Matthew Quigley (Tom Selleck) uses a Shiloh Sharps 1874 Long Range rifle with a 34" barrel (4"s longer than a standard 30" barrel) converted to fire a .45-110 mettalic cartridge with a 540 grain paper-patch bullet. It has double set triggers, and is fitted with a ladder-elevated Vernier peep sight and a Globe front sight. He is an incredible sharpshooter with this rifle and often makes use of the double set triggers for more accurate shots. Sometimes he shoots from so far away, the report of the rifle is heard 2-3 seconds after the impact of the bullet (Even though sound catches up with supersonic rounds after 300-400 yards). Several times in the film the gun is shown capable of sending people airborne (some even completely flipped in mid-air!), as movie rules states a big gun must send bad guys flying.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingUberti Sharps 1874 Long Range with 34" barrel, fitted with Vernier sight. The film credits the actual rifle used as being manufactured by Shiloh Rifle Mfg., Big Timber, MT. Differences between that and the Uberti (pictured) can be seen in the photo - The tang sight windage adjustment is at the base on the Uberti while it is on the slider of the Shiloh's sight. The Shiloh has a patch box in the stock which the Uberti does not, and the Shiloh has the curved military butt plate compared to the Uberti's straighter shotgun butt.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley's rifle feattures his initials engraved on the side "M.Q".Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley aims down his Sharps 1874. Note Globe front sight.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley fires his Sharps 1874 at Marston's men.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley uses his double set triggers. For those who don't know how double set triggers work, this shot shows how he pulls the rear trigger to make the trigger pull on the first trigger lighter, making the rifle more accurate.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley's Sharps laying among his gear.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley firing his Sharps.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley aiming his Sharps.Error creating thumbnail: File missingQuigley shoots a rope out on one of his traps with a well aimed shot from his Sharps. Hitting a rope while properly rested is hard enough, but only Quigley can shoot one while laying on his back.
At one point in the film, we have some excellent gun dialogue seldom seen in most movies, in which Quigley explains his rifle to Marston.
Elliot Marston (Alan Rickman) uses a Colt 1860 Army .44 caliber as his personal sidearm. He refers to it as the Army revolver and has much respect for its maker, Colonel Samuel Colt. He gives his second one to Quigley in the final duel, thinking he is bad with revolvers based on how he said he never had much use for one. When Quigley defeats him and his two men he says, "I said I never had much use for one. Never said I didn't know how to use it." He pockets the revolver, then realizing he found a reason to use one.
Marston's men are mainly armed with Griswold & Gunnison 1860 revolvers in .36 caliber throughout the film. They are not Colt 1851s as previously noted do to their round barrels and brass frames.
O'Flynn (Ben Mendelsohn) carries a pocket version of the 1851, know as the Colt 1851 Navy "U.S. Marshall" with ivory grips and cylinder grooves which Quigley also pockets for himself after the final duel.
Marston's men arm themselves mainly with Thompson Center Arms Hawkins Plains rifles throughout the film. Quigley kills one of these men and takes the rifle off his horse for Crazy Cora to use.
The gunsmith of the town offers Quigley a Italian .45 caliber dueling pistol, called simply the "Bounty Hunter", but he refuses, claiming he never had much use for a shooter(pistol).
Quigley also takes off the dead man's horse a Colt Dragoon 1848 .44 caliber pistol. Crazy Cora (Laura San Giacomo) uses the Colt Dragoon to fend off dingos from her camp and an Aborigine baby while Quigley is away getting .45-110 shells from a town. Presumably the same man who owned the horse is seen cocking the gun on the wagon as the Red-coats aproach.
The Colt Walker used is most likely a reproduction. Only about 1100 where origanaly made and they now sell for US$150,000 or more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Colt
At the end of the film when Quigley is preparing to leave Australia, the travel clerk cocks an unknown boot pistol under his counter when asking his name, aware there is a bounty on Quigley.
