Talk:Zulu (1964)

The rifle in the picture above appears to be a Carbine version as used by the Cavalry rather than the Infantry Rifle. Note the single metal band around the woodwork also of interest is the absence of a foresight blade. Winch

Judging by the shape of the rear of the receiver, and length of the cocking lever, it looks like a Mk IV rifle action. I'm not sure if that was actually made as a carbine, so I wonder if it's rifle that has been cut down at some point, perhaps to give an unusable drill purpose gun for cadets - the loss of the foresight would hardly matter in that case? IKD 07/Apr/2011

Magazine Lee Enfield MkI* rifle, calibre .303

The Magazine Lee Enfield (MLE) MkI* rifle used in latter parts of the film in place of the historically accurate Martini-Henry rifles due to either running out of .455 blanks, or lack of sufficient Martini Henry rifles.

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This rifle is actually a Lee-Metford and not a Lee-Enfield. The Lee-Metford replaced the Martini-Henry and was the first bolt action rifle in British Army Service.

Lt. Chard loading his revolver

Anyone else notice that the first time Chad loads his revolver he only adds five bullets and leave one chamber empty? Is this a goof or was there a logical reason for leaving the last chamber empty? Dudster32 11:25, 4 March 2012 (CST)

With older revolvers that pre-dated hammer block safeties it was common practice to keep the chamber under the hammer empty, so that if the gun was dropped on the hammer it would not fire. I believe that hammer blocks were only fitted to Webley revolvers from 1931 onwards. --commando552 12:33, 4 March 2012 (CST)

Ah! You learn something new everyday :). Thanks man! Dudster32 04:36, 5 March 2012 (CST)

Bayonets

The Tommies in the movie are shown using the pattern 1876 triangular socket bayonet. Colour Sergeant Bourne uses the same bayonet, but would have actually been carrying a "Yataghan" sword-bayonet.

Pattern 1860 Sword Bayonet.

Magazine Lee Enfield MkI

Note the anachronistic Lee Enfields minus the magazine in the screencap below which is already known and featured in the article. Also note, however, that the rifle also has the tell-tale "bridge charger guide" of the SMLE MKIII...(the metal ring used to guide stripper clips). The problem is that neither the Lee-Metford nor Lee-Enfield MkI, anchronistic as it is, did not use stripper clips nor had it the charger guide. At the same time the rifle in the screencap also lacks the rear sight protection which is featured on the SMLE MKIII onwards. So what rifle hybrid is this? I mean it looks like a Lee-Enfield MKI, but it also has the later SMLE MKIII feature of stripper clip guide. Is it a converted older Lee-Enfield MkI to the (then) new stripper clip? Dudester32 (talk) 17:26, 22 November 2016 (EST)

Note the left-most rifle with it's portruding barrel, lack of "back sight protector" of the SMLE MKIII and yet still having the stripper clip guide.

To try and speculate: Zulu was filmed in South-Africa and the producers pressumeably used old South-African (originally British supplied) rifles. British colonial forces did not generally recieve the latest rifles but had to make do with the previous generation. (Thats why the Australians used the SMLE MKIII a long way into WW2). Could the South-Africans have modified their older existing Lee-Enfield MkI so that they could take a stripper clip? (which eventually were retired and put into storage for the movie producers to use). Dudester32 (talk) 17:31, 22 November 2016 (EST)

I think that they are CLLEs aren't they?

Lee-Enfield Mk.I CLLE (Charger Loading Lee Enfield) - .303 British. Note the bridge over the receiver level with the rear of the magazine which contains a charging clip guide.

--commando552 (talk) 18:17, 22 November 2016 (EST)