movie magic or real?

[g.willikers]

The old spaghetti western, "Adios Sabata" is playing on Hulu.com this week. In the film, Yul Brynner is using a strange lever action rifle, cut down to fit a holster, ala "Wanted Dead or Alive", but with a twist.
The rounds are fed horizontally through the receiver, from left to right, in a block magazine with separate holes for each cartridge.
It seems to be a working model as Yul makes fire and smoke with it and the magazine progresses through the gun with each pull of the lever.
Does anyone know anything about this design?
It can be seen clearly in action in the first five minutes of the movie.
Hopefully, there is a picture attached here.

 

[Myles]

Certainly a type of harmonica gun. I've never seen one that was lever action.

The odd horizontal magazine has been credited to have been invented by Jonathan Browning (John Moses' father), as well as by a Frenchman, J. Jarre.

I'll keep digging, I am always fascinated by odd firearm curios.

 

[Ron James]

Prop gun, As far as I know there were no lever action Harmonica guns. What would be the reason. Tube fed is faster, more reliable and keeps the cartridges clean. This question comes up about every 3 months, or when every the Western channel plays the old flick.

 

[g.willikers]

There might be some advantage of this design over the tube mag.
Reloading would be faster than shucking individual rounds in the tube.
Cartridge length wouldn't be as critical for feeding.
Can't keep an extra seegar or an emergency $100 bill in a tube mag.
And it's just neat.

 

[WardenWolf]

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonica_gun

Harmonica gun or Slide gun is the term used to describe a form of percussion firearm which was breech loaded with a steel slide, containing a number of chambers bored in it. Each chamber contained a separate primer, powder charge, and projectile . The slide was inserted in an opening in the breech action and could be advanced laterally to bring a fresh round into place - either by means of a lever, or simply by cocking the hammer.

So apparently it has been done.

 

[g.willikers]

It's just plumb amazing at the imagination of gun builders and designers down through the centuries.
Just when a guy is sure he knows everything possible on the subject, up comes a surprise.
Small wonder we never get tired or bored in our hobby.
Thanks to all for the research.

 

[Jim K]

There were several harmonica pistol designs with a horizontal block (some are shown in Firearms Curiosa) but I have never seen or heard of a rifle version. I saw that movie many years ago and thought the gun was a fake.

Jim

 

[Ron James]

Well yes, Wikipedia, of course is the final authority on firearm research. You should also check and see what they are caling a lever! There were no Harmonica actons built on a Winchester. The gun is a fake from the git go.

 

[Sunray]

"...is the final authority on firearm research..." And everything else. Wikipedia makes anybody with internet access an expert. It promulgates a lot of internet nonsense.