The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)

The Andy Griffith Show was a television comedy that ran on CBS from 1960 to 1968, and has been in syndicated reruns ever since. The series focused on Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith), a widower raising his young son while serving as sheriff in the small town of Mayberry, North Carolina. The series cast included Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife and Ron Howard as Opie Taylor. The series also spawned two spinoffs: Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and Mayberry, RFD.

The following weapons were used in The Andy Griffith Show:

Handguns

Colt Official Police

The standard sidearm of the Mayberry sheriff's office is the Colt Official Police revolver, normally carried in a swivel-type holster. Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) does not normally carry a weapon in his daily duties as sheriff, in the episode "TV or Not TV" (5.23) he explained that he wanted people to respect him as a person and not to fear him because he carried a gun. In the episode "High Noon in Mayberry" (3.17) Andy's revolver is shown to be kept at home, unloaded, hidden on the top of a china cabinet. Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) always carries his revolver while in uniform, but due to problems with accidental discharges the sheriff requires Barney to carry the revolver unloaded with one round of spare ammunition, which he keeps in his shirt pocket. Only when action was imminent did Andy allow Barney to fully load his revolver. Barney also used the four-inch Official Police for plain-clothes duty, simply stuck in his waistband at the small of his back. Barney's replacement as deputy sheriff, Warren Ferguson, carried the same type of revolver but added a shoulder belt to his Sam Browne gear.

Colt Official Police, 4-inch barrel

Sheriff Taylor (Andy Griffith) cleans his little-used Official Police in "A Black Day for Mayberry" (episode 4.7)

Andy loads his revolver at home after retrieving it from on top of the china cabinet in "High Noon in Mayberry" (episode 3.17)

Andy gives Barney (Don Knotts) a full cylinder's worth of ammo from his dump pouch in "Jailbreak" (episode 2.18)

Barney Fife (Don Knotts) finds himself at the wrong end of his own Colt in "Convicts at Large" (episode 3.11)

Andy looks at Barney's plain-clothes rig in "If I Had a Quarter Million Dollars" (episode 5.22)

Andy fires Warren's revolver at fleeing suspects in "Aunt Bee Takes a Job" (episode 6.13)

Colt Detective Special

After becoming a detective on the Raleigh, North Carolina Police Department, Barney Fife (Don Knotts) carried a Colt Detective Special, which he wore in a crossdraw belt holster.

Colt Detective Special

Barney (Don Knotts) with his holstered Detective Special in "A Visit to Barney Fife " (episode 7.18)

Barney holds his Detective Special on suspects in "A Visit to Barney Fife " (episode 7.18)

Shotguns

Remington Model 1100

Ex-convict Luke Comstock (Leo Gordon) presents Andy with the gift of a Remington Model 1100 semi-automatic shotgun in "High Noon in Mayberry" (episode 3.17).

Remington Model 1100

Luke Comstock shows Andy his Remington 1100 shotgun

Winchester Model 1897

Andy took a Winchester Model 1897 shotgun from the courthouse gun rack in "The Big House" (episode 3.32).

Winchester Model 1897 "riot gun"

Andy leaves the courthouse with a Winchester 97 shotgun

Winchester Model 1912

Andy (Andy Griffith) carried a Winchester Model 1912 shotgun with a ventilated sight rib in "The Legend of Barney Fife" (episode 6.18).

Winchester Model 1912

Andy carrys a Winchester Model 1912 shotgun as he stalks a fugitive

Submachine Guns

Thompson M1928A1

In "A Black Day for Mayberry" the Treasury Guard is armed with a Thompson M1928A1 with a drum magazine. During the changing of the guard, Barney is given the Thompson, and after the cover is blown, Andy quickly disarms Barney before he can fire at the Armored Truck. (It should be noted that the armor would have easily stopped the .45 ACP rounds.)