Before we get into the expected list of awesome guns, let’s settle something. There have been two True Grit movies, not one. The first was released in 1969 and starred none other than John Wayne. In 2010, a remake was made starring Jeff Bridges. Both movies have a lot to recommend them, and interestingly, the guns used in the remake stay truer to the original book. But can anyone ever really outdo John Wayne? Regardless of who did it better, we’ve chosen some of the best guns of the two movies for your consideration.
Colt Dragoon
Although we’re using an image of Jeff Bridges with a Colt Dragoon to illustrate this one, it’s actually the character Mattie whose Dragoon is of note. In the first True Grit, Mattie was seen with a Colt Walker, but that isn’t the revolver she uses in the book the movies are based on. Of course, in the 1969 movie, John Wayne does call the gun a Colt Dragoon, in keeping with the book, but the gun used for that movie wasn’t one.
The correct Colt Dragoon appears in 2010 in the hands of Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mattie. It’s a revolver that was designed by Samuel Colt for use by the U.S. Army’s Regiment of Mounted Rifles. The gun was in production from 1848 to 1960 and had a few generations of models. It was a formidable pistol chambered in .44 ball. In the 2010 movie, Mattie says her late father told her to keep it loaded, because “if it ain’t loaded, it will not shoot.”
1874 Sharps Cavalry Carbine
The 1874 Sharps Cavalry Carbine is carried by La Boeuf, a Texas Ranger who decides to help Rooster Cogburn in his pursuit of Tom Chaney. It’s a single-shot, large-bore rifle that was in production from 1850 to 1881. The gun was produced in a variety of calibers including 45-70 Government, .45-110, and .45-120. It has a falling block action and was very popular in the military during the era in which it was produced.
In the 1969 True Grit, La Boeuf makes the Sharps a little movie-famous with a combination of good and bad judgment. At one point, he basically obliterates a turkey with it, but at least he hit his target. Later in the movie, he takes aim at a fleeing Ned Pepper and shoots the horse, instead. John Wayne makes a crack about how he should consider aiming at the horse in the future if he wants to actually hit the rider. But by the movie’s end, La Boeuf redeems himself by shooting Pepper from a distance, saving John Wayne’s life.
This is where we mention the Sharps is said to have a 1000-yard effective range. Of course, you’re not going to be nearly as precise at longer distances, but as La Boeuf discovered, it’s worth a shot.
Hawken Plains Rifle
He might have made only a brief appearance in the 2010 movie, but the Bear Man is a cool character. Who hasn’t dreamed of wandering off into the woods, never to return, living a life that involves wearing full-on bear hides? His moment might have been limited, but no one can forget him. In the few minutes he’s on screen, a Hawken Plains Rifle can be seen as part of his load. We’d be remiss not to mention the gun the Bear Man armed himself with.
The Hawken Plains Rifle is a muzzleloader that was used quite a bit in the frontier era of True Grit. It’s sometimes called a fur trapper’s gun, which is certainly fitting with the Bear Man. The gun used .54-caliber balls and utilized open blade sights. Maybe the Bear Man even used his to kill the bear he’s wearing. Who knows?
Colt Single Action Army
This is a gun that sees a lot of use in the 1969 True Grit; John Wayne uses at least three different Colt SAAs throughout the show. Early on in the movie, John Wayne is going after a bounty, and tells the bad guy, “Mr. Rat, I have a writ here says you’re to stop eating Chin Lee’s cornmeal forthwith. Now it’s a rat writ, writ for a rat, and this is lawful service of the same. See, doesn’t pay any attention to me.”
Near the end of the movie, Mattie fires the Colt Walker she carries in the 1969 version and is knocked backward into a snake pit. John Wayne saves her, of course, and as he drops down into the pit he’s seen firing his Colt Single Action Army at rattlesnakes. He saves Mattie’s life—because he’s Rooster Cogburn (and John Wayne). The Colt Single Action Army John Wayne uses most often in the movie was actually his personal gun, and it was chambered in .44-40 Winchester Center Fire.
Henry 1860
One thing we have to give the 2010 version of True Grit credit for is that they stuck pretty close to the guns mentioned in the book. That’s always nice to see. The character of Tom Chaney, played by Josh Brolin, totes a Henry 1860 in the movie. Just like in the book, the rifle has a sling created from a length of rope. Chaney is Mattie’s focus, but there are other bad guys along the way who were involved in his gang.
The Henry 1860 is a lever-action rifle. It was chambered in 44 Henry Rimfire and fed by a tube magazine. The original rifles designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry had a 16-round capacity, which was impressive. If you’re thinking, well, it’s a rimfire, here’s the thing: 44 Henry used bullets that were 0.446 inches in diameter with an overall cartridge length of 1.345 inches. When you hear “44 Henry Rimfire” don’t equate it in your head with 22 LR, because they are not at all the same.
There are a lot of guns to choose from between the two True Grit movies. Which one is your favorite? Tell us in the comments section.
