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Reilly: Ace of Spies
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British mini-series portraying the adventures of real-life spy Lt. Sidney George Reilly (Sam Neill) (1873-1925). The series is a fictionalized account of his exploits. There are twelve episodes and the stories take place in various locales such as Korea, Armenia, Germany, England, United States and Russia.
The following weapons were used in the film Reilly: Ace of Spies:
Handguns
Webley Mk VI
The Webley Mk VI revolver is often seen in the hands of British agents, including Sidney Reilly (Sam Neill) in "Endgame" (Ep. 8) and Capt. George Hill (Hugh Fraser) in "Gambit" (Ep. 7). Reilly's Russian friend and attorney Sasha Gramaticoff (Brian Protheroe) fires a Webley at a portrait of Andrew Jackson in his St. Petersburg office in "Dreadnoughts and Crosses" (Ep. 5). The Bolshevik hitman, Adamson (Robert Walker), attempts to kill Reilly with a Webley in "After Moscow" (Ep. 9).
Webley Mk IV Pocket Model
The Webley Mk IV pocket model is seen in "Gambit" (Ep. 7) and "Endgame" (Ep. 8), carried by R.H. Bruce Lockhart (Ian Charleson), the British envoy to Moscow, in a shoulder holster. His mistress Moura (Anna Nygh) greets Reilly at the door with it. In "Endgame" (Ep. 8), Fanny Kaplan uses one to attempt to kill Lenin.
Enfield No. 2 Mk I
Reilly (Sam Neill) keeps what appears to be an Enfield No.2 Mk I as his bedside revolver when on a mission in St. Petersburg in 1910. The use of this revolver is anachronistic to the setting of the mini-series.
Nagant M1887 Revolver
Swedish Nagant M1887 revolvers are seen standing in for Russian M1895 Nagants, which were quite rare in the West when the miniseries was being filmed. Reilly carries one in the holster of his Sam Browne belt in "Gambit" (Ep. 7). Several Bolsheviks in both "Gambit" (Ep. 7) and "Endgame" (Ep. 8) use Nagant revolvers.
In "An Affair With A Married Woman" (Ep. 1), Russian detective Tanyatos (John Rhys-Davies) uses a Colt 1851 Navy to administer the final shots to two men killed by a firing squad.
Mauser C96
Inspector Tsientsin (David Suchet), the Chinese policeman in Port Arthur on the dawn of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, carries a Mauser C96 in "Prelude to War" (Ep. 2).
Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector
Used by Basil Zaharov (Leo McKern), an actual arms dealer who had great power and influence in Europe during the late 19th and early 20th century. There is a possibility that he and Reilly crossed paths. In the mini-series they are shown as having something of a love-hate relationship. It appears that the revolver used by Zaharov in "An Affair With A Married Woman" (Ep. 1) is a Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector .
If it is a Smith & Wesson Mk II then this is a technical error. The scene when Zaharov and Reilly first meet takes place in 1901. The large frame Smith & Wesson sometimes called the 44 Frame or the N Frame wasn't introduced until 1907. The Mk II Hand Ejector didn't come out until 1915. Nevertheless it does look "correct" for the time period and ultimately it is just a prop. Additionally the series was filmed in England and it's very likely that the .455 caliber Mk II Hand Ejector would be more readily available than the Smith & Wesson 44 Special 2nd Model.
Colt 1878 Double Action
Reilly (Sam Neill) arms himself with one of Count Massino's revolvers, a Colt 1878 Double Action when they go hunting for pigs in "Dreadnoughts and Crosses" (Ep. 5).
Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873
Count Massino (John Castle) uses a Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873 when they go hunting for pigs in "Dreadnoughts and Crosses" (Ep. 5).
Colt New Service (Mocked-Up as Colt SAA)
In "Dreadnoughts and Crosses" (Ep. 5), during the hunt for pigs, Reilly's mistress Nadia Massino (Celia Gregory) uses a Colt New Service slightly modified to resemble a Single Action Army, with adding a side-position ejector rod. Such fake SAA revolvers can be seen in many westerns.
