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The Last Samurai

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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The Last Samurai (2003)

The following guns were used in the film The Last Samurai:











Winchester Model 1873

In the beginning of the film, Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) shows off and fires a Winchester 1873 at a trade show, according to Nathan it is a lever action rifle with a seven shot capacity. Zebulon Gant (Billy Connolly) also uses a Winchester 1873 in the fog battle scene. Algren states it is a '73 trapper, which could hold 6 + 1 in the chamber, yet you can see it is a Saddle Ring Carbine as evident by the saddle ring seen on the left side of the reciever.

Winchester Model 1873 carbine - 1st generation rifle - 44-40 Cal.
Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) fires a Winchester rifle.
Zebulon Gant (Billy Connolly) is armed with a Winchester rifle.

Colt 1860 Army Richards-Mason Conversion

Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) uses a Colt 1860 Army revolver, converted for use with metallic cartridges, while training Japan's army. One memorable scene with this gun is when Nathan Algren draws his Colt to scare a training soldier into shooting him and proving that the soldiers are not ready to battle the samurai.

Colt 1860 Army Richards-Mason Conversion.
"Tell this man that if he does not shoot me, I will kill him." Algren draws his Colt.

Colt Single Action Army

Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) also uses a Colt Single Action Army during the final charge scene.

Colt Single Action Army w/ 7 1/2" barrel known as the "Cavalary" model. .45 Long Colt
Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) draws his Colt SAA.
Colonel Bagley fires his Colt SAA at the approaching samurai.

Smith & Wesson Schofield

Algren uses a Smith & Wesson Schofield during his first battle with the samurai.

Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3 with blued finish - .45 Schofield. (right side)
Nathan Algren fires a Smith & Wesson Schofield during his first encounter with the samurai.

Springfield Model 1861

The Imperial Army of Japan uses Springfield 1861 muzzle-loading rifles as their standard issued weapons during the first half of the movie. Unlike many muzzle-loaders, some of these guns appear to be able to fire two shots before having to reload, all though this could be incorrect. But this could be a trick of the camera where the line of soldiers reloaded, and fired again, or a another line assembled off camera.

File:115RichmondMusket.jpg
1862 Richmond, a Confederate copy of the Springfield
The Imperial Army trains with their Springfield 1861s.

Enfield 1853

Along with the Springfield Model 1861, Japanese troops were also equipped with British 1853 Enfield rifles during their training with Algren.

British 1853 Enfield
LastSa 009.jpg

Mauser M1871/84

In the second half of the movie, the Japanese Imperial Army carries German bolt-action Mauser M1871/84 rifles, in spite of the fact they were supposedly being armed by the US. The soldiers carrying the M1871/84 model is anachronistic because the 84 model was not introduced until 1884 and the battle takes place in 1877.

Mauser M1871/84
The Imperial Army fire their Mausers at the samurai.

Howitzer

The Imperial Army is shown training with Howitzers after Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) comes back from being with the samurai for a few months. The Howitzers are later used in the final battle scene. Both the Mountain Howitzer and the Field Howitzer are the same caliber projectile, but require different powder charges. The movie utilized the Field Howitzer as shown in the screen shots below.

An old fashioned Civil War Mountain Howitzer.
The Imperial Army train with their Field Howitzers.
The Imperial Army open fire.

Gatling Gun

The Imperial Army uses Gatling Guns to slaughter the remaining samurai in the final charge scene. According to Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn), "These guns can fire two hundred rounds a minute, and their new catridges have cut down on jamming." These particular guns were heavily repaired by Master Armorer, Gary Harper, onsite, prior to shooting.

An 1865 Gatling Gun.
A 1874 Gatling Gun on a carriage made by Master Armorer, Gary Harper, as seen in the film.
The Imperial Army prepares to fire their Gatlings.
The 1874 Gatling Guns are unleashed upon the samurai.

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