Companeros

Companeros Poster Country Italy West Germany Spain Directed by Sergio Corbucci Release Date 1970 Language Italian Spanish Studio Tritone Cinematografica Terra-Filmkunst Atlántida Films Main Cast Character Actor Yodlaf Peterson Franco Nero El Vasco Tomas Milian Lola Iris Berben Gen. Mongo José Bódalo Prof. Xantos Fernando Rey John Jack Palance

Companeros (original title Vamos a matar, compañeros) is a 1970 Italian-German-Spanish spaghetti western directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero and Tomas Milian. The story takes place during the Mexican Revolution. Swedish arms dealer Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero) sells weapons to guerilla leader Gen. Mongo (José Bódalo), but the money that Mongo needs for the deal are locked in an indestructible bank safe. The only man who knows the combination is Prof. Xantos (Fernando Rey) who is held in prison in the American town of Yuma. Peterson volunteers to rescue Xantos and bring him to Mongo who orders one of his men, El Vasco (Tomas Milian), to escort Petersen. The events are even more complicated after the involvement of a group of Xantos' loyal followers ("Xantists"), lead by Lola (Iris Berben). Meanwhile, Petersen's old companion John (Jack Palance), turned bitter enemy, searches for him.

The following weapons were used in the film Companeros:

Revolvers

Single Action Army

Single Action Army revolvers are used by numerous characters. Both "Artillery" and "Cavalry" models can be seen. The revolvers appear to be Italian-manufactured replicas, as in most Spaghetti Westerns.

Colt Single Action Army w/ 5.5" barrel known as the "Artillery" model. The most common of the SAA revolvers as it is just the right length. - .45 Long Colt

El Vasco (Tomas Milian) holds an Artillery revolver.

Several guerrillas hold SAA revolvers. The one on the foreground appears to be nickel plated.

A close view of Artillery SAA during the climactic battle.

El Vasco with a revolver and a bloodstained machete.

Colt Single Action Army w/ 7.5" barrel known as the "Cavalry" model.

General Mongo (José Bódalo) fires his Cavalry revolver.

Peterson (Franco Nero) in ambush with a Cavalry revolver.

Peterson dual-wields SAA revolvers in the climactic battle.

A Xantist holds a revolver.

In the final scene, Peterson discharges his revolver, leaving only a single cartridge. It's worth noting that the cartridge looks significantly longer and thinner than an original .45 Long Colt.

Smith & Wesson Military & Police

Various characters, including El Vasco (Tomas Milian), General Mongo (José Bódalo), and Lola (Iris Berben), carry Smith & Wesson Military & Police revolvers. They appear to be a clone of Spanish origin rather than original Smith & Wessons.

Smith & Wesson Model M&P Revolver with 5" Barrel - .38 Special

El Vasco's revolver in holster.

El Vasco threatens a dealer in gambling house in Yuma.

Lola carries an M&P revolver, tucked at her belt.

El Vasco dual-wields M&P revolvers.

Another view of the same scene.

El Vasco throws his revolvers on ground.

Gen. Mongo uses an M&P as a backup gun.

Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action

During the encounter on the train, one of Xantists is armed with a revolver that looks mostly like a Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action or one of its numerous Spanish copies. The revolver has an unusual feature, a side-mounted ejector rod that is uncommon for top-break revolvers. This ejector rod may be purely a mockup, added to make the revolver look more "Western-style". In the final scene, El Vasco (Tomas Milian) also carries a similar revolver.

Spanish (Eibar) copy of the S&W .44 Double Action

A Xantist aims his revolver at El Vasco.

A closer view of the revolver.

El Vasco draws his revolver in the final scene.

He opens and discharges the revolver.

Colt New Pocket

A compact nickel plated revolver is carried by Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero) in several scenes. It looks similar to a Colt New Pocket except for a more vertical front end of the frame; such simplification may be a sign of a Spanish produced version of a Colt revolver.

Colt New Pocket - .32 Colt. The screen gun has a slightly different shape of the frame.

Peterson opens his revolver and rotates the cylinder.

He readies the revolver.

A view from the other side.

Peterson draws the revolver when Lola and her friends enter the room.

Pistols

Campo Giro

A Campo Giro pistol is another of Yodlaf Peterson's (Franco Nero) handguns. During the encounter on the train, it is taken from Peterson by a young Xantist.

Campo Giro Model 1913 - 9x23mm Largo

A Campo Giro in its holster.

Peterson with a Campo Giro and El Vasko with a revolver in a Mexican (really Mexican!) standoff.

A man next to Lola holds an SAA revolver and Petersen's pistol.

Another view of the pistol.

Double Barreled Pistol

During the scene on the train, Lola (Iris Berben) wields a pair of double barreled pistols. They appear to be large caliber breechloading (may be pinfire, rimfire or centerfire) hunting pistols, some distant cousin of the Howdah Pistol.

