father is missing in 1938, Jones packs his bags and prepares to go on his journey to find his father and find the Holy Grail with his esteemed colleague and friend, ***Marcus Brody***. This time around, Indy packs the legendary Webley "WG" Army Model, which is the civilian variant of the Webley Mark VI, which the British used as their sidearm in World War I and II. Like his revolver from his adventure in 1936, it is loaded for the monstrous .455 Webley caliber. The weapon is first seen when Elsa and Jones search the castle for Henry Jones Sr, before being betrayed by Elsa. After being captured, Jones retrieved his weapon and escaped the burning fortress with his father. When the duo board the zeppelin, Jones conceals it in his waistband. After the Nazis on board the craft and realized that the duo were there, Indiana commandeers a bi-plane, and escape the zeppelin, not long before other German aircraft were on their tail. With Henry Sr. on the back machine gun, Jones fired all six shots from his powerful weapon, but to no effect. When the plane was "landed", Jones considered firing at the last incoming pilot, but sadly sees that he has no ammo left. Using his quick wit, Henry Sr. uses the seagulls to finally destroy the plane by guiding them into clogging its engines.

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When Henry Sr. and Marcus Brody are captured inside Vogel's tank, Indiana valiantly chases the tank by horseback, and engages in a quick shootout with Vogel, before once again seeing that he has no ammo left. Jones reholsters his weapon and jumps on the tank, and engages Vogel and his men in combat. Right after Vogel and his men are dispatched and the tank is obliterated; Jones reloads his weapon again and carries it in the Canyon's temple. Before it could be used again, the weapon was relinquished to Walter Donovan. When Jones goes through the trials and drinks the right grail, he presumably retrieves the weapon before the Temple collapsed. One year later, Jones used his Webley during his search for the Staff of Kings, used the Webley in several shootouts with Blind Duck and his gang on the Chinatown rooftops. For the rest of the adventure, Jones used it to its full effect whenever caught in a firefight.

During the next 19 years, Jones carried his Webley as his sidearm through his missions in the second World War, and at one point declared the weapon too heavy for field work. Its most notable moment was when it was carried by Jones in 1941, while in Haiti with George McHale. In 1947, Jones retired the weapon in exchange for a more practical weapon for fieldwork, being a Smith & Wesson M1917. He carried the Smith & Wesson M1917 during his quest for the Infernal machine, and a Colt M1917 for several other adventures during the late 40's and early 50's. In 1957, Jones once again packs the mighty Webley for his search for Akator and Harold Oxley.

 File:600px-IJKCS-Webley.jpg
Although he doesn't fire it, Jones uses it to frighten a cemetery guard attacking Mutt Williams in Peru. Yet again the weapon was confiscated when Jones and Williams were captured by Irina Spalko and her men. After reuniting with Marion Ravenwood, Jones discovers that Mutt is his son, and during the latter of the adventure, his entire gun belt is missing, with Jones losing his most prized sidearm.

### Trivia

* During both its screen appearances, Jones never killed anyone with the Webley, and always missed. The only time Jones killed someone with it was during the events of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings.
* It was assumed for years that Jones carried the Webley Mark VI, the military variant of the WG.
* It is unknown why Jones decided to trade up his taste in American revolvers for a British make.
* This is the only sidearm that appears in 2 movies, seeing how Jones always loses his guns or buys different ones.
* The Webley was presumably Indy's favorite sidearm of all time, seeing how he carried it for 19 years before having it confiscated, and having it drawn in his diary as his favorite handgun.
* It was also a very unique revolver at the time, due to its top-break frame.
* The Webley was not used in Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, instead a S&W M1917 was carried, albeit the events taking place in 1947.
* This is the only gun besides The Browning Hi-Power that is seen being reloaded.

## Dial of Destiny (1944) (1969)

During the events of the ***German Stronghold*** through to the ***Nazi Loot Train Fight*** in the year ***1944***, it seems that Jones wasn't carrying any type of firearm. There is no explanation as to why this is the case, whether it was Jones's personal choice or if it was confiscated; though the latter most reason still having no evidence as when the archaeologist ***regains his equipment*** on the ***train***, including his Fedora and Leather Jacket and even his bullwhip. However no holster, gun belt or firearm is in sight.

 File:Indy 5 Shootout.PNG
In ***1969***, it seems that Jones wasn't carrying any type of firearm either. There is no explanation on this occasion again, except that it might've been Jones's personal choice. The only weaponry which Indy does use throughout the movie is an Walther P-38 acquired by force from ***Hauke*** with the help of ***Teddy*** in which he uses to dispatch of a goon of ***Voller's*** in ***Archimedes*** Tomb.

## Trivia

* In Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, the S&W M1917 has an unlimited ammo supply.
* In Emperor's Tomb, it takes two shots to kill someone, and ammo becomes extremely limited in later levels.

## Appearances

* *Raiders of the Lost Ark*
* *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade*
* *Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull*

## Sources

* *Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb: 1935 Journal*
* *Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide*
* *The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones*

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ***Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide***
2. ↑ ***The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones***