Sherlock Holmes (1954 TV Series)

Sherlock Holmes DVD Cover Country USA Creator Sheldon Reynolds Genre Detective Broadcast 1954–1955 No. of Seasons 1 No. of Episodes 39 Main Cast Character Actor Sherlock Holmes Ronald Howard Dr. John H. Watson Howard Marion-Crawford Inspector Lestrade Archie Duncan Sgt. Wilkins Richard Larke

Sherlock Holmes is an American 1954-1955 detective TV series, starring Ronald Howard as Sherlock Holmes and Howard Marion-Crawford as Dr. John H. Watson. Only several episodes are adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's works while most have original plots. The series were filmed in France by Guild Films.

The following weapons were used in the television series Sherlock Holmes:

Revolvers

RIC/Bulldog

Most widely used handguns in the series are several revolvers that appear to be versions of Webley RIC and/or Bulldog, possibly European copies that have a mix of features of both Webley models. Most of them have barrels too long for "classic" Bulldog but too short for RIC. Both fluted and unfluted cylinders can be seen. Some of these revolvers that can be more confidently identified are listed below.

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Belgian copy of a Webley Bulldog - 32 caliber

Ralph Cunningham (Pierre Gay) aims a Bulldog revolver at Sherlock Holmes (Ronald Howard) and Dr. John H. Watson (Howard Marion-Crawford) who sneak in his house in "The Case of the Cunningham Heritage" (Ep.1).

Another view of Cunningham's revolver.

Holmes holds a Bulldog when he expels an unexpected visitor, Mr. Wilson (Alexander Gauge), in "The Red Headed League" (Ep.11).

Holmes holds a Colt New Army & Navy and a Bulldog revolvers.

Holmes imitates dual shooting.

Judd (Charles Brodie) threatens kidnapped interpreter Claude Dubec (Lou Van Burg) in "The Case of the French Interpreter" (Ep.14).

Lattimer (Bob Cunningham) holds a Bulldog instead of previously used top-break revolver.

Holmes holds his revolver, waiting for the attack of escaped convict John Norton who vowed revenge, in "The Case of the Christmas Pudding" (Ep.23).

Inspector Lestrade (Archie Duncan) gives a revolver to Holmes in "The Case of the Violent Suitor" (Ep.25).

Fluted cylinder can be seen.

RIC No. 1 First Pattern

Revolvers that can be more confidently identified as RIC No. 1 First Pattern are seen in hands of escaped convict John Norton (Eugene Deckers) in "The Case of the Christmas Pudding" (Ep.23), by Jack Murdock (Eric Micklewood) and Tilda (Rolly Bester) in "The Case of the Violent Suitor" (Ep.25), by J. Oliver's henchman (uncredited) in "The Case of the Baker Street Bachelors" (Ep.33), and by a gambler Herbert Fenwick (Roland Bartrop) in "The Case of the Unlucky Gambler" (Ep.37).

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Webley RIC No. 1 First Pattern - .442 Webley

John Norton (Eugene Deckers), disguised a police constable, breaks in Holmes' room in "The Case of the Christmas Pudding" (Ep.23).

A closeup of Norton's revolver allows to identify it as First Pattern due to the cylinder stop notches at the front of the cylinder.

Jack Murdock (Eric Micklewood) threatens Alex Doogle (Brookes Kyle) in "The Case of the Violent Suitor" (Ep.25).

Tilda, a housekeeper, aims the revolver at Murdock.

Unlucky gambler Herbert Fenwick (Roland Bartrop), hiding his face under fake beard, robs a gambling club in "The Case of the Unlucky Gambler" (Ep.37).

Another view of Fenwick's revolver.

Sherlock Holmes (Ronald Howard) holds Fenwick's revolver when interrogating the club bartender.

RIC No. 1 Second Pattern

A revolver that is used by a swindler Van Bentham (Lou Van Burg) in "The Case of the Belligerent Ghost" (Ep.5) can be identified as based on a RIC No. 1 Second Pattern.

Webley RIC No. 1 Second Pattern - .442 Webley

A close view of the revolver in hand of Van Bentham (Lou Van Burg) in "The Case of the Belligerent Ghost" (Ep.5). This is Second Pattern revolver, identified by the cylinder stop notches at the rear of the cylinder.

During the confrontation with Van Bentham Watson pulls the rug out from under the villain's feet.

Watson catches the revolver. The bird's head grip is seen that is more common for European produced versions of RIC that for original Webley revolvers.

Watson holds the revolver and then gives it to Holmes.

Colt New Line

Colt New Line revolvers are widely used throughout the series. Supposedly a single prop is reused.

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Colt New Line - .38 (five rounds cylinder)

Holmes (Ronald Howard) hands a revolver to Lady Nina Beryl (Paulette Goddard) in "The Case of Lady Beryl" (Ep.2).

Col. Lysander Stark (Richard Warner) threatens engineer Victor Haterly (David Oxley) in "The Case of the Shoeless Engineer" (Ep.12).

