Talk:The Black Scorpion

Rifle with Top-Loaded Magazine

I was told over at the Romancing the Stone talk page to peruse the site and figure out what gun was what rather than post screenshots to the talk pages and have more knowledgeable people identify them. But on this one I admit defeat. I won't even attempt to guess its identity as I know I'll be wrong.

At this time, you were probably right. What would have annoyed people otherwise was to immediately query other members on really obvious ID questions like an M1 Carbine or an MP5, but I gander that few would recognize the Mendoza right away. MPM

It's a weird rifle of a kind I haven't seen before, with a top loaded magazine, but the characters work it like a lever-action rifle, and refer to it as a "machine gun" in dialogue. I suspect the magazine was added to it for the film. - Kooshmeister

If they worked it manually, it means that the weapons were NOT blank adapted and they needed to rack the action to chamber another blank round. Just an indicator of the low budget of the film (but also the 'art' of blank adaption was still a bit of a mystery to filmmakers for many years' ;) ) MoviePropMaster2008 16:55, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

Mexican Mendoza M1934 Light Machine Gun - 7x57mm

You mean this? The Mendoza is an actual Mexican Light Machine Gun from the pre-WW2 years. It was used by the Mexican Military until the 1960s. MoviePropMaster2008 08:08, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

Guys, this is a Light Machine Gun, not a rifle, it pissed me off when they treat it like one.--Gunner5

Snarky commenary

BTW, Kooshmeister. You may not realize that IMFDB tends to look down on snarky commentary. Try to be as neutral and scholarly as possible in your descriptions and commentary. MoviePropMaster2008 08:13, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

• This I was aware of although what "snarky commentary" do you mean? - Kooshmeister
• Nevermind I toned it down although I don't think it was that bad. - Kooshmeister

You're right. It wasn't too bad, but I feared it was a slippery slope and some 'new member' will see that and push the boundary further and further and we'll end up with real sarcasm. We've spent quite a bit of time excising that from the site over the last year & a half (kudos to our members too for moderating their tones :) ) Didn't want to seem like I was picking on you, but we just want to steer members away even mild snarky comments. :) MoviePropMaster2008 16:59, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

Mexican Mauser?

The Soldier in the back seems to be carrying either a Model 1910 Mexican Carbine or a Model 1912 Mexican Mauser Rifle. The buttstock has the same general shape as the Mexican Mausers. MoviePropMaster2008 08:00, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Major Cosio fires the Mendoza at one of the giant scorpions.

Harpoon Gun

In the film's climax, a harpoon gun is retrofitted to fire a large projectile attached via cable to an electrical generator. It is manned by the Mexican Army's Major Ortega, until he forgets it's electrified and grabs the projectile with his bare hands.

Ortega mans the harpoon gun flanked by Scott and Ramos.

Ortega is killed after retrieving the electrified harpoon - with his bare hands.