Out of date weapons?

Posted by GCR from spider-tk032.proxy.aol.com on December 20, 1999 at 11:14:39:

In Reply to: Gun mistake in each Indy movie posted by Short Round on December 18, 1999 at 13:20:31:

:n ToD and the rest of the Indy movies, the guns seam to be out of date. Hmmm, Lucas and Spielberg'll never learn about these mistakes. See ya, Shorty.
: "I'll blow up the Ark Rene!" -Indy, Raiders.

Now I know the quite a bit about firearms and I must say that not all of the guns used in each of the Indy movies were out of date. For example:
Raiders: The Nazis use MP-40s and MP-38s. These are sub-machine guns that fire 9mm rounds and the first model was not developed until 1938 (thus the mp-38 title) and the design was altered in 1940. Most of these weapons from Raiders were MP-40s, and would not have been created until four years later. The same goes for the Walther P-38 9mm pistol. This gun resembles the Luger and was created as a replacement for the Luger(the Luger was first adopted by the Germans in 1908) in 1938 (once again, thus the P-38 designation) and would not have been available during the time of Raiders, yet we still see Toht use one in the bar shootout. Not to mention the bazooka Indy brandishes on the cliff...those weren't around until late in WWII!!
In Temple of Doom, most of the guns are correct, the Thompson sub-machine guns(Tommy Guns) used by Loa Che's henchmen are accurate, and Indy's pistol is correct (although the gun itself is a matter of controversy) as are the Thuggee rifles. However, the british rifles at the end are also too new to have been in existence in 1935, I forget the details though, but I know these are wrong.
As for Last Crusade, most of the weapons here are Ok. The Mauser broomhandle pistols used by the Brotherhood of the Cruciform sword are accurate, as they had been around since 1896. Indy's Webley is accurate to the time period, and although the weapon Indy uses in the castle is an MP-40(i beleive), at least that type of weapon had been developed by then (the MP-40 and MP-38 are different, but not to a great extent, most of the difference is in construcion components, not outward appearance). The guns used by the Germans are all ok, as the P-38 was introduced that year. The rifles are all accurate as well, all are the KP-98 mauser bolt action type. The gun Donovan uses is true to the period, it is a Walther PPK 7.65mm (the same type of weapon James Bond was originally issued in the first Bond Movie, Dr. No- starring Sean Connery. Ironic that Mr. Connery was later shot by one in LC?) and this weapon was first made in 1932. The weapon Vogel uses is the Luger. So as far as the weapons being out of date, I guess you meant that they were too modern in some cases? Well, as I described, it's true. But I wouldn't blame Lucas and Speilberg, the armorer they hired for each film should have been in charge of that sort of thing...anyway, I fear I babbled on long enough...
-GCR

Follow Ups:

Re: Out of date weapons? Abner 07:16:16 12/21/99 (0)

Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

: :n ToD and the rest of the Indy movies, the guns seam to be out of date. Hmmm, Lucas and Spielberg'll never learn about these mistakes. See ya, Shorty.
: : "I'll blow up the Ark Rene!" -Indy, Raiders.

: Now I know the quite a bit about firearms and I must say that not all of the guns used in each of the Indy movies were out of date. For example:
: Raiders: The Nazis use MP-40s and MP-38s. These are sub-machine guns that fire 9mm rounds and the first model was not developed until 1938 (thus the mp-38 title) and the design was altered in 1940. Most of these weapons from Raiders were MP-40s, and would not have been created until four years later. The same goes for the Walther P-38 9mm pistol. This gun resembles the Luger and was created as a replacement for the Luger(the Luger was first adopted by the Germans in 1908) in 1938 (once again, thus the P-38 designation) and would not have been available during the time of Raiders, yet we still see Toht use one in the bar shootout. Not to mention the bazooka Indy brandishes on the cliff...those weren't around until late in WWII!!
: In Temple of Doom, most of the guns are correct, the Thompson sub-machine guns(Tommy Guns) used by Loa Che's henchmen are accurate, and Indy's pistol is correct (although the gun itself is a matter of controversy) as are the Thuggee rifles. However, the british rifles at the end are also too new to have been in existence in 1935, I forget the details though, but I know these are wrong. 
: As for Last Crusade, most of the weapons here are Ok. The Mauser broomhandle pistols used by the Brotherhood of the Cruciform sword are accurate, as they had been around since 1896. Indy's Webley is accurate to the time period, and although the weapon Indy uses in the castle is an MP-40(i beleive), at least that type of weapon had been developed by then (the MP-40 and MP-38 are different, but not to a great extent, most of the difference is in construcion components, not outward appearance). The guns used by the Germans are all ok, as the P-38 was introduced that year. The rifles are all accurate as well, all are the KP-98 mauser bolt action type. The gun Donovan uses is true to the period, it is a Walther PPK 7.65mm (the same type of weapon James Bond was originally issued in the first Bond Movie, Dr. No- starring Sean Connery. Ironic that Mr. Connery was later shot by one in LC?) and this weapon was first made in 1932. The weapon Vogel uses is the Luger. So as far as the weapons being out of date, I guess you meant that they were too modern in some cases? Well, as I described, it's true. But I wouldn't blame Lucas and Speilberg, the armorer they hired for each film should have been in charge of that sort of thing...anyway, I fear I babbled on long enough...
: -GCR

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]