The cylinder is 5-shot, so the revolver is chambered in .30 or larger caliber.

Another view of Stark's revolver.

"The thistle killer" John Phoenix (Richard Watson), disguised as a police constable, fires a Colt New Line at Holmes and Watson in "The Case of the Thistle Killer" (Ep.18).

A close view of a Colt New Line in hand of Dr. Dimanche (Jacques François) in "The Case of the Deadly Prophecy" (Ep.22).

Watson stops Dimanche and disarms him.

Watson unloads the revolver.

Inspector Lestrade (Archie Duncan) holds his revolver in "The Case of the Violent Suitor" (Ep.25). In earlier scene of same episode he has a Bulldog revolver.

Colt New Army & Navy

Sherlock Holmes (Ronald Howard) uses a Colt New Army & Navy revolver in "The Red Headed League" (Ep.11) and "The Case of the Thistle Killer" (Ep.18). Same looking revolver are seen in hands of Minnie O'Malley (Lucille Vines) in "The Case of the Texas Cowgirl" (Ep.4); supposedly this is a single prop, reused throughout the series.

Colt New Army Model of 1903 - .38 Colt.

Minnie O'Malley (Lucille Vines) "greets" Holmes and Watson with a gunshot of her Colt in "The Case of the Texas Cowgirl" (Ep.4).

A closeup of Holmes' Colt in "The Red Headed League" (Ep.11). Holmes fires at a makeshift bullet catcher when he makes a ballistic experiment.

Another closeup of the revolver. The shape of the frame matches M1903 version of New Army & Navy series.

A general view of the revolver.

Holmes examines the Colt. A Bulldog is in his other hand.

Holmes imitates dual shooting.

Holmes cleans his Colt in "The Case of the Thistle Killer" (Ep.18).

Another view of the revolver in same scene.

Colt Police Positive

Another Colt revolver, supposedly a Colt Police Positive, is used by Dr. Watson (Howard Marion-Crawford) in "The Case of the Christmas Pudding" (Ep.23).

Colt Police Positive with 4" Barrel - .38 Special

Watson, awakened in the night, holds a revolver.

Smith & Wesson top-break revolver

A nickel plated Smith & Wesson top-break revolver is used by Uncle Cecil (Duncan Elliott) in "The Case of the Night Train Riddle" (Ep.24). It's hard to indetify the exact model but Smith & Wesson 4th Model seems to be a decent guess.

Smith & Wesson 4th Model Double Action - .32 S&W

Uncle Cecil holds a revolver.

Compact top-break revolver

Compact top-break revolvers are seen in several episodes. The angular lower part of the frame allows to guess that these guns (or a single gun reused) are hardly Smith & Wesson models, more likely they are produced by some smaller manufacturer, maybe not American but European one.

Lattimer (Bob Cunningham) threatens kidnapped interpreter Claude Dubec (Lou Van Burg) in "The Case of the French Interpreter" (Ep.14).

The revolver is seen from the muzzle.

Sherlock Holmes (Ronald Howard) holds a top-break revolver instead of previously seen Bulldog. Supposedly it's same prop that was earlier used by Lattimer.

Another view of Holmes' revolver.

Inspector Lestrade (Archie Duncan) fires at an unknown person who attacked Judge Westlake in "The Case of the Vanished Detective" (Ep.19). His gun appears to be same compact top-break revolver.

Watson takes same looking top-break revolver from Holmes' drawer in "The Case of the Perfect Husband" (Ep.27).

What appear to be same revolver in hand of Holmes in the scene in Mr. Russel Partridge's house in same episode.

Unidentified revolvers

Dr. Watson (Howard Marion-Crawford) holds some compact revolver during the arrest of Lattimer in "The Case of the French Interpreter" (Ep.14).

Inspector Lestrade (Archie Duncan) draws a compact revolver from his pocket in "The Case of the Thistle Killer" (Ep.18).

Lestrade shoots at John Phoenix (Richard Watson), knows as "thistle killer". Inspector's revolver is a very small gun (smaller that a Colt New Line that is also seen in this episode), seemingly without trigger guard. Possibly it's a kind of Velo-Dog that were widespread in France where the series were filmed.

Shotguns

Double Barreled Shotgun

Double Barreled Shotguns are seen in "The Case of the Greystone Inscription" (Ep.16) and "The Case of the Careless Suffragette" (Ep.20). It is supposed by the same reused prop, and while it's hard to say for sure, this shotgun may be a percussion cap gun.

Sir Thomas Greystone (Archie Duncan in his second role in the series) holds a shotgun when he meets Miss Millicent Channing, Holmes and Watson on the doorstep of his castle in "The Case of the Greystone Inscription" (Ep.16).

Another view of Sir Thomas Greystone's shotgun.

Holmes holds Greystone's shotgun.

A double barreled shotgun is seen on the wall in the apartments of Russian Anarchist Boris Turgoff in "The Case of the Careless Suffragette" (Ep.20). It seems to be the same gun, used in Ep.16.