Westerns like “The Magnificent Seven” are a classic for a reason, and it’s not just thanks to a solid storyline or stellar actors. This particular movie also has some fun gun tricks and serious firepower. The original “The Magnificent Seven” came out in 1960 and includes stars like Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, and James Coburn. We’ve compiled a list of our top five gun picks from “The Magnificent Seven.” Fair warning, there might be a few spoilers along the way, so if you’ve never seen this one, be prepared.
Colt Single Action Army Artillery
The Colt Single Action Army (SAA) Artillery is utilized quite a bit in the movie including by actors Yul Brynner, who plays Chris, and actor Steve McQueen, who plays Vin. The Artillery is carried as a backup or additional gun to other revolvers they carry during the course of the show. It’s also the gun used for an attempt to shoot someone on horseback. That particular shot is taken on by James Coburn, who portrays Britt. When he makes the shot, a character by the name of Chico remarks on how it’s the greatest shooting he’s ever seen. However, Britt replies it wasn’t good because he was actually aiming at the horse.
This revolver was a variant that came about after the original-sized SAA had already been in production for some time. The original SAA had a 7.5-inch barrel, but it was decided that a version with a 5.5-inch barrel was needed, and the SAA Artillery was born. Firearms historians note that the SAA Artillery was produced using what were basically spare parts, meaning they tend to have a mixture of serial numbers on the various parts. That doesn’t make them incorrect, just the result of the production habits of the time. This revolver was chambered in 45 Long Colt and had a six-shot capacity.
Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3
Yes, this is an understandably revolver-heavy movie (after all, it’s set in the Old West). The Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3 was used during a training scene in “The Magnificent Seven.” This revolver was correct for the era and got its name from Major George W. Schofield, who took it upon himself to alter the existing gun to fit what he felt the cavalry required. The gun was produced in a variety of calibers including 44 Smith & Wesson American, 38 Smith & Wesson, 44 Henry, 44-40 Winchester, 45 Schofield, and 32 Smith & Wesson, although the Schofield variant was mostly made in 45 Long Colt. It had a six-shot capacity, as was common, and had a different locking system than the first Russian version of the revolver.
The Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3 was used in a few wars including the Indian Wars and the Phillipine-American War, the latter of which actually involves some interesting gun history. Barrels on the Schofield revolvers varied because although they were supposed to ship from the factory with seven-inch barrels, there were five-inch barrels made as well.
Colt Model 1878 Shotgun
This is one of the long guns that shows up at the beginning of the movie. It’s being carried by Steve McQueen’s character as he’s riding on a hearse. While it doesn’t see the action many other guns in the movie do, it’s still a great model to mention. The Colt Model 1878 Shotgun was produced in both 12 gauge and 10 gauge, and had the double triggers sometimes used on long guns at the time. It’s not one you see brought up in gun history that often and it’s sometimes confused with the revolver of the same model designation (but it’s not the same thing).
As you might have expected, this was a double-barreled shotgun, hence the two triggers. It was often referred to as a coach gun. The barrel length of this shotgun typically varied between 28 and 32 inches. According to Rock Island Auction Company, the Colt Model 1878 Shotgun was considered by many to be the “finest” double-barreled shotgun made at that time. Old guns in good condition can still be found, although it’s worth mentioning that a 10 gauge with a 30-inch barrel at Rock Island Auction went for $6900.00. It’s a beautiful shotgun and if you have one that was passed down through your family, it’s well worth holding onto.
Winchester Model 1866 Yellow Boy
This is another long gun that was used to teach “The Farmers” to shoot. One of them is firing what’s apparently meant to be a Henry 1860 but is actually a Winchester Model 1866 Yellow Boy. This lever-action rifle was the first of its kind to be produced by Winchester. The shiny brass receiver earned it the name Yellow Boy, and that’s also what makes it so recognizable. This lever-action rifle was made in everything from 38 Special to Winchester 44-40 to 45 Long Colt.
As for the Henry 1860 this gun is supposed to look like, it was originally chambered in 44 Henry Rimfire. The Henry 1860 was created by Benjamin Tyler Henry and the resulting gun was described as “the rifle you could load on Sunday and shoot all week long.” It’s possible to get replica Henry 1860s today that are a lot of fun to shoot. Why did the movie makers try to present a Winchester Model 1866 Yellow Boy as a Henry 1860? Hard to say, but both guns are great firearms and represent important parts of gun history.
Winchester Model 1892
Partway through “The Magnificent Seven,” some men are killed and The Farmers take their guns to use them for training purposes. Two of the rifles are the Winchester Model 1892 (and that’s also the model used by a few actors in the promo image used by the studio to advertise the movie). This is another lever-action, which isn’t at all surprising given the era of the movie. It was designed by John Browning and entered production in 1892. More than one million of these levers were made, which is pretty impressive for the time.
The Winchester Model 1892 was produced in a few different calibers including 32-20 Winchester, 38-40 Winchester, 44-40 Winchester, 25-20 Winchester, and the 218 Bee. It had a capacity of between nine and 12 rounds. A fascinating detail about this particular lever action is that John Browning somehow managed to create a working prototype of the rifle in just a couple of weeks. Firearms historians state it was the Great Depression that eventually severely impacted sales of this gun, and its production run ended. Even so, it’s a great rifle, and there are replicas being made today with different barrel lengths and loop sizes.
