Dirty Harry Guns

Few firearms depicted on the silver screen have influenced pop culture like Clint Eastwood’s .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 in the ‘Dirty Harry’ series. Along with the iconic revolver, the Dirty Harry films prominently feature an arsenal of other gun models that can be owned by shooters, collectors, and movie fans today.

The quintessential Dirty Harry gun model, the .44 Magnum S&W 29 revolver. The example above is available this June.

Rock Island Auction Company’s June 21-23 Sporting and Collectors Auction in Bedford, Texas offers some of the most prominent Dirty Harry gun models, including multiple examples of the S&W 29, three Auto Mag pistols, and numerous other handguns, rifles, shotguns, and machine guns that made an impact on the big screen. Click on the images throughout this article to learn more about each firearm type. Needless to say, there are spoilers below.

The Auto Mag Pasadena Model 180 pistol, a prominent Dirty Harry gun model featured in 1983’s ‘Sudden Impact.’ The cased example pictured above is available this June.

The Smith & Wesson Model 29

The screenplay for 1971’s ‘Dirty Harry’ went through numerous revisions, including the contributions of writer and firearms enthusiast John Milius. For Dirty Harry’s gun, Milius chose the Smith & Wesson Model 29. A 4-inch nickel finished or chrome-plated Model 29 was originally intended, but production struggled to find any examples. With the film date approaching, Milius and Clint Eastwood settled on a blue finished Model 29 with a 6 1/2 inch barrel.

Thanks to its recognition as “the Dirty Harry gun,” the S&W Model 29 became an overnight hit with shooters, collectors, and movie fans around the globe. The Model 29 pictured above is just one of multiple examples of the platform available this June at RIAC.

In the early 1950s, Elmer Keith, “the father of big bore handgunning,” pushed Remington to develop a longer and more powerful variant of the .44 Special cartridge and Smith & Wesson to produce a revolver that could handle the high-pressure load. The result was Remington’s .44 Magnum ammunition and simultaneously urged Smith & Wesson’s robust N-frame “.44 Magnum revolver,” which would be officially designated the Model 29 in 1957.

Advertised by Smith & Wesson as “The utmost in smashing power,” the “.44 Magnum revolver” was first shipped to industry writers in late 1955 and officially released in January of 1956. This 1956 manufactured example is available this June.

While Clint Eastwood has wielded countless guns throughout his career, some of his most memorable lines were delivered while toting the Model 29 revolver. Appearing in all five films of the franchise, the imposing Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum wheelgun became a character in the Dirty Harry series as recognizable as its titular star.

San Francisco Police Inspector ‘Dirty Harry’ Callahan describes his weapon as “the most powerful handgun in the world.” Though technically the .44 Remington Magnum cartridge had been eclipsed by famed Wildcatter Dick Casull’s .454 round, Casull’s cartridge wasn’t widely available until the early ’80s, making Harry’s claim accurate in terms of factory production, double action revolvers of the era.

While a revolver in 6 1/2 inch barrel length is featured in most shots, Clint Eastwood carried a Model 29 with an 8 3/4 barrel in posters, promotional images, and in select scenes for dramatic effect. The 1960 manufactured Model 29 example pictured above is available this June.

The Auto Mag Pistol

In the revolver vs pistol debate, Inspector Callahan prefers his wheel guns, but he isn’t beyond using a semi-auto if it’s chambered in a hefty round. In ‘Sudden Impact,’ we’re introduced to the second most famous Dirty Harry gun in the Auto Mag Model 180.

The Auto Mag Model 180 holds one round in the chamber and seven in the magazine. The cased example above, manufactured by TDE, is available this June.

When taking in some target practice, Callahan’s colleague Inspector Horace King (played by the late, great Albert Popwell) touts the power of his Smith & Wesson 3000 shotgun that can smash a target to mush so effectively that “you’ve got to strain the remains for the fingerprints.” Displaying his new gun, Harry replies, “This is the .44 Magnum AutoMag, and it holds a 300 grain cartridge, and if properly used it can remove the fingerprints.”

In reality, the Auto Mag was designed to fire a factory 240 grain bullet like the 240 grain Remington .44 Magnum revolver cartridge. Perhaps Dirty Harry is packing some heavy-hitting custom rounds, making his feat of emptying two magazines from the gun one-handed and without hearing protection all the more impressive.

Another Dirty Harry gun model that packs a wallop, the .44 AMP Auto Mag pistol has become a popular collectible. The cased Auto Mag Pasadena Model 180 above is available this June.

