Khaspush

Original Poster

Country	USSR
Directed by	Hamo Beknazarian
Release Date	1928
Language	Silent
Studio	Armenkino

Main Cast
Character	Actor
Rza	Hrachia Nersisyan
Fatima	M. Dulgaryan
Akhmed	Tigran Ayvazyan
Seyid Habibulla	Nikita Janan
Nasir al-Din Shah	Vagharsh Vagharshyan
Head of police	Avet Avetisyan

Khaspush (Khas-push or Khaz-push) is a 1928 Soviet-Armenian B&W silent historical drama directed by Hamo Beknazarian (credited as Amo Bek-Nazaryan). It depicts the uprising of Khaspushes (impoverished peasants and townspeople) in Qajar Persia in 1891 against the tobacco monopoly, given by Nasir al-Din Shah to a British company.

The following weapons were used in the film Khaspush:

Handguns

Webley RIC

During the storming of the British embassy by the Khaspushes, several British guards are armed with Webley RIC style revolvers (the barrels are too long for compact Bulldogs).

For comparison: Victorian era Webley RIC type revolver, c. 1880s - .450

A RIC style revolver is seen in hands of an Englishman at the foreground.

Another similar looking is seen at the right. It lacks the extractor (possibly this part is simply broken) but all other features match Webley gate loading revolvers.

Another view of same "extractor-less" revolver. Note the protrusion at the bottom front part of the frame that can be an attachment of the absent rotating extractor.

Pieper Revolver

One of the revolvers, used by the guards in the British embassy, turns out to be some Henri Pieper model, identified by the swing-out cylinder in combination with the rib over the barrel and the massive hammer. The exact model hardly can be identified but very possibly this is not an original Belgian gun but a Spanish clone, maybe one of the revolvers, produced during the WWI under French and Romanian contracts. Original Pieper M1889 and M1893 revolvers have raised rear part of the frame while the screen gun seems to have a flat top.

WWI Spanish/French Model 1915 revolver - 8mm. Copy of the Belgian Pieper made in Spain for the French and Romanian military.

An Henri Pieper revolver in hands of an Englishman.

Unidentified revolvers

Several unidentified revolvers are also seen in hands of British guards in the same scene.

A shadow of a revolver is seen at the background. It may be a top-break gun, possibly a Smith & Wesson.

A large frame revolver is seen at the background. It may be a early Webley (Mk I to Mk V) or some Smith & Wesson top-break model.

Flintlock Pistol

Oriental style pistols, most likely flintlock, are seen on the wall in Nasir al-Din Shah's palace.

Turkish Flintlock Pistol.

An Oriental pistol, supposedly a flintlock, is seen on the bottom of the wall. Another pistol can be barely seen on the top.

Rifles

Berdan No.2

Most Persian soldiers, both infantry and cavalry, are armed with Berdan No.2 rifles. In reality the Persian military of late 19th century was equipped with a mix of Martini-Henry, Snider-Enfield and Chassepot 1866 rifles, of those bolt-action Chassepot looks many similar to Berdan.

Russian Berdan No.2 (M1870) Infantry rifle - 10.67x58mm R

A soldier carries a Berdan rifle on the bazaar of Tehran.

A soldier, carrying a Berdan rifle, confronts a mullah who calls for defiance of the Shah's decree.

Soldiers carry a body of an executed man, dressed as a Persian officer in an attempt to accuse Khaspushes in unprovoked murder. Note that the rifle sling is tied to the buttstock grip, probably because the swivel on the rifle is broken.

Another view of a soldier carrying a Berdan rifle in the same scene.

A Khaspush attacks a soldier during the storming of the prison. Note two cartridges in the soldier's belt bandolier.

Khaspushes brandish sticks, swords and several rifles, captured from soldiers.

A Khaspush in center aims a Berdan rifle. Note that he holds two cartridges in fingers on the hand that grasps the handguard. This was a real practice of seasoned shooters for single-shot rifles that allowed to load the rifle faster that with taking each cartridge from bandolier.

Cavalrymen with Berdan rifles attack the rebels.

Berdan No.2 Dragoon

A Berdan No.2 Dragoon rifle is seen in hands of a Khaspush in the final scene.

Russian Berdan № 2 (M1870) Dragoon rifle - 10.75x58mm R

A Berdan Dragoon rifle is seen at the right. Note the rifle sling, attached in slots rather than on swivels, that allows to identify the rifle as Dragoon.

Berdan No.2 Carbine

A Berdan No.2 Carbine is seen in hands of a Khaspush in the final scene.

A family of Berdan No.2 rifles: 1 - Infantry rifle, 2 - Dragoon rifle, 3 - Cossack rifle, 4 - carbine. Drawing from Strelkovoye orujie ("Firearms") by Aleksandr Juck.

A short-barreled Berdan carbine is seen at the left.

Mosin Nagant M1891

Probably due to insufficient number of avaiable Berdan rifles, some Mosin Nagant M1891 rifles are also used in the movie, carried by the Persian soldiers and Khaspushes. Most if not all of these rifles are Infantry model.