Payback is a 1999 action film starring Mel Gibson as a thief who is double-crossed by his partner and his attempt to get the money owed him back. Unsatisfied with the original tone of the film as well as the ending, Gibson decided to reshoot several sequences and add several characters to the film before its release in 1999. In 2006, director Brian Helgeland was allowed to go back and restore his original vision for the film. It was released on DVD as "Payback Straight Up: The Director's Cut". Most of the screencaps for this page are from the Director's Cut.
Porter (Mel Gibson) uses a blued Smith & Wesson Model 29 4" with S&W factory combat grips for the majority of the film after buying it in a pawn shop. It is not a Smith & Wesson Model 27 as previously mentioned, as the diameter of the muzzle and cylinder chambers is clearly too large to be .357 Magnum. Also the barrel on the Model 27 has a slight taper while the barrel on the M29 is a heavy "bull" barrel. In addition the forcing cone on the Model 27 is visible and the cylinder is shorter on the Model 27. The cylinder on the Model 29 fills the frame. Like the one used in the movie.In addition the Model 27 has very fine checkering on the top strap. Observe the stills that show the top strap on the revolver being used by Mel Gibson. It's smooth which is another feature of the Model 29.See the discussion page for comparisons. There are clearly two different S&W revolvers used. One is a S&W model 29 and the other is a S&W model 27/28. In the pictures of Porter firing the revolver and the Beretta and again pointing at Lucy Liu, you can clearly see the barrel taper of a 27/28. While the gun may switch between the 29 and 27/28 in the same scene, there is definitely a 27/28 used.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingSmith & Wesson Model 29 with 4" barrel.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe pawn shop owner hands Porter a Smith & Wesson Model 29 from off the rack. His lack of gun safety is pretty obvious as he hands him the gun with the hammer cocked and his finger on the trigger.Error creating thumbnail: File missingLeft: Porter swings open the cylinder and spins it. A ratcheting sound effect is heard even though there is nothing for the cylinder to ratchet against. Right: Porter examines the barrel. Note the smooth topstrap. Consistent with a Model 29. See the discussion page for comparisons.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAfter doing some flashy twirling, Porter hands the shop owner the Model 29 back to make a purchase. Without a background check it is doubtful he would have actually made the purchase. For some reason he isn't shown buying cartridges either...Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter searches his wife's house with his Model 29 at the ready.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA Model 29 with regular grips is seen in Detective Hicks' (Bill Duke) holster.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter holds his Model 27 on Val in the hotel room.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter shoots Val in Rosie's (Maria Bello) house.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter uses a pillow to muffle the gunshot as he executes Val. This is movie fiction, as a pillow would not properly suppress a handgun, especially a revolver. It is also pointless since three rounds are fired before this.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter holds his Model 27 on the Detectives before handing it to them outside the "Outfit's" building.Error creating thumbnail: File missingArthur Stegman (David Paymer) holds a Model 29 on Porter in the back of a Taxi cab before he takes it from him.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter fires the Model 29 in an akimbo stance along with a Beretta 92FS at the Triads, unloading about 13 rounds from his six shot revolver.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter fires the two guns through the floor of the Triad van. You can see he is simply dry-firing the gun as no muzzle flash is seen, likely a safety precaution for firing blanks at such close proximity.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA close up of the guns firing, with excellent shots of the gun's markings.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter rolls out from under the van and shoots the Triad driver.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPorter holds the Model 29 on Pearl (Lucy Liu).Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe gun clicks empty. That's the inconvenience of movie guns, they can fire off a ridiculous amount of ammunition but never have a bullet left when you really need it.Error creating thumbnail: File missingInternal Affairs officers show off Porter's original Model 29 to Det. Hicks (Bill Duke) and Det. Leary (Jack Conley) after Porter left the gun (covered with their fingerprints) at the scene of Val's murder, along with one of their badges.
Val Resnick (Gregg Henry) carries a Beretta 92FS pistol as his main sidearm, which Porter (Mel Gibson) takes from him and uses for the rest of the film.
The Triad van driver is seen firing a SIG-Sauer P220 through the floor of the van at Porter (Mel Gibson). Earlier in the film Porter is seen taking a SIG P220 from one of Carter's (William Devane) guards after knocking him out with a roll of pennies and then using it to kill him. They are noted as the P220 model by their lack of double stack bulges on the frame, and their .45-sized muzzle diameters.
When Porter (Mel Gibson) is attacked by the Triad gang members, two of them are seen firing M3 "Grease Guns". They clearly have external charging handles, helping to identify them as older M3s, not M3A1s.
One of the Triad gang members is seen using a 2nd Generation Glock 17 to shoot at Porter (Mel Gibson) in the taxi cab. Later Porter is seen disposing of two Glock 17s after killing two thugs in the restroom.
The two Glocks Porter takes from the restroom thugs appear to be first generation models due to their lack of ridges in the grips.
Radioman (Kwame Amoaku) tries to save Arthur Stegman (David Paymer) with a sawed-off Remington 870 shotgun before being mowed down by the Triads. Based on the sling swivel on the pistol grip, it is assumed this gun was professional sawed down by a film armorer.
One of Carter's (William Devane) bodyguards is seen armed with a Heckler & Koch P7M8 before Porter (Mel Gibson) knocks him out with a roll of pennies. An Outfit member is seen firing one at Porter during the final firefight as well.
I am pretty sure this is a HK P7 and not a M8. Look at the first pic. The gun lacks the mag release latches on the trigger guard, and the guard itself is much smaller like the P7 over the M8, biggest give away is the gun shown lacks the heat shield in the trigger guard.