Dirty Harry’s fourth film outing renewed interest in the Auto Mag pistol, which had been discontinued in 1972 after a production run of less than 3,000. The gun was featured in several 1980s TV shows and films such as ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ and ‘Malone’ from 1987. Moreover, Dirty Harry’s use of an oversized pistol helped inspire a slew of appearances by large caliber semi-autos like the Desert Eagle and the Wildey.

The Wildey pistol was famously carried by Charles Bronson in ‘Death Wish 3’ from 1985. The Wildey pistol above includes its original box and is available this June.

The Colt Python

Revolvers dominated the law enforcement market during the 1970s. In ‘Magnum Force’ (1973), the first Dirty Harry sequel, many SFPD officers are packing 4 inch blued Colt Python revolvers, including the film’s vigilante cop antagonists. Another Dirty Harry gun that brings the heat, the mighty .357 Python serves as a kind of foil to Harry’s Model 29 throughout the film, particularly during the Police Pistol Competition.

The Colt Python, one of the prominent Dirty Harry guns in ‘Magnum Force’. It’s a worthy adversary to Harry’s Model 29, but as Lieutenant Neil Briggs (Hal Holbrook) discovers, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” The 1995 example above includes a Colt hard case, extra grip, and Bianchi leather holster and is available this June.

In the final round of the shooting contest, Harry sends a message with his Model 29, then gives Officer John Davis’s Python a try while nabbing a bullet for forensic evidence in the process. Davis, played by David Soul, would go on to again famously tote the Python in the ‘Starsky and Hutch’ series, which helped elevate the sales and recognition of Colt’s premier snake gun.

David Soul’s performance in ‘Magnum Force’ helped land him the role of Det. Ken ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson in ‘Starsky and Hutch,’ and he continued to carry the Colt Python revolver. The 1962 manufactured example pictured above includes its original factory “wood grain” box and is available this June.

The Colt Diamondback

Two of Dirty Harry’s partners, Inspector Early Smith and Inspector Kate Moore, carried short-barreled variants of the Python’s smaller sibling, the Colt Diamondback. Produced between 1966 to 1986, Diamondback revolvers chambered in .38 Special found a niche with law officers who preferred something lighter than the .357 Magnum. Like the Python, the Diamondback series was priced and marketed as a premium revolver and are desirable collector guns today.

“Every other cop in this city is satisfied with a .38 or .357,” Inspector Kate Moore (Tyne Daly) quips to Harry. For quality .38 revolvers, look no further than the Colt Diamondback like the top example pictured above. Available this June.

The Colt Detective Special

One of the most prominent guns of the Dirty Harry series, the Colt Detective Special is seen carried by police officers and criminals alike. The wheelgun makes a particular impression in ‘Sudden Impact’ in the hands of both protagonist Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke) and sadistic villain Mick (Paul Drake). A sized-down version of the popular Police Positive Colt, the Colt Detective Special offered a covert pocket revolver to undercover cops and detectives, Taxi drivers, store owners, mobsters, and anyone else in the market for a reliable close-range option.

The Colt Detective Special appears throughout the Dirty Harry series. In the case of the top two examples featured in the photo above, the blue finish Detective Special ( top left) was shipped to Sheriff Douglas Mitchell, White County, Sparta, TN, on October 17, 1938. The nickel finished example (top right) was manufactured in 1970 and includes its original factory “wood grain” box.

The Walther P38

The Walther P38, the 9mm pistol carried by the psychopathic Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) through the original film’s closing act, earns a nod on our list of memorable Dirty Harry guns for its use in several key scenes, including a bus chase, a running shootout, and the Walther’s involvement in the climactic final standoff.

As Scorpio finds himself looking down the barrel of Harry’s Model 29, wondering “did he fire six shots or only five?,” his Walther P38 lies within arms reach. “You’ve gotta ask yourself a question,” Harry growls, “‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” Scorpio takes his chances, and the rest is movie history.

The Walther P38 faces off with Dirty Harry’s gun in one of the most memorable and quoted scenes in the series. The early WW2 commercial Walther P38 pictured on the right is available this June.

The Colt 1903 Pocket

In ‘Sudden Impact,’ when confronted with a robber toting a Colt 1903 Pocket pistol, Dirty Harry drops one of the most famous lines in cinematic history, “Go ahead, make my day.” While the 1903 Pocket is an iconic and immensely collectible pistol, the compact Colt is no match for Smith, Wesson, and Inspector Callahan, especially when it’s standing in the way of an officer’s morning coffee.

