L.A. Confidential

Colt Detective Special

The most commonly seen gun in the film, the Colt Detective Special snubnose revolver is carried by both Officer Bud White (Russell Crowe) and Lt. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce). Det. Sgt. Richard Stensland (Graham Beckel) also carries one of these, seen only when he hands it over to his superiors.

Colt Detective Special - .38 special

White's Detective Special on the captain's desk.

Stensland hands over his Colt DS.

Exley prepares to arrest the three Nite Owl suspects.

White threatens a suspect during interrogation.

White discovers Inez.

Exley holds White's own Colt on him during their fight.

White and Exley draw their Colts while looking for Patchett.

Exley carries his Colt DS and 1911 akimbo during the final shootout.

M1911A1

Sgt. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) carries an M1911A1 as his duty sidearm, carrying it during the "Movie Premiere Pot Bust" and while arresting the Nite Owl suspects. Roland Navarette (Steven Lambert) shoots Officer Carlisle (Michael McCleery) with a 1911 when Exley and Carlisle bust in their hideout to arrest the Nite Owl suspects after they escaped. White gets one from his car, giving it and an extra magazine to Exley to use during the final gunfight at the Victory Motel.

Colt M1911A1 Pistol - .45 ACP.

Vincennes and Exley prepare to arrest the Nite Owl suspects.

Vincennes during the raid on Sugar Ray Collins' apartment.

Navarette kills Officer Carlisle.

Exley hits the ground holding his .45 during the Victory Motel shootout.

Exley carries his Colt DS and 1911 akimbo during the final shootout.

Smith & Wesson Model 10

Officer White plants his backup revolver, a Smith & Wesson Model 10 in the hand of rapist Sylvester Fitch (Jeff Sanders) to make his murder look like self-defense.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 Revolver - .38 Special

White places a revolver with pre-taped trigger and grip in Fitch's hand.

Unknown revolver

Nite Owl suspect Ty Jones (Kareem Washington) grabs this revolver to try and defend himself from Exley and Carlisle during their raid.

Jones reaches for his revolver.

Colt Revolver

Exley tells Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) that the cook grabbed a .38 caliber revolver but was murdered before he could use it.From looking at the revolver and the grips the revolver can be identifed as a Colt revolver. It has the rounded grips that the company went to in the 1950's. It can't be determined from the camera angle if the revolver is a Colt Official Police or a Colt Police Positive.

The cook at the Nite Owl lays murdered next to his revolver.

Ithaca 37

Almost as commonly seen as the Colt Detective Special, any LAPD officer carrying a shotgun is carrying a 12-gauge Ithaca 37. The Nite Owl shooters were said to have used 12-gauge pump shotguns with a five-shell capacity. Breuning (Tomas Arana), Carlisle, Exley, and White are among the officers seen using this shotgun during the film. Carlisle and Exley carry these during the Bunker Hill apartment raid, leading to Exley's "Shotgun Ed" moniker. At the Victory Motel shootout finale, White starts off with the shotgun before Exley grabs it and uses it to ultimately kill Dudley Smith.

Ithaca Model 37 - 12 gauge

Breuning and Carlisle threaten Vincennes with a 12-gauge when they don't immediately recognize him.

Vincennes and Exley arrive in time to see Breuning and Carlisle "finding" the shotguns in the '49 Mercury.

Breuning and Carlisle in the Nite Owl suspects' apartment.

Carlisle lies dead with his shotgun next to him.

Bud loads his shotgun for the final shootout. Exley later uses this gun to murder Smith.