Dirty Harry's Pistol

[argonaut1]

I know Dirty Harry's revolver was a Model 29 Smith & Wesson, but was the barrel 6 inches or 6 and a half?

[KC]

And did he fire six shots or only five?  

You'll find a discussion of Clint's guns in many of his films in this thread. (The lnk goes to Page Three, where Harry's gun was discussed.) Here it is said that the model was manufactured by S&W in "several lengths ... from 4" to 8-3/8"." One poster states that Harry's gun had the 6 and 1/2" barrel; however, on the last page of the thread, we have this message ...

I believe for the model 29, Smith and Wesson produced a 4in., 6in. and 8 in. models. All available in the blue steel that we recognize with Harry's gun. Unfortunately they're not made anymore in that color.
If you watch carefully you can tell that the barrel size does change like in the stadium when Harry yells: "Stop!" And you get that long side view, it's most likely an 8in. and then for other scenes it may revert back to the 6.

I've read elsewhere, as well, that several different guns with differing barrel lengths were used.

[KC]

Today I was reading that thread over a little more carefully and found this post by one of our experts, John Omohundro ...

I read several years ago that  there were several substitutions for the .44 Magnum co-star made during the filming of DIRTY HARRY.

The standard gun was a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum, with blued finish,  checkered Goncalo Alves ( a tropical American hardwood known also as "Kingwood" or "Zebrawood") hardwood grips, a rear sight that was adjustable for windage (side-to-side movement) and elevation (up-and-down movement), and a 6.5" barrel.

However, because there was a shortage of that model at the time (possibly in CA state gun shops, and not a production shortage at Smith & Wesson, as some have hinted here, although I am not certain), some Smith & Wesson Model 57s were used--this pistol is virtually IDENTICAL to the Model 29 except for caliber (the Model 57 is a .41 Magnum rather than a .44).

Also, possibly to make the weapon look more intimidating physically from some camera angles, several revolvers of both models with 8.375" (8 and 3/8ths-inch) barrels were used, most notably in the scene at the football stadium where Harry shouts "STOP!"[/i], and we (the viewers) are treated to a three-quarter view of the .44's right side (all the way to the muzzle--SHUDDER![/i]), just before Harry blows Scorpio's leg out from under him.

[El Gringo]

It'd be nice to have a definitive answer on this.  I don't know, maybe it's not even possible.LOL!

You know like how many Magnum guns total were used in filming.  How many .41's and .44's if any were used.  Number of 6.5" and 8 3/8" barrel versions etc.

Maybe the Inspector had two different barrel length versions of his trusty 'ole .44 Magnum?  We find out later in Magnum Force that he likes to carry around a special "light" load in his gun for certain situations.  I don't think it would be to hard to imagine Dirty Harry also having two different barrel length .44 Magnum's at his disposal either.

Use the 8 3/8" length Magnum for long range conditions like blasting down Scorpio at Kezar.  Or, maybe use the  6.5" version for close range conditions like in the city.

[D'Ambrosia]

I'm sorry but I don't buy it...

[gwb]

It'd be nice to have a definitive answer on this.  I don't know, maybe it's not even possible.LOL!

You know like how many Magnum guns total were used in filming.  How many .41's and .44's if any were used.  Number of 6.5" and 8 3/8" barrel versions etc.

Maybe the Inspector had two different barrel length versions of his trusty 'ole .44 Magnum?  We find out later in Magnum Force that he likes to carry around a special "light" load in his gun for certain situations.  I don't think it would be to hard to imagine Dirty Harry also having two different barrel length .44 Magnum's at his disposal either.

Use the 8 3/8" length Magnum for long range conditions like blasting down Scorpio at Kezar.  Or, maybe use the  6.5" version for close range conditions like in the city.

The pistol, again, was a 6 1/2" barrel, up until Sudden Impact, when it became a 6" barrel - why ?  Smith & Wesson had chgd the barrel length to 6" by then.  A 4" barrel and the 8 3/8" barrel were NEVER used, nor was a .41 magnum - this is probably an urban legend.
There is a distinct difference in the barrel from the .41 to the .44 - enough for me to see, and I didn't see it.

In the interview portion of the special features in the Dirty Harry DVD, Joh Milius is says that there were two .44's used for Dirty Harry and Magnum Force.  Perhaps there were others used for The Enforcer, but the barrel in the first three movies were 6 1/2".

[Big-matt]

It had to be 6 inch's ~ here are some stats ~

Weight: 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) empty with 4 inch barrel.
Caliber: .44 Magnum (Can fire .44 Special as well)
Barrel Length: 4 inch (10.2 cm) [629 only], 6 inch (15.2), 8 3/8 (21/3 cm)  
Action: Double Action.
Range: 150 ft (45.7 m).
Cylinder: 6 rounds .
Cost: $600.
Made in: America.
Special: Very strong and dependable. It is made in powerful caliber

http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms/Revolvers/SW_Model_29.htm

[Big-matt]

Just found this.... Maybe his magnum had an  8 3/8 barrel



http://www.potfire.com.au/plist/pN625275.htm

[gwb]

It had to be 6 inch's ~ here are some stats ~http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms/Revolvers/SW_Model_29.htm

As I mentioned, at the time of the 1st 3 arry films, Smith & Wesson made the model in 6 1/2", and at the time of the 4th (and currently), 6 inches were the model.

