Movie, King Solomon's Mines, 1950

Just watched this video. Can anyone tell me what rifles were used?

In the begining the double that Stewart Grainger used on the elephant looked like a 577 of some kind. Later it looks kike he was using a mannlicher while the other man was using a straight pull of some kind.

Anyone know?

King Solomon's Mines - Trailer (1950)

what gun was used?????

Originally Posted by ibie

what gun was used?????

There are several different guns used in the movie, I was wondering what makes, models and cartridges were used.

Kiwi 505,

The rifles used were .423 Mauser (10.75 x 68), .375 Mannlicher Schoenauer (9.5x57) & .577 NE Manton & co.

Monish

Thanks, interesting choices there!

I have it on good authority that the bolt action seen in the movie (1950) is a Rigby Mauser 400/350 (rimmed version) which was later autioned by MGM and is pictured in a Peterson pulblication many years later being fired by its then owner. Beautiful old gun, but is technically incorrect (1898 action) and I believe movie dates tale as 1893. Large bore underlever hammer gun used on elephant at beginning is I believe a 12 or 10 bore black powder gun. Stewart Granger used a Westley Richards double (.577 I believe) to take his own elephant during filming.

Reference for the Rigby 400/350 used in King Soloman's Mines (1950) is Guns & Ammo 1984, pg. 126, "The First Magnum Mausers," by Jack Lott. Pictured is the movie gun (although mis-captioned as a Whitworth) being fired by its owner, one John A. Feyk, who purchased it at an M.G.M studio auction where it was sold as the movie gun used by Stewart Granger. In the article Lott lists some loads used by Feyk and chronographed in its 26-inch barrel. I don't know what was paid, but it was surely a bargain!

Wow, great info there!

Thanks a lot!

I checked my copy of this great old film (I first saw it at the tender age of 12 when it came out) and noticed that I was wrong about the supposed date of the tale. It was 1897, not 1893. But I am fairly certain now that Stewart Granger's large double is a black powder rifle, probably 12-bore. Using stop frame re-play, it is pretty clear that the bores are very large, and when fired it emits a huge muzzle flash and great clouds of smoke, strongly suggesting it is not likely a later "nitro" or smokeless chambering. Great fun, what? My aspirations for an African hunt began at that moment, and it only took me 42 years to get there.

I love that movie and just got done watching it again. I also stumbled across another Stewart Granger movie called The Last Safari. I love those old movies.

Thanks for the infomative posts.
Dan