Okay,
We watched the ghost and the darkness again last night (i love this movie) and I have NO FRIGGIN CLUE what the boltgun is..

the farqurelson(sp) looked like a 500 NE
the double looked like a 470
and the many 303's...

But WTF was the nice looking bolt gun? Looked like a 9,3 caliber, but on an enfield ?!?!? customized????

and the howdah pistol... or, as it was introduced in the movie "how do ya DO" pistol... Looked like you could drive a truck into it.

jeffe

[ 12-24-2002, 20:42: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

Jeff,
The double rounds he carried were more like a 450/400 3 1/4 than a 470. The barrels were too small for a 470. I used to know the chambering of the Farquarson, but I have forgotten. The bolt action rifles look like .303 sporting rifles.

Rusty
We band of brothers

jeff,those pistols are a hoot to play with,I inherited,one from the old man ,its a Lancaster sp?,577 snider,it can of reminds me of the Ithaca
Auto burglar in 20 ga.

Jeffe I think it might be a british bolt action called the LEE-METFORD SPORTING RIFLE in calibre 303. According to Westley Richards " Specially adapted to Deer-stalking and to hunting in Africa"

Rusty,
You might be right, but it sure does look larger, to me, and the 470 was about the right time... I am also "basing" my guess on the recoil of it, when it flies away from paterson on the bridge..

still, a grand ole round.. either way...

577 snider? How-DO! for sure..
love the movie.. even the couple screwups

jeffe

The Double rifle was a Westley Richards in, most likely 450/400NE 3.25", the Farquahrson was a 450NE 3.25". The Lee Metford was a Enfield actioned rifle with a dust cover, chambered for 303 Britt.

Col Patterson sailed into the bay at Mombasa in March of 1898, to start the bridge over the Tsavo River. This fact takes the 470 Nitro out of play all together, since it wasn't even developed till 1900, and not widely seen till 1905 when the 450 bore was outlawed in India, and the Sudan.

The Howdah pistol in the movie was a caplock muzzle loading O/U something not often seen in a Howdah, and like the part played by Michial Douglas, was fiction, thought up by some screen play writer.

This is a good movie, but like most movies, it has little to do with the actual happening, and the "RECOIL" of movie guns is no indication of anything!

I knew Mac would know! Way to go, Mac! Thanks

Mac,

I will go with you on the .303 and the double, but what makes you say the Farquahrson was a 450NE 3.25" and not another .577Snider? I am just thing that milsurp .577snider fallingblocks may have been more available??

I agree about Douglas part being largely made up. However I seem to recall a PH being mentioned in the book but being eaten before he made any contribution. I think he gets like two lines in Pattersons account!

Over all I love that film and especially the soundtrack!

Pete

The bolt action looks like a BSA .303 Sporter although they messed up by using spitzer type bullets instead of the 215 grain round nose that were available at the time. "Remington's" double looks like a .450-400 Holland & Holland. The single shot that misfired looks like a Gibbs Farquharson falling block that may well have been chambered for the .500/450 Magnum Nitro Express which was popular at that time in both double and single shot rifles. The single shot used by Angus Starling was a Martini-Henry in the .577/450 cartridge, used by the British military during that time period.

Lawdog

An interesting follow up with Patterson. A few years later he went off an Englishman and his wife, acting as a PH. The Englishman committed 'suicide' and Patterson and the woman left for England and were married there.

the bolt gun is a lee speed, as other's have said.. this is NOT the caliber that it could have been (but I still think it looked too be to be a 303)

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=6905628
jeffe

Mickey 1,

Where did you learn about Pattersons latter adventures?

Pete E,

I heard a similar story about Patterson, the hunter, and his wife. I believe he also faced some sort of inquiry over the matter, but was cleared. It may have been in the Forward of my copy of his book; I will try to remember to look in the morning.

Todd

A very entertaining movie, one of my all-time favorites. I watch this one on occasion. Both my young daughters and I enjoy it everytime. ~~~Suluuq