By Caleb Daniels

Few cinematic heroes have the staying power of Indiana Jones. From the cold opening in Raiders of the Lost Ark forward, viewers are plunged into the pulp-inspired, classic adventure-driven world of Indiana Jones. In 2023, a 79-year-old Harrison Ford donned the fedora and jacket once again, for the fifth time in 42 years, to bring the character back for one last adventure in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Like every quintessential American hero, Indiana is well equipped for danger, arming himself with an array of iconic items during his adventures. The guns of Indiana Jones are, aside from their use by the character, icons in their own right. And, thanks to their prolific use in history, similar examples can be found frequently. In this guide, we’ll identify some of the key features of the guns of Indiana Jones from across all five films, in an effort to help you locate the perfect new addition to your collection.

The Guns of Indiana Jones — Revolvers

Smith & Wesson M1917

Indiana Jones’ first gun has little opportunity to shine. Jones has a nasty habit of being captured and having his sidearms confiscated. Interestingly, unlike other cinematic heroes like James Bond, who have an endless supply of Walther PPKs, Jones often replaces his lost gun with another model entirely. This adds credibility to the character, as he is required to outfit himself with whatever is available, wherever his adventures take him.

In the case of the introduction of the character, in the opening of 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy’s choice is a Smith & Wesson M1917. The barrel on the revolver has been modified, cut down to 4 inches. Unfortunately, this gun has little time on screen, as it is captured by Belloq with the Temple Idol after Indy narrowly escapes the booby traps in the opening moments. It would be a different revolver that would accompany Jones in his quest to locate the “Lost Ark.”

Smith & Wesson Mark II Hand Ejector

While packing for his race against the Nazis to locate the Ark of the Covenant, Indy tosses a modified Smith & Wesson Mark II Hand Ejector into his luggage, and in response to Marcus Brody’s concerns for his safety, says, “Besides, you know what a cautious fellow I am.”

Analysis of the prop gun reportedly confirms that the pistol was a British WWI contract pistol chambered for .455 Eley with a cut-down 4-inch barrel and “Baughman-style” quick draw style front ramp sight. The pistol butt also is equipped with a lanyard loop.

This gun is the one used in one of the most iconic moments of the film, Indy’s duel with the swordsman in the Cairo market. Infamously, the duel in the original script was meant to be an epic and lengthy sword fight. Ford, who was battling a rather nasty bout of dysentery at the time, candidly asked Steven Spielberg, “Steven, why don’t we just shoot this sumb***h?” to which Spielberg replied, “I was thinking that, too!” 

It’s a moment on screen that defines the character, a no-nonsense, sardonic individual. Indy, who is in the middle of chasing down his kidnapped companion, simply sighs and draws and fires his pistol after watching the swordsman’s display of prowess with the blade.

Colt Official Police

The second Indiana Jones film, which actually takes place in 1935, a year before the events of the first, Indy once again loses his pistol rather quickly. In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones’ gun is a Colt Official Police .38 Special 4-inch. This time, he loses his gun thanks to his wailing companion, nightclub singer Willie Scott. 

Indy passes the gun to her as the film trio evades gangsters after leaping from the window of Club Obi-Wan (yes, that Obi-Wan). Indy hands his pistol off to Scott after emptying it, to scrounge in his bag for spare rounds. Willie, complaining about how hot it is, tosses it accidentally out the window, disarming Indy, aside from his iconic whip, for the remainder of the movie. There’s a nice moment on a rope bridge later that is a callback to the sword fight in Raiders. A Thuggee cultist wielding a blade challenges Indy, who smirks and goes for his gun, only to be quickly disappointed by an empty holster.

Webley “WB” Army Model Revolver

The Webley WB Army Model Revolver is perhaps the most iconic of the guns of Indiana Jones, due to its inclusion and frequent use in the blockbuster film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. When packing to rescue his father, Indiana grabs this Webley, a breaktop, auto-extracting revolver chambered for .455 Webley. 

The break-top action is showcased in the film as Indy and his father escape the Nazis. Indy draws his revolver and quickly checks to see how many rounds he has left in the cylinder, only to be dismayed that it is empty. The gun is shoved into the waistband and is drawn on a number of occasions throughout the movie. In his journal, Indy references this revolver as his favorite pistol, despite its weight and size. In the continuation novels, he would use the pistol for an additional 19 years outside of the events of The Last Crusade. 

The Guns of Indiana Jones — Automatic Pistols

The Browning Hi-Power

During the Ravenwood bar fight and shootout in Raiders of the Lost Ark, it was a running debate for decades as to whether there was a continuity error with Indy’s guns. In one shot, he is clearly holding his Smith & Wesson Mark II Hand Ejector, and quickly after, with no explanation, it is suddenly replaced with a Browning Hi-Power. 

Moments like this should be of little surprise to fans of cinema, for example, in the movie Dr. No, every firearm showcased is actually a stand-in for another. However, that’s not the case here, as proven by stills released in celebration of The Dial of Destiny. These shots show Indy in the bar scene without his familiar leather jacket and shows him sporting a vertical brown leather shoulder holster, complete with a Browning Hi-Power. 

So rather than a continuity issue, it seems that Indy is in favor of the off-camera New York Reload. To be semantic about it though, Indy seems to be shooting an Inglis-produced Hi-Power. Those were not placed into production until the mid-1940s, and when Raiders takes place, these would have been brand new. Reportedly, Indy was initially meant to use a 1911, which would have been more period-correct. The .45 ACP pistol, however, is notorious for not cycling blanks well, leading to the inclusion of the newly minted Hi-Power. 

Walther PPK

For fans of firearms, the latest and final entry (most likely) in the Indiana Jones franchise has little in the way of gunplay. Indy does shoot a villain, but not with a pistol of his own. Instead, he captures a Walther PPK from one of the Nazis (always the Nazis) and takes them down. That moment is a nice nod, as in The Last Crusade, Henry Jones Sr. is shot with a PPK. This is a moment of cinematic irony of course, as 007 himself, Sir Sean Connery, takes a round from his own favored pistol. Indy in The Dial of Destiny is wearing a Hamilton Boutlon watch that he says is his father’s. It’s the first and only watch worn by the character, and it’s nice to see that continuity, and another quiet Bond nod with the PPK and watch together.

Perhaps you find a Herbert Johnson fedora or bullwhip a bit too conspicuous for daily carry, but still want to add a bit of Indy spirit to your sartorial life and firearms collection. These pistols, the true guns of Indiana Jones are just the way to do so. 

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Tags: Browning, Colt, Guns in Movies, Smith & Wesson, Walther, Webley