 Join our Discord!
|
| If you have been locked out of your account you can request a password reset here. |
The Alamo (2004)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Alamo is a 2004 historical drama directed by John Lee Hancock and based on the legendary 13-day siege of the Alamo Mission in what is now modern-day San Antonio, Texas. The battle was not strategically important but was pivotal in uniting the resolve of Texans in the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 (in which Texas declared itself an independent Republic and fought for independence from the Mexican Republic).
The following weapons were used in the film The Alamo:
Kentucky Flintlock Rifle
Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton) most notably uses a Kentucky/Pennsylvania long rifle during his attempted shot at Santa Anna (Emilio Echevarría) but he supposedly misses due to the wind. While Kentucky Long Rifles were used during the battle, nearly all of the defenders carried a mish-mash of whatever weapon was available, with no weapon being a truly "standard issue".
Charleville Mle. 1766
This surplus French gun was commonly used by the defenders of the Alamo. The Charleville Mle. 1766 went through a series of modifications since its inception and all variants found their way to America somehow. However, it is difficult to see which year pattern is used in the film, since there are no closeups of the pan and frizzen side of the gun. For the sake of historical accuracy, the Model 1766 French Charleville Infantry Musket was the most common Charleville seen at the siege.
Flintlock Pistol
Gen. Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid) and Lt. Col. William B. Travis (Patrick Wilson) keep flintlock pistols as their sidearms. Col. James Bowie (Jason Patric) is given two flintlock pistols when he is too sick and stuck in bed.
Double Barreled Flintlock Shotgun
Lt. Col. William B. Travis (Patrick Wilson) and Col. James Bowie (Jason Patric) each carry double-barreled flintlock shotguns throughout the film. They are mostly seen strapped on their backs but Travis is seen most clearly when he shoots a charging Mexican soldier coming at Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton). Jim Bowie assembles his shotgun during the final battle of the Alamo and he uses it to shoot the Mexican soldiers coming in before they bayonet him.
Brown Bess Flintlock Musket
The Mexican Army under the command of General Santa Anna use the .75 caliber Brown Bess Flintlock Musket, which was the standard issue long gun of the Mexican Army of the time.
Baker Rifle
Another rifle used by Lt. Col. William B. Travis (Patrick Wilson) on the wall is the British Baker Rifle.
Cavalry Musketoon
Short barreled muskets aka musketoons were seen carried by cavalry soldiers, most evidently by Sam Houston's horsemen.
Springfield Model 1795
Some Alamo defenders are armed with War of 1812 vintage Springfield Armory Model 1795 muskets.
Multibarrel Cannon
The Mexicans utilize some kind of a multibarrel weapon system to fire signal flares during the night assault. The flares were added as special effects during production. There were actually flintlock flare guns from at least the 18th century onward and probably other delivery systems for flares, however, according to Mexican military archives, the Mexican artillery at the Alamo consisted of two four-pounder cannons, two six-pounder cannons, two eight-pounder cannons, and two six-and-a-half inch howitzers. The presence of the multibarrel weapon as depicted in the movie appears to be artistic license.