We've all come across lots of modified military rifles and sometimes modified military pistols, and most of us probably consider these to have been comprehensively ruined in terms of desirability and value, and usually avoid them unless they can be easily put back to original configuration. For me an exception is this heavily modified cased Webley MK 1 Military revolver converted to special purpose use that I acquired and which is unlike anything I've ever seen before (even though I do have a decent variety of Webley firearms and air guns, of which this represents both, and have had oddities like a Webley shoulder stocked gas grenade projector and aircraft port flare pistols). This military .455 revolver has had a CO2 cylinder chamber added above an extended barrel of around .400 ID, and had the cylinder chambers sleeved to that size, and had the hammer modified and weighted with a slug of lead to trigger a CO2 release valve. It was designed in a past era to be a projector for gelatin capsules (cylindrical pill containers) for making "bullet hit" special effects in movie making. The double action works normally, and capsules are loaded from the front of the cyl. It came with old gelatin capsules loaded with a red composition (blood effect when shot and hitting an actor), and also capsules with a silver composition, and others with a greenish composition. Crosman manufactured the two model 197 bulk fill CO2 tanks for charging the gun which came in the case from 1950-1970, but mostly in the 1950's. Electric pyrotechnic squibs started being used in movies around 1955 for bullet blood effects, and for bullet strike effects on inanimate objects, and pyrotechnic squibs in turn were replaced by the safer compressed gas packs used today. I guess if a special effects person were to propose shooting projectiles like this out of something like this old military Webley at a live actor today the insurance underwriters would have a meltdown. I think the creation of this rig probably dates from around 1950-1960. The Mk 1 Webley .455 revolver entered service in 1887, but .455 Webleys (mostly MK VI) were issued in WWII due to shortages of the .38/200 Enfield, and home guard officers might well have carried a family Mk1. So this revolver could have had an interesting century, and in converted air rifle form it was certainly actively used and one could easily imagine it being used on iconic 50's WWII films like The Desrt Fox, Desert Rats, To Hell and Back or Pork Chop Hill.
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Unusual modified Webley Pistol
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The silver compound may be zirkonium mixed with fish-frank gravel - it's called a zirk-hit and marks a spark - they're quite sensitive so be careful how you handle them, just in case, that is what it is.
Before paintball guns became really popular and took over this area of effects, Matt Sweeney built his variable power Sweeney gun, that really did what your rig does, but was a lot more adjustable and accurate.
What a cool custom rig someone put together - it took quite a lot of know how to make - would love to know the story behind it.
I know a lot of the old time FX coordinators in CA, I think I may forward your pic to them, see what comes back.
PS.
Blood impact hits are still achieved with a pyrotechic charge, I've never seen a compressed air-charge used as a bullet entrance hit on a performer.
I seen them used as exit wounds, behind the performer many times, but the entrance wound is still usually a pyrotechnic charge behind a blood bag.
Of course the low budget films use VFX CG blood hits, and they usually look pretty bad.
Nice find - and agreed, leave it as it is!
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Some more info
Many thanks for the information, pitfighter. I'd be delighted if you can find out more. I have always found Wehrmacht awards to be a remarkable resource for digging out information about objects with a military origin, particularly oddities, with the generous help of knowledgeable fellow collectors. I am attaching a close up of the objects found in the case. I noticed a couple labels do specifically tie this rig to North Hollywood and the surrounding movie production industry. I acquired it from a pawn shop in Oregon.Attached Files
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Josh Hakian got back to me:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0354600/
He said it looked like the earliest Zirc Gun he had ever seen -
He was quite impressed -
It could have been in the kit of any one of the studio effects guys, and potentially used by multiple technicians.
1950's - 60's would have seen a tremendous amount of Westerns being shot for TV - as well as features -
Nowadays they use paintball guns .68
Taking a hard clear plastic two piece ball -
1. Zirc and fish tank gravel = sparks.
2. Fuller's Earth = dust hit
3. Vasiline = fake glass smash.
4. Steel bearing = breaking objects
Of course, there are plenty of custom loads - glow paint, dribbling sparks, etc.,
I have seen the wax and blood hit used once, but they used a blow-gun - to deliver it to the stuntman's forehead and it was a pretty poor effect.
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