[gwb]

Just found this.... Maybe his magnum had an  8 3/8 barrel



http://www.potfire.com.au/plist/pN625275.htm

That is indeed an 8 3/8" barrel, but the front site is not normal for a model 29, .44, and it is certainly not the length of the movie guns.

[Big-matt]

Nice gun though  ... I used to belong to a gun club and each thursday night we would meet up in a army indoor range, i was starting out with a .22 at the time nothing bigger, this guy would come in every week with a wooden box. He would take out his shooting glasses and a target and pin the target up, then he would get out a Semi automatic and fire the magazine... thats all, then get the target and go.  I thought this guy was a real life clint eastwood at the time  

[El Gringo]

The pistol, again, was a 6 1/2" barrel, up until Sudden Impact, when it became a 6" barrel - why ?  Smith & Wesson had chgd the barrel length to 6" by then.  A 4" barrel and the 8 3/8" barrel were NEVER used, nor was a .41 magnum - this is probably an urban legend.
There is a distinct difference in the barrel from the .41 to the .44 - enough for me to see, and I didn't see it.

In the interview portion of the special features in the Dirty Harry DVD, Joh Milius is says that there were two .44's used for Dirty Harry and Magnum Force.  Perhaps there were others used for The Enforcer, but the barrel in the first three movies were 6 1/2".

So, they used actual .44 magnums instead of the .44/.41 hybrid that people have speculated about.  That's good to know.    

Many have said the guns used for the first DH were pieced together prototypes from several other magnum guns because the .44 was rather hard to find at CA gun dealers at the time of filming.  Where did this story come from?  

Does anyone have a screen shot capture of the Kezar stadium scene with that longshot of Harry holding the gun yelling "Stop.." while ready to shoot down Scorpio?  Boy, that sure looked like the 8 3/8" barrel version to me.  Maybe it's just the camera angles or something, but that 6 1/2" .44 magnum sure looked huge in that scene.

They should've given Clint the 8 3/8" barrel version of the .44 magnum for the Dirty Harry films.  Just imagine, that would look like an absolute unyeilding monster of a pistol with him holding that on film.          

[KC]

I'm glad we seem to have cleared this up.

[D'Ambrosia]

All I have to say is that it is infact a .44 Magnum Model 29 6.5 inch barrel throughout the entire run of movies until he gets to Sudden Impact, of course, when he  aquires not only a beautiful stainless steel Model 629 but the "most powerful automatic ever made" as well, the .44 magnum AutoMag.  

In The Dead Pool he has a Model 29-3

To be honest with you the reason Californa gun shops,  and all gunshops all over the U.S., had a shortage of the model 29 is because of the movie Dirty Harry

[D'Ambrosia]

6 1/2 inch barrel:

[ar15]

clint eastwood did use a 6 and a half inch barrel in sudden impact   when the two thugs are beating him on the warf just before he falls in the water the one thug kicks the gun over the edge    if you have a dvd player stop the movie and look at the gun just before he kicks it over the edge you can tell it is a 6 and a half inch barrel as the barrel has the longer look past the cylinder rod shroud   the six inch looks more stubby. and clint eastwood did not aquire a stainless  44 magnum  the stainless gun was  the auto mag with the eight inch barrel.

[D'Ambrosia]

Welcome to the board ar15!  

Clint uses a stainless steel .44 Magnum Revolver in Sudden Impact as well as the stainless steel .44 Magnum AutoMag.  The 629, as the stainless revolver was numbered, only came in 3", 4", and 6" barrel lenghts.  Smith and Wesson also had the 629 "Classic" come out around the same time and this model came in the 5", 6 1/2" and 8 3/8th"  However you can clearly see that Harry doesn't use the "Classic". He uses the plain old 629 which resembles his old trusty 29 more than the "Classic", which if you think about it it should be the other way around.  The "Classic" should resemble the regular model 29 just by its namesake.




6 inch Model 629          6 1/2 inch Model 629 "Classic"

[KC]

Here are two views of Harry's gun in Sudden Impact ... the first one, of course, occurs just before he utters his most famous line ... and the second one is a detail from the shot ar15 refers to. In both cases, you can see that the underbarrel lug is abbreviated, as it is in the picture of the "6 inch Model 629" that D'Amb posted, and does not extend the full length of the barrel, as it does in the "629 classic."





However, to me, this gun more closely resembles Harry's original Model 29 (because of the blue color and the wooden grip) than it does the stainleess steel Model 629 with the rubber grip ...  

[D'Ambrosia]

Just trying to show the frame of the gun with those pics...  Rubber grips are tree friendly now days...

I know Sudden Impact is a dark movie KC but come on

You can’t tell the difference between the Stainless Steel and the Blued finish?

Look at how shinny the gun is compared to say the shootout with Scorpio at the end of Dirty Harry.

It’s most defiantly the grips KC.  The grips posted on the Smith and Wesson web site are not "stock" when the gun first came out in '80-'82.   They now are more politically correct by not killing trees with their grips just people.   The fact that the gun is stainless steel and 1/2 an inch shorter is the only difference between the 629 and 29.  Everything on the gun is the same as the model 29 except the metal and the length, oh, and the grips of course.      

Those particular wooden grips Harry has on his 629 should tell you that it's a different gun than the first 3 films.  

 

[D'Ambrosia]

Blue Finish 6 1/2" barrel model 29                                                Stainless Steel 6" barrel model 629