elhombreconnonombre
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I realize that most of their old Colts and Remmies were likely converted to fire blank cartridges. Post a pic and story how you came by it, and any movies or tv shows it might have been used in.
Show us your ex-Stembridge Gun Rental bp shooters
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elhombreconnonombre
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While I understand that a lot of the Stembridge collection rented out to the movie industry for over 70 years found their way to the Peterson and perhaps the Autry museum's in LA, there is scattered evidence that some went on the open market. I just thought someone on this forum might have picked one up. I guess not...oh well.
While I understand that a lot of the Stembridge collection rented out to the movie industry for over 70 years found their way to the Peterson and perhaps the Autry museum's in LA, there is scattered evidence that some went on the open market. I just thought someone on this forum might have picked one up. I guess not...oh well.
Berkley
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elhombreconnonombre
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Thanks for the post Berkley. I knew one of the old hands here would come through with some kind of reply. If that was a Replica Arms piece, would it likely have been an Armi San Marco?
I just saw an old western with Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn, and of all things, Humphrey Bogart as a Mexican bandit, based around the acw period all shooting open top Colts and Remmies, most likely all supplied by Stembridge. I got a kick out of how Flynn was shooting his Remmie..like he was throwing bullets out of the barrel when he shot at the bad guys.
I just saw an old western with Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn, and of all things, Humphrey Bogart as a Mexican bandit, based around the acw period all shooting open top Colts and Remmies, most likely all supplied by Stembridge. I got a kick out of how Flynn was shooting his Remmie..like he was throwing bullets out of the barrel when he shot at the bad guys.
If it was imported by Replica Arms, it would have been manufactured by ASM. I do not believe Uberti was making Walkers at this point in time. I have two Replica Arms Walkers, both are ASM.
elhombreconnonombre
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That's what I thought. I have 2 ASM Walkers, but not marked all over the place, like the RSs were; just barely legible marks under the loading lever. They both have the correct Colts Patent panel on the cylinder and one has the correct Colt NY address on the top of the octagonal part of the barrel. I compared it to a 2nd gen Colt Walker at a gunstore and most of the folks there thought the old ASM had a better fit, finish, and action. It shoots pretty well too.
dprice3844444
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elhombreconnonombre
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Very nice links. Thanks
Driftwood Johnson
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Howdy
Funny you should ask. I was at an auction a few weeks ago at the Amoskeag Auction house in Manchester New Hampshire. There were two revolvers up for auction that had been used in the movies, both from Stembridge.
The first one was a Colt 1860 Richards-Mason Conversion that Clint Eastwood used in The Outlaw Josey Wales. It was converted to shoot 38 caliber blanks. I picked it up and examined it at the pre-auction viewing. Everything worked, the action worked fine, but the cylinder was extremely loose. Too loose for live ammo, but it did not matter for blanks. It was also interesting the way 38 caliber sleeves had been welded into the chambers. The barrel was not modified, so the original 44 hole showed at the muzzle. In the movie the gun had been pulled out of the remains of a burned down house, so the grips were partially burned. I doubt if they were the original grips, probably just something Stembridge made up for the movie.
Here is a link to the auction item, hold onto your hats when you see what it sold for. The auction estimate was $5000 - $7000. There was one guy in the room who really wanted it, but he was bidding against guys with incredibly deep pockets on the phones. Eventually he dropped out, I think he went up over $10,000. One of the phone bidders won it. You can click on the photos to get a better view.
http://www.amoskeagauction.com/98/199.html
Here is the other gun, an old SAA used by Gene Autry in his traveling cowboy show. The auction item says it was originally 44 caliber, sorry I don't remember exactly which 44 caliber. Don't remember if it said Frontier Six Shooter on the barrel or not. The cylinder on this one was sleeved down for 22 rimfire blanks, which made the front of the cylinder look really weird. And heavy too. The firing pin had been altered for the rimfire cartridges by some simple grinding. Not real pretty but it did the job. The auction house estimated this one would go for $5000 - $8000. This one went to somebody on the phone too.
http://www.amoskeagauction.com/98/200.html
Incidentally, I hate these deep pocket guys who phone in to an auction without bothering to show up. I lost out on a beautiful Triple Lock that I had my heart set on that day. The opening bid was more than the auction house estimated for the high price. I was so flabbergasted it shot way up over what I could afford to pay. I never even got a bid in. Went to somebody on the phone.