The Colt 1903 Pocket faces down with Dirty Harry’s gun in one of the franchise’s most popular scenes. The U.S. Property marked Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless pistol pictured on the left is available this June.

The Browning Hi Power

The Browning Hi Power is another frequent gun of the Dirty Harry franchise, often appearing as the sidearm of choice for assassins and bodyguards. One of the last designs from legendary gun inventor John Moses Browning, the 13-round Hi Power was finally brought to America by Browning Arms Co. in 1954 and saw an elevated presence on the big screen in the 70s and 80s.

The Browing Hi Power pistol became a popular Hollywood firearm during the 1980s. The example pictured on the left was owned by Texas Ranger Bon Price and with Prince’s name on the lid above a Texas Rangers Department of Public Safety badge. Available this June.

The Winchester Model 70

Another Dirty Harry gun that packs a punch, the  Winchester Model 70 makes notable appearances in the first two films of the franchise. In the original movie, the rifle Inspector Callahan chooses to target the Scorpio killer during a nighttime rooftop stakeout is chambered in .458 Winchester Magnum, a round designed for African big game hunting. While the massive cartridge suites Harry’s fondness for excessive force, a Model 70 chambered in a more distance-friendly caliber like the .300 Win Mag rifle pictured below would have been more suited for sniping.

(Top) An excellent pre-64 Winchester Model 70 rifle chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum, available this June.

The Type 2 Arisaka Paratrooper Rifle

By contrast, Scorpio’s longarm of choice is a Japanese Nagoya Arsenal Type 2 Arisaka paratrooper rifle with a Maxim silencer that’s been sporterized and rechambered for .30-06. The Type 2 was developed as a takedown version of the Arisaka Type 99 infantry rifle and offers an accurate platform with a strong action. Scorpio is shown assembling the rifle in about 20 seconds, a process that firearms specialist Keith Ford demonstrates in the video linked here.

One of the most famous Dirty Harry guns from the original film, the Arisaka Type 2 paratrooper rifle. Non-sporterized examples are particularly valuable with collectors today, like the Japanese Nagoya Arsenal Type 2 paratrooper rifle pictured above with matching serial numbers on the barrel and bayonet lug and matching takedown assembly numbers. Available this June.

The Ithaca 37

The pump action Ithaca 37 is a constant throughout the Dirty Harry series. As the longest continuously-produced shotgun in American history, Ithaca’s versatile Model 37 has gained a reputation as a reliable autoloader that can be adapted for field, police, and military service. In ‘Magnum Force,’ Harry’s partner Early Smith (Felton Perry) arms himself with a Model 37 during one of the most memorable shootouts of the franchise.

The Ithaca 37 makes prominent appearances in three of the Dirty Harry films. The example at the top, a Police marked Ithaca Gun Co. Model 37 Featherlight trench pattern shotgun, is available this June.

The Winchester Model 1897

When Harry and crew attempt to serve a warrant, mob boss Frank Palancio (Tony Giorgio) answers the door with his Winchester Model 1897. The original “trench gun,” the Model 97 has a long history of appearing in films in the hands of police officers, prison guards, and mobsters alike, and the weapon is employed by Palancio and crew to deadly effect.

(Bottom) Frank Palancio and company unload with their Model 97 shotguns. (Top) A Winchester Model 1897 riot shotgun with a Berkeley Police Department inventory plaque, available this June.

Dirty Harry and the Guns of Pop Culture

One of cinema’s first iconic antiheroes, “Cold, bold Callahan with his great big .44” inspired a generation of movies featuring maverick cops who bent or broke the rules. As the officer responsible for confronting “every dirty job that comes along,” Dirty Harry finds himself facing a variety of guns throughout the five-chapter franchise, and most of the same models can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

Find Dirty Harry guns and more this June at Rock Island Auction Company.

Genuine screen-used hero guns such as Lara Croft’s pistols, Quigley’s Sharps rifle, John Wayne’s ‘True Grit’ revolver, and Han Solo’s DL-44 blaster from the original ‘Star Wars’ are finding a booming market in the collecting community, but the same Hollywood appeal can elevate entire gun models that made their mark on the entertainment world. From pistols like the Beretta 92FS and Bren Ten to the Street Sweeper shotgun and Jurassic Park’s Spas-12 shotgun, some of the coolest guns of film, television, and video game fame can be found in RIAC’s Sporting & Collector Auctions.

RIAC’s June 21-23 Sporting and Collectors Auction includes no shortage of heavy hitting firearms with pop culture appeal.

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