The following weapons can be seen in the British Thames Television miniseries Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983):
British television mini-series Reilly: Ace of Spies(1983)
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.
Handguns
Webley Mk VI
Reilly and one of his compatriots blast off a lock on a cell door. There has been a failed counter-revolution in Moscow and they are freeing a female compatriot who is being held in Lubyanka while everything is in chaos.Lubyanka will later become infamous for being the KGB prison.
Reilly (
Sam Neill) fires at pursuing Soviet agents sent to arrest him.
A Bolshevik hitman prepares to shoot Reilly in London. Reilly (
Sam Neill) had escaped the Bolshevik secret police and made it back to London. However the Bolsheviks don't forgive or forget that easily.
Two disgruntled Bolsheviks plot to kill Lenin.They manage to shoot him though he lives. Nevertheless their action ruins any hope that Reilly had for salvaging his plan to overthrow the Bolsheviks.
A close up of the Webley used in the plot to kill Lenin.
Webley Mk IV Pocket Model
Lockart's mistress greets Reilly. It's Moscow in 1918. The Bolsheviks, Germans, Czarist Loyalists and various other foreign powers are all trying to outmanuver each other and their spies.
She lets them in, but makes sure nobody is loitering in the hallway.
Lockart (
Ian Charleson) loads his Webley. Things are not going well for the British agents at this point. However his mistress has nerves of steel. Notice she's reading a book.
For understandable reasons Lockart looks stressed.
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.
Swedish Nagant M1887 revolver - 7.5mm Nagant
Reilly (
Sam Neill) greets General Bazan. Nagant Model 1895 close by - just in case.
A close up of the revolver.
Nagant being carried by one of the Bolsheviks sent to arrest Reilly in Moscow. Reilly is firing back at them with his Webley Mk VI in the frame.
The Bolsheviks storm the British embassy in St. Petersburg.
The Bolsheviks exchange fire with Commander Cromy (
Barry Stokes).
Mauser C96
Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser. Note the rear tangent sight; in something of a display of wishful thinking, the C96's sight is adjustable for ranges up to 1000 metres.
Inspector Tsientsin (
David Suchet) with his
Mauser C96 drawn inside Reilly's Port Arthur prison cell during the attack.
Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector
Used by Zaharov (Leo McKern). Zaharov was 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 is a Smith & Wesson Mk II Hand Ejector. Though I was unable to get a clearer screencap.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 1904. The large frame Smith & Wesson sometimes called the 44 Frame or the N Frame wasn't intoduced 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.
British-issued Mk.II Hand Ejector
Colt M1911A1
After having failed in his attempt to overthrow the Bolshevik goverment 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 to include Commander Cromie (Barry Stokes) of His Majesty's Royal Navy. Cromie 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 Cromi is armed with two Colt Model 1911 pistols. I assume that they are the models chambered for the .455 Webley Self-Loading Pistol Cartridge.
M1911 - .455 Webley, a licensed handgun to the British Armed Forces during and after World War 1, later issued to members of the R.A.F. and Royal Navy
Being a proper English Naval Officer Cromie (
Barry Stokes) takes a few moments to groom himself. 1911 pistols at the ready.
Having squared his uniform away Cromie prepares to greet the embassy's uninvited guests.
Cromie goes down blazing.
Mauser C96 Bolo
General Bazan (
Alan Downer), commander of the Latvian Infantry Regiment, and one of Lenin's most trusted people confronts Reilly (
Sam Neill) ,who has been waiting for him in Bazan's quarter, with a
Mauser C96 'Bolo'.
Mannlicher Model 1905
After returning safely to London Reilly (
Sam Neill) picks up a mistress. Alexandra (
Lindsay Duncan) is her name but she prefers the nickname "The Plugger." At her request Reilly takes her shopping for a handgun. In downtown London! However it is 1918.She falls for the
Mannlicher Model 1905.
Alexandra displays a rather breezy attitude about gun safety. Fortunately it is unloaded.
Reilly (
Sam Neill) expresses doubt about her choice. He recommends a Glisenti Automatic, an Italian pistol. The Mannlicher, on the other hand, is an Austrian handgun and as Austria is at war with England in 1918 he has doubts about the availability of ammo for it.The shopkeeper informs him that he has two boxes of ammo. Reilly is still doubtful,but Alexandra wants it so he buys it for her.
The war is now over. Alexandra realizes that life is dangerous with Reilly and she is returning home to mother.He makes sure she takes her Mannlicher with her.Reilly prefers the Luger.
Luger P08
Blumkin (
Alfred Molina) murders the German minister with a
Luger P08. Setting off the failed counter-revolution before Reilly and his people are ready.
Blumkin proceeds to kills the German minister's secretary.
While Alexandra (
Lindsay Duncan) is picking out a handgun Reilly sets his Luger on the counter. He has brought it by for servicing.
The Bolshevik hitman fails in his attempt to murder Reilly (
Sam Neill). He misses and Reilly kills him with his Luger.
Webley & Scott Mk I
Mannlicher Model 1903
Submachinegun
Thompson Model 1921 submachine gun
Reilly (
Sam Neill) prepares to open fire on a pursuing car containing a hit team.He is leaning out of his car.
One of the would be killers returns fire with his own M1921 Thompson.
Rifle
Mosin Nagant Rifle
The Bolsheviks storm the British embassy in St. Petersburg.
The Bolsheviks exchange fire with Commander Cromy (
Barry Stokes).
Machinegun
Vickers Machine Gun
The Vickers Machine Gun is used as a subsitute for the Maxim Model 1910 Machine gun. Especially in the episodes 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.
Vickers Mark 1 Machine Gun - .303 British
Maxim 1910 with wheel mount
Shotgun
Unidentified Double Barrel Shotgun
In the first episode Reilly's mistress has been murdered. He demands answers from the head of British naval intelligence in the man's 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 that while the shotgun is of English origin, its trigger mechanism is from Texas.
L.C. Smith Cased hardened hammerless side by side Field shotgun - 12 Gauge.
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