Death Wish

Theatrical Poster

Country	USA
Directed by	Michael Winner
Release Date	1974
Language	English
Studio	Dino De Laurentiis Corporation
Distributor	Paramount Pictures (North America) Columbia Pictures (International)

Main Cast
Character	Actor
Paul Kersey	Charles Bronson
NYPD Lt. Frank Ochoa	Vincent Gardenia
Ames Jainchill	Stuart Margolin
Jack Toby	Steven Keats
Freak #1	Jeff Goldblum
Jackson Reilly	Christopher Guest

Death Wish is the 1974 cult classic thriller based on the novel of the same name written by Brian Garfield. Charles Bronson stars as Paul Kersey, a quiet architect who becomes a vigilante, when his wife is killed and his daughter is raped by three muggers (including one played by Jeff Goldblum in his film debut, crediting him only as "Creep #1"). Bronson would go on to star in four more "Death Wish" films. Death Wish author Brian Garfield would also write a sequel novel to Death Wish, which wasn't used for any of the later Bronson films, but served as the basis for the 2007 Kevin Bacon-starring film Death Sentence. A feature film remake directed by Eli Roth and starring Bruce Willis as Kersey would be released in March of 2018.

The following weapons were used in the film Death Wish (1974):

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Revolvers

Colt Police Positive

Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) uses a .32 caliber nickel Colt Police Positive revolver with a 4-inch barrel as his weapon of choice. This revolver was given to him as a present by Ames Jainchill (Stuart Margolin) and is used throughout his vigilante encounters. He kills ten street muggers with it. The exact chambering of the revolver is never specified, but it is said to be a .32 caliber. It is pretty safe to assume that it chambered in the common .32 Smith & Wesson Long (referred to on Colt revolvers as ".32 Colt New Police" to avoid stamping their competitor's name on their weapons), rather than the less common calibers .32 Long Colt (which was much less powerful) or the .32-20 Winchester (which was much more powerful).

Colt Police Positive Nickel - .32 S&W Long

Paul Kersey's revolver in special case.

Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) holding his Colt revolver. Note the trigger shape in this shot.

A nice shot of the Colt Police Positive.

Paul Kersey aims his new revolver at the first time, just before his first vigilante encounter.

Paul Kersey shoots his revolver at mugger Thomas Leroy Martin. Note the hot gases escaping the barrel-cylinder gap.

Kersey shooting another mugger in his second vigilante encounter.

Kersey shooting down a subway mugger.

Kersey shooting an mugger in the subway station. Note very little (compared to other in this film) muzzle shots in this scene.

A surgeon holds two .32 caliber bullets removed from a mugger's liver. They appear to be lead round nose slugs, one of which mushroomed on contact.

A reverse angle shows Inspector Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia) holding Kersey's empty revolver on him.

Inspector Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia) holds Kersey's revolver.

1842 Percussion Revolver

During his business trip in Tucson, Paul is seen target shooting with a percussion revolver. Ames Jainchill (Stuart Margolin) describes the weapon as a 'Percussion pistol, 1842', but it is actually a reproduction of the Remington 1858 New Army.

Remington 1858 New Army - .44 caliber

Ames Jainchill (Stuart Margolin) takes out the revolver and ammunition from a gun case.

Kersey holds the 1842 revolver.

Kersey aims 1842 revolver on the target. Note the iconic stance, used by Bronson in all Death Wish movies.

Kersey aims 1842 revolver on the target.

Kersey shoots 1842 revolver. Note big yellow muzzle flash. Some of the muzzle flashes in the film also yellow and some - white.

Single Action Army

Paul opts to try the Colt Single Action Army revolver, after impressing Jainchill by shooting the Percussion pistol dead center at the range. It's described by Jainchill as revolver used by bandit Candy Dan in 1890. They're also used by stuntmen performing in a Wild West live action show.

Colt Single Action Army w/ 7.5" barrel known as the "Cavalry" model - .45 Long Colt

Kersey aims the Single Action Army on the target.

Close-up of the revolver as Kersey cocks it.

Another close-up of the cocked SAA.

Kersey shoots the revolver on the target.

SAA revolvers seen in actors hands and holsters.

An actor playing a deputy sheriff points his revolver at bandits.

An actor playing a deputy sheriff shoots his revolver at bandits. There was no muzzle flash in the first shot.

But there was muzzle flash when he fires another one.

An actor playing a bandit fires his revolver.

SAA revolvers on Jainchill's Gun Club's Shooting range wall.

Smith & Wesson Model 36

During his first night of vigilantism, Paul encounters drug addict and mugger Thomas Leroy Martin who points a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 36 behind him with a warning to give him the money or 'I'll bust you up'.