Funny you should ask. I was at an auction a few weeks ago at the Amoskeag Auction house in Manchester New Hampshire. There were two revolvers up for auction that had been used in the movies, both from Stembridge.
The first one was a Colt 1860 Richards-Mason Conversion that Clint Eastwood used in The Outlaw Josey Wales. It was converted to shoot 38 caliber blanks. I picked it up and examined it at the pre-auction viewing. Everything worked, the action worked fine, but the cylinder was extremely loose. Too loose for live ammo, but it did not matter for blanks. It was also interesting the way 38 caliber sleeves had been welded into the chambers. The barrel was not modified, so the original 44 hole showed at the muzzle. In the movie the gun had been pulled out of the remains of a burned down house, so the grips were partially burned. I doubt if they were the original grips, probably just something Stembridge made up for the movie.
Here is a link to the auction item, hold onto your hats when you see what it sold for. The auction estimate was $5000 - $7000. There was one guy in the room who really wanted it, but he was bidding against guys with incredibly deep pockets on the phones. Eventually he dropped out, I think he went up over $10,000. One of the phone bidders won it. You can click on the photos to get a better view.
http://www.amoskeagauction.com/98/199.html
Here is the other gun, an old SAA used by Gene Autry in his traveling cowboy show. The auction item says it was originally 44 caliber, sorry I don't remember exactly which 44 caliber. Don't remember if it said Frontier Six Shooter on the barrel or not. The cylinder on this one was sleeved down for 22 rimfire blanks, which made the front of the cylinder look really weird. And heavy too. The firing pin had been altered for the rimfire cartridges by some simple grinding. Not real pretty but it did the job. The auction house estimated this one would go for $5000 - $8000. This one went to somebody on the phone too.
http://www.amoskeagauction.com/98/200.html
Incidentally, I hate these deep pocket guys who phone in to an auction without bothering to show up. I lost out on a beautiful Triple Lock that I had my heart set on that day. The opening bid was more than the auction house estimated for the high price. I was so flabbergasted it shot way up over what I could afford to pay. I never even got a bid in. Went to somebody on the phone.
whughett
Member
Every time I pick up this thread to see new responses that photo of JW bothers the hell out of me, he didn't fire the gun in that position did he...........! Darn that looks dangerous.
elhombreconnonombre
Member
Plus the storyline that a poor Missouri farmer would somehow have laid his hands on not one, but two, Walkers, which were rather scarce and also rather long in the tooth for use during the ACW period.
elhombreconnonombre
Member
Wow. If the 1860 (likely an Italian repro too modded for blanks) without a letter of authenticity from Stembridge went for $23k, I hate to think how much that old ASM Walker went for. The Autry .22 almost seems like a bargain.
elhombreconnonombre
Member
On closer inspection of the 1860 pics it looks to be a genuine vintage colt and in pretty rough shape at that. It had probably been used in dozens of westerns and thrown in the dirt many a time, but $23k???? Well see. If it ever turns up on Pawn Stars Rick will want it, but only offer $3,000. At least I now know where the Stmbridge marks are if I accidentally come across one.
Driftwood Johnson
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It was not an Italian replica, it was a genuine Colt Richards-Mason conversion. I was there, I examined it. Yes, it was very beat up, although the action did work perfectly. It had been re nickeled at some point, the auction clearly stated that. There was a bit of wiggle where the barrel attached to the frame, I suspect the arbor was loose. If you look at the photos you will see that the SN for the frame and trigger guard did not match the SN for the barrel. Not at all uncommon for movie prop departments and rental houses to swap parts around and heavily modify these things. They were not worth much when they were bought, nobody cared much about collector value back then. The movie was made in 1976 but there's no telling when Stembridge bought the gun.
The auction estimate was that the gun would go for $5000 - $7000. Much too rich for my blood, and I was not interested in the gun anyway, but it was interesting enough that I did examine it at the pre-auction viewing. The guy who was in the room bidding was clearly only interested in that item because he left as soon as the gun was sold. Clearly there were some deep pocket bidders on the phones, that day, that's why I lost out on the Triple Lock later in the day. This one went so high because of the documented link to a famous movie and a very famous movie star.
elhombreconnonombre
Member
I would have to get my old VHS copy of "Josey Wales" to confirm, but I assume the Walkers he carried were cartridge conversions of replicas (either ASMs or Ubertis) firing blanks in the action scenes for safety sake. I know the theatrical art poster shows him with percussion Walkers. It would be interesting to learn if there were other percussion Walkers used during filming that did not require firing.
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