Getting a piece of movie history ....

[Jack Suber]

So, here's how it happened. Several years ago, while living in Ecuador, my brother found a warehouse full of 71-84 Mausers. He contacted a friend who owns Gibbes Rifle Company. Gibbes wanted to buy all of the rifles and they arranged for the sale and export back to the states. Once here, Gibbes Rifle company restored the rifles. When they were done, the makers of "the Last Samurai" contacted them looking for model 71-84 Mausers for their movie. Just happens that they were ready to go. So the movie company buys all of them. When they received them on location, the historian contacted the owner of Gibbes in a state of panic. The rifles the Japanese would of had in that era had brass trigger guards. The rifles they bought did not. So, the owner of Gibbes tells them to go buy gold spray paint and paint the trigger guards. They did that. These rifles were used in the final battle scenes in the movie.

Well, Monday, December 22, my brother calls me and tells me that he shipped a rifle to me...Merry Christmas. It is one of the rifles that was used in the movie. A certification stating that the rifle was used in the movie will arrive in the next week or two. I thought it was a cool Christmas gift...

Here is a couple of pictures:

Edited December 29, 2008 by Jack Suber

[PHolsted]

Sweet!!!!

So, here's how it happened. Several years ago, while living in Ecuador, my brother found a warehouse full of 71-84 Mausers. He contacted a friend who owns Gibbes Rifle Company. Gibbes wanted to buy all of the rifles and they arranged for the sale and export back to the states. Once here, Gibbes Rifle company restored the rifles. When they were done, the makers of "the Last Samurai" contacted them looking for model 71-84 Mausers for their movie. Just happens that they were ready to go. So the movie company buys all of them. When they received them on location, the historian contacted the owner of Gibbes in a state of panic. The rifles the Japanese would of had in that era had brass trigger guards. The rifles they bought did not. So, the owner of Gibbes tells them to go buy gold spray paint and paint the trigger guards. They did that. These rifles were used in the final battle scenes in the movie.

Well, Monday, December 22, my brother calls me and tells me that he shipped a rifle to me...Merry Christmas. It is one of the rifles that was used in the movie. A certification stating that the rifle was used in the movie will arrive in the next week or two. I thought it was a cool Christmas gift...

Here is a couple of pictures:

[j1b]

Too cool!

I've seen the guns used in Face Off, and saw the gun used in that Welsey Snipes movie (in Japan) before it was in the movie - Rob generously donated his gun to the movie set while dining at a restaurant in San Francisco. The "borrower" took it out of his trunk . . . no need to ruin Rob's lunch and all . . .

Never owned a set gun though. That is cool.

And, while no Tom Cruise fan, I did enjoy The Last Samurai.

Jack

Edited December 29, 2008 by j1b

[Micah]

That is an excellent story Jack I too enjoyed that movie.

[kimel]

That is way cool! Good brother you have there!

So are the rest of those rifles going up for sale somewhere? My dad collects older military rifles as does a good friend and I know they would want to add one to their collections.

[ima45dv8]

Extreme coolness, Jack!

[Paul Santiago]

Very Cool!!!

[ken hebert]

But the triggerguard ain't brass!!!!!

[XD Niner]

Of course you'll be using that to compete in 3-gun this year, right?

Congrats!

[caspian guy]

Of course you'll be using that to compete in 3-gun this year, right?

Congrats!

No, no that's for manualy operated division

Peter Adams

FY-39604