Raiders of the Lost Ark

The following firearms were used in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark:

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Smith & Wesson M1917

Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) primary sidearm in Raiders is a large frame Smith & Wesson revolver of the 'Hand Ejector, Second Model' type. Two similarly-modified prop weapons with barrels cut down to about four-inches were employed by the production company -- the first being a Smith & Wesson M1917 provided by Stembridge Gun Rentals, in California. This was used for studio work in the U.S., and is the gun Indy turns over to archrival Belloq (Paul Freeman) after barely escaping a booby-trapped Peruvian temple with the golden idol. The same prop shows up again in a scene when Jones is packing his suitcase, where several identifying marks can be clearly seen in closeup, including the unique sight blade, and corner chunk missing from the grip.

Unmodified Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver (Military issue with smooth grips) - .45 ACP

According to research done by members of the www.indygear.com web site, a different pistol was utilized onscreen later in the film; the secondary hero weapon was obtained from Bapty and Co. (U.K.) for U.K. production and Middle East location filming (this blank-firing gun is a British variant Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector chambered in .455). These two revolvers are differentiated by the front sights: the M1917 sight is rounded (with bluing removed from the barrel underneath), and the one on the 'Bapty' Mk II ramps up at an angle. The M1917 also lacks round S&W medallions on its checkered grips, with simple smooth round tops.

The actual production-used 'Stembridge' .45 ACP Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver, shown directly below, is now in private hands. It was thought that this particular gun was also seen in the car chase at the beginning of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but it is now believed that a Colt Official Police was used instead.

Indy surrenders his M1917 Revolver to Belloq (Paul Freeman).

Indy pulls out another M1917 while packing up.

The M1917 in Indy's suitcase.

Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector

The second Smith & Wesson revolver used onscreen is a British-issue Mk II Hand Ejector Model, again with shortened barrel, as loaned out by the Bapty company. This gun was used in the Ravenwood bar shootout (filmed at Elstree Studios, England), and Cairo, Egypt street scenes (filmed in Tunisia), where it was fired several times. Jones uses it famously to clear his path when confronted by a giant, menacing Arabian swordsman (Terry Richards). He then shoots several thugs, including the driver of a truck full of explosives that careens out-of-control, rolls over and explodes.

455. Eley Caliber S&W Mk II Hand Ejector

Below is the actual modified 'Bapty' Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector used in the Cairo street scenes, and for all shooting action. It is also now in private collection.

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Indy takes cover with his Mk II Hand Ejector at the ready.

Indy fires his Mk II Hand Ejector at the thugs in the truck.

Indy fires his Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector at the swordsman (Terry Richards). The script originally called for an extensive fight here, but Harrison Ford, who was ill from food poisoning at the time, suggested that he just shoot the man instead.

Inglis Hi-Power

Jones also packs a Browning Hi-Power, which he mainly uses when his Smith and Wesson runs out of ammunition, or as a backup gun. It was one of Browning's last designs and was on the drawing board in 1925. The P35, made by FN in Belgium was a common gun in the hands of the Nazis but not until WWII broke out. It is unlikely but not impossible that Jones would carry this gun in 1936, just one year after manufacture started. The Hi-Power used in the film was manufactured by Inglis of Canada. While the FN Hi-Power was introduced in 1935, the Inglis Hi-Power did not start production until early 1944.

Inglis Hi Power (Canadian Mfg) - 9mm

Indy aims his Inglis Hi-Power

Supposedly this was originally supposed to be a 1911. At the time, 9mm blanks where the most reliable, so they substituted a Highpower instead.

Walther P38

Used by Arnold Toht (Ronald Lacey) and various other Nazis throughout the film. The Walther P38 9mm Parabellum 8-round pistol was not produced until 1938 and as such is an anachronism in the film. A few hammerless prototypes existed in 1935, but it is still unlikely any Nazis would have had this gun. It's a wonder they didn't just use the Lugers they obviously possessed and used in other scenes.

Walther P38 pistol World War II date of production

Toht with his Walther P38 pistol

Luger P08

The Luger P08 is used by some of the German soldiers in the film and is historically accurate. One is carried in the holster of Colonel Dietrich (Wolf Kahler) as well as the holsters of other officers and NCOs.

Luger P08 9mm

Indy gets shot in the arm with a 9mm Luger P08 held by a German soldier.

