Indy's guns bought from Lexington, KY shop

Trebor · Post by **Trebor** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:16 am

http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/413277.html

'Indiana Jones' buys its guns from Lexington firm
By Andy Mead
AMEAD@HERALD-LEADER.COM

There's plenty of action in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but Lexington's Charles Layson will pay particular attention when Indy shoots someone.

That's because the guns Harrison Ford uses in the fourth film of the famous franchise were supplied by Antique and Modern Firearms, which Layson co-owns with Rees Day.

They are, specifically, a British-made Webley-Green .455-caliber revolver, and a Colt 1911 .45-caliber semiautomatic.

They are the same models Ford used in the title role in the earlier episodes. The Lexington store supplied three identical Webley-Greens and two identical Colts so the action could continue if one of the guns broke down during filming, Layson said.

The guns were purchased for an average of $1,000 each, Layson said.

"I wanted to get them back because they would sell well after the movie, but the property manager was too savvy," Layson said. Also turned down: A discount on the price in exchange for a mention in the credits.

The Webley-Greens, which were made about 1890, were the hardest to find. Layson tracked them down from a collector in Tennessee. One of those guns did break during production of the movie. Layson had to find a replacement part and send it to the studio.

The Hollywood people found out about Antique and Modern Firearms through Frank House of Bourbon County, who made guns that Mel Gibson used in The Patriot, and the ones Russell Crowe used in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Layson planned to see the movie Thursday night at the Kentucky Theatre.

"It's sort of exciting to think that you contributed," he said. "I knew Indiana Jones was going to be a big deal, but the way ... everybody in the press has promoted it, it's going to be a really big deal."

Indiana · Post by **Indiana** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:48 am

That's an interesting article. And Frank House is one of the premiere muzzleloader builders in the nation. I may have to check this shop out and put something together for the main site when I have some time this summer. Lexington is not that far away.

Too bad Indy didn't shoot those guns in the movie.

Mannie Bothans · Post by **Mannie Bothans** » Mon May 26, 2008 1:12 pm

Cool. I live in Lexington KY.

Indiana wrote:That's an interesting article. And Frank House is one of the premiere muzzleloader builders in the nation. I may have to check this shop out and put something together for the main site when I have some time this summer. Lexington is not that far away.

Too bad Indy didn't shoot those guns in the movie.

ANZAC_1915 · Post by **ANZAC_1915** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:16 pm

How did the gun break if they weren't using it??

Rook · Post by **Rook** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:15 pm

When did Indy use a .45 in the film?

Russ

Gater · Post by **Gater** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:27 pm

Rook wrote:When did Indy use a .45 in the film?

Russ

he didn't, but I think Spalko and Dovchenko had one each

(I know the action figures do, anyway)

Indiana · Post by **Indiana** » Mon May 26, 2008 6:47 pm

Dovchenko did for sure. He ran out of ammo while shooting at Indy in the warehouse and threw it on the ground.

Dr. Woolley · Post by **Dr. Woolley** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:28 pm

. . . and Mac draws a bead on Indy with a .45 in the throne room scene.

Chachap · Post by **Chachap** » Fri May 30, 2008 12:33 am

Dang guys, look, I haven't SEEN it yet, alrighty ..... Although, now I guess I don't have to bother

Dr. Woolley · Post by **Dr. Woolley** » Fri May 30, 2008 10:53 am

Are you sure? It is awful chunky for a Browning HP. It looked to me like the WWII issue .45. You can't mistake the girth.

dr. tyree · Post by **dr. tyree** » Fri May 30, 2008 11:09 am

Another way you can tell it's a Hi Power is by looking at the trigger when Mac appears as Indy and Mutt are climbing out of Orellana's tomb. Ray keeps his finger all the way forward in the trigger guard and you can see the Hi Power trigger very clearly.

Rook · Post by **Rook** » Sat May 31, 2008 5:03 pm

Yep, Mac's sure looked like a High Power to me as well.

I concede the .45's used by the Russian/American soldiers.
I'm still trying to figure out why they were using M1928 Thompsons instead of the M1A1?

Russ

Photoss · Post by **Photoss** » Sat May 31, 2008 9:49 pm

I still haven't seen the movie... <_<
but I did find this:

http://www.propstore.com/product-Agent- ... Pistol.htm

Did the article at the top mention any tt-33's?

Titus Pulo · Post by **Titus Pulo** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:24 am

Glad to see Lexington represent! I am an Antique and Modern customer and had no idea.

RParga · Post by **RParga** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:52 pm

actually if you want to get particular about that Hi Power is was not period correct. It was a later external extractor and no "thumbprint" the right side of the slide forward of the ejection port

rebelgtp · Post by **rebelgtp** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:36 pm

the article didn't mention them but i did see them in the movie. I'm actually working on sourcing one.

As for the use of Thompson they were still being used into the 60's. My dad has pictures of a guy carrying one in Vietnam.

so lets see the new movie has made 3 of my guns screen accurate. well one was already used in temple of doom (tommy).