Colt M1911
After having failed in his attempt to overthrow the Bolshevik government in 1918, Reilly (Sam Neill) and one of his compatriots flee to the British Embassy in St. Petersburg. The embassy has been shut down and is staffed by just a skeleton crew of British citizens, including Commander Cromie (Barry Stokes) of His Majesty's Royal Navy, who is acting as the banker for Reilly's operation. With the counter-revolution crushed, Bolshevik troops are sent to storm the embassy and if possible arrest Reilly. Commander Cromie refuses to flee, deciding instead to defend the embassy and go down with the ship. It's interesting to note that Cromie is armed with two Colt Model 1911 pistols. I assume that they are the models chambered for the .455 Webley Self-Loading Pistol Cartridge. In real life, Cromie was described as carrying two "Browning pistols" during his standoff with the Petrograd Cheka depicted in "Endgame"(Ep. 8).
One is also used by Peters, the Cheka's executioner, to kill a female prisoner in Lubyanka in 1918. Savinkov hands over a M1911 when entering a London courtroom in "After Moscow" (Ep. 9). Georgi Schulz (Rob Heyland), a member of The Trust, carries one when escorting Reilly back to Russia in "The Last Journey" (Ep. 11).
Mauser C96 Bolo
Colonel Eduard Berzin (Alan Downer) of the Latvian Guard carries a Mauser C96 'Bolo' in "Gambit" (Ep. 7).
Mannlicher Model 1905
Reilly's prostitute in "After Moscow" (Ep. 9), Alexandra (Lindsay Duncan) purchases a Mannlicher Model 1905 in London just before the war ends.
Luger P08
A German policeman shoots a spy with a Luger P08 in the Hamburg sewers in "The Visiting Fireman" (Ep. 3). Reilly is seen carrying a Luger in "Anna" (Ep. 4) and "After Moscow" (Ep. 9). It appears to be his weapon of choice. Several Social Revolutionaries in Moscow, notably Yakov Blumkin (Alfred Molina) and Aleks Alexandrovich, carry Lugers during the uprising in "Gambit" (Ep. 7).
Browning Hi-Power
Reilly (Sam Neill) hands a Browning Hi-Power to his secretary Eugenie (Eleanor David) when she takes the position. The use of this pistol is very anachronistic, as the scene takes place in 1924. The following year, a Cheka agent sets down a Hi-Power while searching Reilly's flat.
Beretta Model 1919
When Reilly (Sam Neill) takes Alexandra "The Plugger" (Lindsay Duncan) shopping for a Glisenti pistol, the gunsmith tells him that he has no Glisentis but offers a similar Beretta, most likely a Beretta M1919. Alexandra tries the pistol out but finds it too light and opts instead for the Mannlicher. When in New York, Reilly carries one in a brown leather shoulder holster, shooting someone for betraying him. Capt. Hill (Hugh Fraser) is also seen loading one after Reilly's capture.
Submachine gun
Thompson Model 1921A
Both Reilly (Sam Neill) and Soviet agent Mankovitz use M1921A Thompsons when firing at each other from their cars in "The Trust" (Ep. 10).
Rifle
Mosin Nagant Rifle
Bolsheviks carry Mosin Nagant M91/30 rifles in "Gambit" (Ep. 7) and "Endgame" (Ep. 8). Russian soldiers around Baku also carried Mosin Nagants in "An Affair With A Married Woman" (Ep. 1).
Mauser 1898
Count Massino (John Castle) uses a Mauser Gewehr 1898 during the pig hunt in "Dreadnoughts and Crosses" (Ep. 5). These had earlier been seen carried by the Japanese Navy in "Prelude to War" (Ep. 5.)
Machine gun
Vickers Machine Gun
The Vickers Machine Gun is used as a substitute for the Maxim Model 1910 Machine gun, especially in the episodes ("Gambit" and "Endgame") set in Russia in 1918 when Reilly is trying to overthrow the Bolsheviks. The mini-series was filmed in 1983 in the United Kingdom. It's plausible that it wasn't easy to obtain a Maxim 1910 so the production weapons man had to improvise. The shots of the machine gun are very fast when watching the actual production. With skillful editing, the Vickers passes for a Maxim Model 1910.
Shotgun
Unidentified Double Barrel Shotgun
In the first episode, "An Affair With A Married Woman" (Ep. 1), Reilly's mistress has been murdered. He demands answers from Commander Cumming, head of British naval intelligence, in his office. The 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun is empty, but Reilly (Sam Neill) is making a point. At this point he believes that she might have been ordered murdered because of fears that Reilly would have talked to her while in her bed. He notes with curiosity that while the shotgun is of English origin, its trigger mechanism is from Texas.
