Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the second installment in the Indiana Jones film series. Harrison Ford returns in this prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film was followed by 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

The following weapons were used in the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:

Handguns

Colt Official Police

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is seen using a Colt Official Police Revolver during the car chase on the streets of Shanghai. Indy hands off the revolver to Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), who proceeds to handle it by the hot barrel and drops it out of the getaway car. Indy's revolver appears to have a 4" barrel and was chambered in .38 Special. It had been thought that the Temple of Doom gun was the Colt New Service M1917 Revolver or possibly one of the cut down S&W's from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but new information and research has led to the discovery that it is a 4 inch Colt Official Police .38. Other Colts are seen used by one of Lao Che's gangsters and a Thuggee guard.

Colt Official Police 4" Barrel - .38 Special

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is seen using Colt Official Police Revolver during the chase on the streets of Shanghai.

Indy hands off his empty revolver to Willie.

Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) handles the hot barrel.

Colt Official Police being used by gangster on the right during the chase on the streets of Shanghai.

Thuggee guard in the mine cart uses the revolver during the chase.

Smith & Wesson Model 10

Although it was a Colt Official Police that was filmed in the car, it was most likely a 5 inch Smith & Wesson Model 10 M&P revolver with a lanyard ring that is filmed dropping out of the car window during the opening chase. Originally thought to be a rubber Colt M1917 Revolver, new documentation and photographic evidence shows it to have been a Smith & Wesson Revolver.

Smith & Wesson Model M&P Revolver similar to the one filmed falling out the window of the car. This revolver is a WWII wartime "Victory" model with the lanyard ring.

As Indy's revolver drops out the window, the cylinder pin clip is visible, identifying it as a Smith & Wesson Revolver and not a Colt.

Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless

Kao Kan's (Ric Young) revolver is a Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless with a 3 1/2 inch barrel in .32 S&W caliber. It is also known as the S&W New Departure or a S&W "Lemon Squeezer". It is similar to the Smith & Wesson 4th Model but is hammerless and has a grip safety. Although it looks similar to the Webley Mk. III, you can see that the front sight is different. Another shot shows the screen used gun with white Mother of Pearl grips and not black hard rubber grips as was standard.

Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless revolver with Mother of Pearl grips - .32 S&W

Kao Kan pulls a S&W Safety Hammerless revolver.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 (Three Inch Barrel)

What appears to be a three inch Smith & Wesson Model 10 Military & Police with the lanyard ring removed is used by Indy's partner Wu Han (David Yip). The hole for the lanyard ring can easily be seen when the revolver drops to the table. The 3 inch barrel on this gun looks to be from a Model 10-1, as it has the long front ramp sight and straight "bull" barrel introduced on that model. Though S&W Model 10 revolvers certainly existed in 1935 (Then branded simply as the 'Military & Police' Model), this revolver was probably a police issue Model 10-5 from the 1960s, making its appearance in this film anachronistic. The screen-used gun also had the standard grips replaced by older smooth finish grips as found on the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, probably to give it a more vintage look.

Standard Smith & Wesson Model 10-5 with three inch barrel and stock modern grips.

Smith & Wesson 10-5 with three inch barrel and smooth vintage grips. Similar to the revolver used by Wuhan.

A three inch Smith & Wesson Model 10 Military & Police with the lanyard ring removed is pulled by Indy's partner Wu Han (David Yip).

"Good service here."

Webley Mk III .38 Pocket Revolver

A nickel plated 3 inch Webley Mk. III .38 Commercial Contract is used by Chen (Chua Kah Joo) during the cork-popping scene in Club Obi Wan. The Webley Mk. III in .38 caliber was also known as a "Pocket Revolver" as it is much smaller that the Webley Mk. III .455.

Webley .38 Mk. III - .38 S&W

This is a photo of the actual screen-used Webley Mk. III Commercial Contract

Chen holds the Webley Mk. III under a napkin at the table after shooting Wu Han. Note that this is a reversed shot (he's holding the revolver in his left hand and the logo on his scarf is on the wrong side).

Chen pulls his Webley Mk. III but is 'skewered' by Indy. Here the gun is in his right hand.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 (Snub)

A 2" barreled early-version Smith & Wesson Model 10 snub nose can be seen being used by the gangster standing on the right side running board in the photograph below. EMI Elstree in the UK had rented a Colt Official Police .38 w/ 4" barrel (marked for use by Chinese gangster on left hand running board of black pursuit car), and a Smith and Wesson .38 (marked for use by Chinese gangster on right hand running board of black pursuit car).

Early-version Smith & Wesson Model 10 Revolver Snub Nose - .38 Special

A 2" Smith & Wesson Model 10 snub nose can be seen being used by the gangster on the left, better seen in the screenshot below.

Closeup of Smith & Wesson Model 10 snub and Colt Official Police.

Submachine Guns

M1928 Thompson

Lao Che's son Kao Kan (Ric Young) opens fire on Indy in the Club Obi Wan nightclub with a M1928 Thompson in the opening sequence. Note that the gun used by Kao Kan has a compensator, the one that is fired out of the car doesn't.

M1928 "Tommy Gun" with 50-round drum magazine and Cutts compensator - .45 ACP

Kao Kan (Ric Young) opens fire on Indy in the Club Obi Wan nightclub with a Thompson M1928

Opening fire on Indy. This sequence was actually originally scripted for a scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The Thompson lacking the compensator fired during the Shanghai chase.

Rifles

Lee-Enfield No 4. Mk 1

The Lee-Enfield No 4. Mk 1 was used by the Indian Army against the Temple of Doom guards at the Bridge scene. This is anachronistic as the film is set in 1935 yet the Lee Enfield No 4 was not issued until 1939 and not officially adopted until 1941. Instead they should be armed with the older SMLE No 1 MkIII.

Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I - .303 British

The Indian Army soldiers firing the Lee-Enfield rifles

The Indian Army soldiers holding their rifles

One noteworthy scene is of an Royal Indian Army soldier having difficulty with his No 4. Mk 1 rifle. In the sequence the soldiers are cycling the bolts and firing as rapidly as they can. Being blanks there is no recoil, so the soldiers are almost 'short stroking' the cycling of the action. This soldier extracts a spent cartridge by pulling back on his bolt handle, but he does it only about 3/4th of the way before the empty brass breaks loose from the extractor claw, so he tries to load a fresh round out of the magazine before he has successfully extracted the expended brass. He struggles with two cartridges (one unspent, one spent) both jammed into the chamber, whereas after a few seconds, he pulls back hard on the bolt and both cartridges fly out, thus clearing the weapon. Thus the so called 'jam' seen on screen is purely operator error.

Soldier on the left suffers a failure to extract, causing two cartridges to get stuck in the chamber.

Mauser Gewehr 1898

A Mauser Gewehr 1898 rifle was seen slung over the shoulder of a Chinese soldier at the Shanghai airport.

Mauser Gewehr 1898 7.92x57mm Mauser

A Mauser Gewehr 1898 rifle was seen slung over the shoulder of a Chinese soldier at the Shanghai airport.

Martini Henry

The Martini Henry was used by the Temple of Doom Thuggees during the fight in the Mine and during the Mine Cart chase.

Martini-Henry Mk. IV (1888-1889) .577-.450 caliber.

The Martini Henry was used by the Temple of Doom Thuggees during the Mine fight.

A Thuggee guard holding the rifle is taken down by Indy.

Thuggee guard in the mine cart uses the rifle during the chase.