Lola opens the box with two pistols...

...and draws the guns. Note the lever under the barrel that allows to identify these pistols as breechloading.

A closer view of the pistols.

Rifles

1893 Spanish Mauser

Mexican government soldiers and some guerrillas are armed with 1893 Spanish Mauser rifles. In the scene in Yuma, US Army soldiers also are armed with M1893 rifles, standing in for proper M1903 Springfields.

1893 Spanish Mauser - 7x57mm Mauser

A soldier holds his rifle in the opening scene.

A firing squad. Straight bolt handle can be seen at the left.

A guerrilla fighter holds a Mauser, taken from a slain soldier.

An American soldier in Fort Yuma holds his rifle.

Another soldier carries a rifle on a sling.

Mexican soldiers march with their rifles on their shoulders.

A closer view of the rifle in the hands of a Xantist.

Garate El Tigre

Most guerrillas carry lever-action rifles that appear to be Garate El Tigre rifles, a Spanish copy of the Winchester Model 1892.

Garate El Tigre - .44-40 WCF

Peterson comes across two drunk guerrillas.

Mongo's men with rifles.

Lola (Iris Berben) holds a rifle.

John's henchmen with rifles.

El Vasco (Tomas Milian) holds a rifle in the night scene.

A rifle is hung on a pole.

Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero) aims, using binoculars as a sniper scope.

Peterson reloads his rifle during the climactic battle.

Remington Rolling Block

In one scene, a Xantist carries a long gun that appears to be a Remington Rolling Block carbine.

Remington Model 1867 Rolling Block Carbine - .50-45

A man at the left holds what appears to be a Remington Rolling Block.

Shotguns

Winchester Model 1200 / Model 120

John (Jack Palance) carries a Winchester Model 1200 or a Winchester Model 120 pump action shotgun. This gun only began being produced in 1964, but it may stand in for the similar looking (and more period-appropriate) Winchester Model 1912. Another decent version is a rare Model 1912 Featherweight which apparently was the basis for the subsequent M1200.

Winchester Model 120 - 20 gauge

John rests with a shotgun in hand.

John holds his shotgun in the ambush from the belfry.

An FPS view.

John fires his shotgun.

A closer view of the same scene.

Single Barreled Shotgun

Top-break single barreled shotguns are seen in the hands of Mongo's guerrillas and Xantists. In the final scene, Xantos (Fernando Rey) himself holds a shotgun.

A Xantist in a straw hat holds a shotgun.

Mongo's man fires a shotgun at the background.

Xantos with a shotgun.

A closer view.

El Vasco (Tomas Milian) opens Xantos' shotgun.

Machine Guns

Maxim 1895

Several Maxim 1895 machine guns are seen in Peterson's boxcar. During the shootout on the road block, a Maxim on a tripod is seen; when Peterson takes it, it switches to a multi-barreled mitrailleuse (see below).

Maxim 1895 on tripod - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Three Maxims and several tripod mountings are seen inside the boxcar.

Tripods are better seen here.

A Maxim is seen at the background in the scene on the road block.

Maxim 1895 Mockup

General Mongo's men attempt to break the safe using a Maxim that appears to be a mockup as it is operated in a very strange way. Later on in the climatic battle, Peterson takes the gun and uses it against Mongo's men as hand-held gun. There is a possibility that this prop is made around a submachine gun, like the Star Z45, widely available in Spain.

For reference: Star Z-45 with folding stock - 9x23mm Largo

Guerrillas fire a Maxim in an attempt to open the safe.

Later in this scene, a mitrailleuse switches back to a Maxim. Here, Peterson tries to fix a malfunction.

Peterson in action in the climactic battle.

Another view of the same scene. Note that protrusion at the bottom of the gun, just before the water jacket, that looks a lot like a 9mm submachine gun magazine. The side-mounted handle that Peterson holds may be in reality a lever linked to the trigger of the gun inside the Maxim shell.

Bergmann MG 15nA

A Bergmann MG 15nA machine gun is also seen in Peterson's boxcar.

Bergmann MG 15nA - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A Bergmann MG 15 is seen at the right.

Another view of the MG 15.

Fake Mitrailleuse Machine Gun

An iconic Spaghetti Western gun, a multi-barreled, belt-fed mitrailleuse-style machine gun, appears in the scene at the road block. Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero) dismounts it from a tripod (in a previous moment, the gun is a Maxim machine gun) and mows down Mexican government soldiers. This movie prop looks very similar to the one seen in A Fistful of Dollars and different from the one held by Nero in Django.

Mitrailleuse machine gun. The machine gun in the film appears to be a mockup.

Peterson grapples with the gun.

A closer view of the barrel. The number and position of holes look the same as in A Fistful of Dollars.

Peterson fires at pursuing soldiers.