Ned Kelly (2003)

Ned Kelly (2003)

Ned Kelly is a 2003 historical drama that focuses on the life of notorious Australian bushranger Ned Kelly during the late 1870s. The film stars Heath Ledger as Ned Kelly, Orlando Bloom as Joe Byrne, Geoffrey Rush as Francis Hare, and Naomi Watts as Julia Cook.

The firearms are portrayed rather accurately. It is one of the few films in which characters are shown loading cap-and-ball revolvers from powder flasks. As in real life, the Kelly's guns at first are all rather old-fashioned, and partly homemade, because they were poor and couldn't afford the latest 1870s breechloading repeaters available to landowners and the police. As they became successful bushrangers, they upgraded their armory.

The following weapons were used in the film Ned Kelly (2003):

Pistols

Colt 1851 Navy

The Colt 1851 Navy is seen in the hands of the majority of Ned's gang in the film.

Colt 1851 Navy - .36 caliber

A Victoria Police officer with a Colt 1851 Navy.

Dan Kelly (Laurence Kinlan) aims a Colt Navy.

Ned Kelly with an 1851 Navy.

Numerous Colt Navy revolvers lay on the table.

Ned and his gang practice with their Colt 1851 Navy Revolvers.

Remington 1858 New Army

Some characters are also armed with the Remington 1858 New Army.

Remington 1858 New Army - .44 caliber

Dan Kelly aims his Remington New Army.

The Kelly Gang takes aim with their Remington New Army revolvers.

A Kelly gang member with his New Army revolver.

Remington 1858 New Army Snub Nose

Ned Kelly (Heath Ledger) as well as Joe Byrne (Orlando Bloom) use a Remington 1858 New Army Snub Nose. Remington did not manufacture such short pistols but they were sometimes cut down privately for better concealment. Modern reproductions are available with short barrels.

Remington 1858 New Army with 3" barrel - .44 caliber

Ned practices with the snub nose New Army.

Joe cocks the hammer of the snub New Army.

Rifles

Snider Enfield

The British-made Snider-Enfield Rifle is the most commonly seen rifle in the film, used by Ned Kelly as well as members of the Victoria Police. In reality, Ned Kelly carried and used a Snider-Enfield Carbine he named "Betty" which was his most prized rifle.

Snider Enfield Cavalry Carbine - .577 Snider

A man takes aim with his Snider-Enfield.

Dan Kelly stands next to Ned, holding a Snider-Enfield.

Ned holding a Snider-Enfield.

Victoria Police stand at the ready with their Snider-Enfield rifles.

Martini-Henry

Some Victoria Police are also seen armed with Martini-Henry rifles.

Martini-Henry Mk. I .577-.450

The officer in the middle with the long beard is holding a Martini-Henry rifle as well as the officer to his left.

Sawn-Off .577 Carbine

Early on in the film, Ned Kelly uses a sawn-off .577 Carbine as his main weapon. The real Ned Kelly actually did carry one of these (given him by bushranger Harry Power to whom he'd been "apprenticed" as a teenager) and it was supposed to be one of his favorite weapons, though he quit using it later on in life.

Replica of Kelly's carbine. Made for the Australian television mini-series The Last Outlaw (1980). It's believed that the original carbine was thrown out by museum personnel in the 1950s, believing it to be just a junky firearm of no value.

Ned cocks the hammer on his carbine

Ned takes aim with his carbine

Preparing to fire.

Shotguns

Colt Model 1878

Ned takes a Colt Model 1878 from Officer McIntyre (Tim Wright).

Colt Model 1878 reproduction - 12 gauge

Office McIntyre with his Colt Model 1878.

Ned takes aim with the Colt Model 1878 from behind a tree.

The Colt Model 1878 lays among the table full of Navy Revolvers