Open Range

The following guns were used in the film Open Range:

Open Range (2003)

(I'm trying a new rating system, what do you guys think? I wish I could make certain words bigger though. Maybe the admins know a way to make it more professional looking. This is a rough idea, but with some thought, this could work. - GM45)

Firearms Realism Rating:

• Era: Weapons are accurate to the era despite some subtle hints showing the guns are modern remakes such as distinctive markings. Rating - 9
• Training: While firearms training is less important in western films (because back then, they weren't given firearms training) this film still showed some accurate firing and reloading. Kevin Costner lines up the sights on his rifle before firing like a proper marksman although when firing revolvers, he lifts them above his head. Costner appears to not have been taught how to reload his revolver for the film as instead of using the ejector rod to extract empty shells, he simply rattles the gun until they fall out, sometimes rather vigorously. Rating - 8
• Capacity: While many aspects of the film are accurate, capacity is not one. In one scene, Costner is seen firing 16 shots from a 6 shot revolver before reloading! Rating - 4
• Recoil: Seldom seem in films is properly faked recoil (as blanks don't produce recoil like real guns do), but Kevin Costner as well as some other actors in the film accurately portray weapons kick, while some.... don't. Rating - 8
• Sound: In some scenes gunshots are shown accurately portrayed as load sounds, most notabley when Costner fires a shotgun inside a bar, which is deafeningly loud. In other scenes though, those old cheasy gunshots are heard. - Rating - 9
• Myths: When people are hit by both revolvers and shotguns, they are sometimes shown being launched into the air by the bullet, which looks cool, but is a movie myth and innacurate to real life. Rating - 5
• General: Realism in general in the film is pretty realistic. When having a gunfight in the town, even at close ranges people are missing several shots as opposed to hitting people with fanned hip shots in other westers. - Rating - 9

Overall Rating: 7

Colt Single Action Army

The most common handgun in the film is the famous "Peacemaker" or Colt Single Action Army revolver, which is seen in the hands of several characters in the film in various barrel lengths, including Charley Waite (Kevin Costner). Based on certain aspects on the SAAs, they appear to be mainly Uberti and Cimmeron modern reproductions.

Colt 1873 Single Action Army 7 1/2" barrel Cavalary model - .45 Long Colt.

Charley Waite packs a Cavalary model Single Action Army which he uses to put .45 in the forehead of the man who murdered his friend Mose (Abraham Benrubi) at point blank range.

Waite fans his SAA. He manages to fire an impressive 16 shots from his 6 shot Peacemaker before reloading.

Waite reloads his SAA.

One of Denton Baxter's (Michael Gambon) thugs armed with a 4 3/4" barrel "Quickdraw" model SAA.

Button (Diego Luna) checks his Cavalary SAA while in the doctor's house.

Waite shoots one of Baxter's thugs with his SAA which knocks him to the ground, as movie myths claim any .45 can knock a man down.

One of Baxter's men holds Waite's love, Sue Barlow (Annette Bening) hostage with his 5" Artillery SAA fixed on Waite, who dispatches him quick and efficiently for endangering her.

Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon) armed with an Artillery SAA.

Button firing his SAA.

Sheriff Poole (James Russo) armed with an Artillery SAA before being shot.

Waite firing two SAAs akmibo style.

The candyshop owner (Herb Kohler) firing an SAA.

While Kostner is clearly knowledgable with guns, his ability to reload an SAA is somewhat questionable. Instead of using the ejector rod to push out the empty shells, he vigorously shakes it until they fall out.

Close up on Baxter's SAA. Note the distinct notch on the hammer, which is common on reproduction revolvers like Cimmeron copies.