Mauser C96

The Mauser C96 is used by the Nazi thugs in Nepal, and one is used by Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) to shoot the last thug during the bar brawl.

Mauser C96 "Broomhandle"

Marion after firing a Mauser C96 "Broomhandle"

Remington 1875

"Barranca" tries to shoot Indy with a Remington 1875 in the opening jungle scene. Indy uses his whip to "snatch" the gun out of Barranca's hand.

Remington 1875 - .45 Long Colt.

RPG-2 (mocked up as a German anti-tank rocket launcher)

Near the climax of the film, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) points a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon at the ark while it is being transported by the Nazis and threatens to blow it up. The weapon was custom made for the production. The movie's armorer, Simon Atherton, has stated that the weapon is actually a Chinese Type 56 copy of the Soviet RPG-2 made to look like a WWII-era German anti-tank weapon; it also appears to be outfitted with a shoulder grip similar to that on an M9 Bazooka. The Germans had no such rocket launching weapons in 1936 (when the movie takes place); both the Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust would be developed later, during the war. As such, this launcher can be looked at as a handy plot contrivance.

RPG-2

Indiana Jones with the "German" RPG-2.

Another view of Indy pointing his RPG-2.

MP40

Many of the Nazis use MP40 submachine guns in this movie, which is not appropriate since the film is set in 1936 and neither the MP40 nor its more expensive predecessor, the MP38, existed at the time. They should be using Haenel-Schmeisser MP28/IIs or Bergmann MP35/Is instead. Surprisingly, the Arab thug that fires on Indy during the street chase holds the weapon correctly, while the well trained Nazi soldiers hold the weapon by the magazine, which is incorrect.

MP40 9mm

Belloq (Paul Freeman) commandeers an MP40 and tells Indy to blow up the ark.

The crewmen of the Bantu Wind are surrounded by German soldiers carrying MP40s.

The untrained Arab gunner fires the MP40 at Indy. He holds the weapon better than the well-trained Nazis.

Mauser Karabiner 98k

A bolt action rifle used by German soldiers and Egyptian henchmen in the film. The Mauser Karabiner 98k began manufacture in 1935 so it is conceivable that it would be out of the country by 1936, however the German soldiers would more likely be carrying Gewehr 98s.

Karabiner 98k - German manufacture 1937 date - 7.92x57mm

German soldiers with a variety of weapons including the Karabiner 98k

Dual MG 81 Machine Gun

A dual or "Zwilling" mount MG 81 machine gun (incongrously fitted with an MG 15 saddle drum) is seen mounted at the rear turret of the 'Flying Wing' plane, and while trapped inside, Marion (Karen Allen) commandeers the weapon and guns down a squad of Nazi soldiers sent after Indy.

MG 15 with Doppeltrommel saddle drum

Flying Wing twin mount MG 81 machine gun with modified MG 15 saddle drum

This weapon is an MG 81 Zwilling (twin mount) with a Doppeltrommel 15 saddle drum "attached." The Doppeltrommel saddle drum was used exclusively with the MG 15 machine gun (i.e. would not function on the MG 81 as shown, due to a completely different belt feed system,) and the one on this weapon appears to have been cosmetically widened by propmakers to accommodate its seating on the dual MG 81. This MG 81 also has non-typical flash hiders fitted, along with MG 15 "style" targeting sights making it vaguely resemble a twin mounting of the longer barreled MG 15's (a configuration that never existed.)

Of note is that the Doppeltrommel only held a maximum of 75 rounds, which, at over 1000 rounds a minute (i.e. MG 15 - the single MG 81 was even higher at 1500+) fired through dual barrels, it is highly likely Marion would have run out of ammunition almost immediately, given that it would have only fired for around 2 seconds before being out of ammunition.

MG34 machine gun

The MG34 Belt fed machine gun seen mounted on Major Gobler's (Anthony Higgins) car during the truck chase. This car, a mockup of a Mercedes-Benz G5, was later reused in the comedy film Top Secret!, MG34 and all, as was the truck.

MG34 7.92x57mm Mauser with 75-round ammo drum.

Gobler pulls alongside the truck so his gunner can have a shot at Jones.

The gunner swings the MG34 around and prepares to fire (however Indy rams them off the road before he can properly get off a shot).