Sam Chisolm doesn't just walk into a room. He commands it. Denzel Washington, playing the lead in the 2016 remake, carries a custom Colt Single Action Army that looks like it belongs in a museum, but he handles it like a surgical tool. That's the thing about the guns of Magnificent Seven cast choices—they aren't just props. They’re character beats. If you look at the 1960 original versus the 2016 Antoine Fuqua version, the weaponry tells two completely different stories about the American West.
People obsess over the actors. Sure, Yul Brynner and Denzel are icons. But for the firearm nerds? The real stars are the Peacemakers, the Winchesters, and that terrifyingly fast Gatling gun.
The Peacemaker is Still King
The Colt Single Action Army (SAA), often called the Peacemaker, is the heartbeat of both films. In the 1960 version, Steve McQueen’s Vin Tanner and Brynner’s Chris Adams carry these classic revolvers. They were the gold standard. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine a Western without that distinct clicking sound of a hammer being pulled back.
In the 2016 film, Denzel Washington’s Sam Chisolm carries a 7.5-inch barrel Colt SAA. It’s blued. It’s sleek. It has these beautiful ivory grips that pop against his all-black outfit. Most people don’t realize that the length of the barrel actually changes how a quick-draw works. A 7.5-inch barrel is harder to clear from a holster than the shorter 4.75-inch "Gunfighter" model, which makes Chisolm’s speed even more impressive. It shows he’s a professional. He isn't showing off; he just knows exactly what he's doing.
Then you have Chris Pratt’s character, Josh Faraday. He’s the wildcard. He carries dual Colt SAAs, but he uses them with a sort of reckless flair that contrasts perfectly with Chisolm’s precision. While Chisolm is a scalp-hunter with a badge, Faraday is a gambler. His guns are tools for a messy job.
When the Guns of Magnificent Seven Cast Went Weird
Fuqua’s 2016 ensemble brought in a lot of diversity, not just in the actors, but in the tactical gear. Take Billy Rocks, played by Byung-hun Lee. He’s the knife guy. But when he does use a firearm, it’s often a Remington 1875. It looks similar to a Colt, but it has that distinct web under the barrel. It’s a subtle nod to the fact that not everyone in the West used the same gear.
Ethan Hawke’s Goodnight Robicheaux is perhaps the most interesting study in the guns of Magnificent Seven cast lineup. He’s a legendary sharpshooter suffering from what we now recognize as PTSD. He carries a silver-plated Colt SAA, but his primary weapon is the 1873 Winchester rifle. The "Gun that Won the West."
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But there’s a catch.
In the film, Robicheaux struggles to take the shot. The rifle represents his past glory and his present trauma. It’s heavy. It’s long. It requires a steady hand that he just doesn't have anymore. When he finally does fire, the sound design makes sure you feel every ounce of that .44-40 caliber round.
The 1860 Henry and the High-Capacity Problem
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays Vasquez, the outlaw. He carries a pair of Smith & Wesson Schofield revolvers. These are "top-break" guns. Instead of loading one bullet at a time through a gate like the Colt, the whole frame hinges open. It’s faster to reload. It’s the kind of gun a guy on the run would want.
But let’s talk about the rifles.
Vincent D'Onofrio’s Jack Horne is a mountain man. He’s a beast. He uses a Sharps 1874 Buffalo Rifle. This thing is a cannon. It’s a single-shot, breech-loading rifle designed to take down a bison from hundreds of yards away. It’s slow. It’s loud. It fits a man who uses a hatchet when things get close.
On the flip side, many characters use the Henry Repeating Rifle. This was a marvel of engineering at the time. You could load 15 rounds into a tube under the barrel. In a world where most people had six shots before a long reload, a Henry rifle felt like a machine gun. It changed the math of a gunfight.
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The Gatling Gun: The Ultimate Villain
In both versions of the story, the antagonists eventually stop playing fair. In the 2016 version, Peter Sarsgaard’s Bartholomew Bogue brings out the 1866 Gatling Gun.
This isn't just a movie trope. The Gatling gun was a terrifying reality of the late 19th century. It used a hand crank to rotate six barrels, firing roughly 200 to 400 rounds per minute. In the context of the movie, it represents the crushing weight of industrial capitalism against the rugged individualism of the Seven. You can't out-draw a machine.
The sound team on the 2016 film actually recorded real antique Gatling guns to get that specific mechanical "clatter-thud" sound. It doesn't sound like a modern M60; it sounds like a sewing machine made of death.
Why the Original 1960 Hardware Felt Different
The 1960 cast, including Charles Bronson and James Coburn, used guns that were more "standard" for the Hollywood Western era. Back then, studios had massive armories of modified Colts and Winchesters.
James Coburn’s Britt is the knife expert of the original group. His famous scene involves a duel with a gunman where he uses a flip-out knife against a revolver. But when the chips are down, he reaches for a Colt. The 1960 film was less about the specific specs of the guns and more about the myth of the gunfighter.
In the 2016 version, there’s a lot more attention paid to the "kit." You see the gun belts, the speed of the thumb on the hammer, and the different types of holsters. It feels more "lived in."
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Reality Check: Did These Guns Actually Exist Together?
Western movies are notorious for "anachronisms"—putting guns in years they don't belong. Both Magnificent Seven films are set in the late 1870s or early 1880s.
For the most part, they nailed it.
The Colt SAA was introduced in 1873. The Winchester '73 was, obviously, 1873. The Schofield was early 1870s. Everything fits. The only slight stretch is the sheer abundance of some of these weapons in a remote border town. A Sharps Buffalo rifle or a high-end nickel-plated Colt would have cost a fortune. But hey, these guys are the best of the best. They’ve spent their money on the tools of their trade.
Practical Insights for History Buffs and Collectors
If you're looking to understand the guns of Magnificent Seven cast members from a historical perspective, here’s the breakdown of what made these tools effective:
- The Colt SAA: Reliable because it had fewer moving parts. If it got dirty, it still worked.
- The Winchester 1873: It used the same ammunition as the Colt revolvers (.44-40). This meant a cowboy only had to carry one type of bullet for both his handgun and his rifle. Huge advantage.
- The Schofield: Favored by the cavalry because you could eject spent shells with one hand while holding the horse's reins with the other.
- The Gatling: Required a crew. It wasn't a "one-man" weapon. It jammed often if the crank was turned too fast, a detail the movie mostly ignores for the sake of drama.
To really appreciate the craft, look at the leatherwork. The holsters in the 2016 film were custom-made by historical specialists to ensure the "drop" and "cant" (the angle of the gun) were authentic to how lawmen and outlaws actually drew their weapons.
If you want to see these in person, the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles often has exhibits on film firearms. For collectors, companies like Uberti and Pietta make modern, fireable replicas of almost every gun seen in the film. They are remarkably accurate to the originals, right down to the weight and the mechanical "four clicks" of the Colt hammer.
The next time you watch the film, don't just watch the explosions. Listen to the different "pops" and "booms." Watch how Denzel reloads vs. how Chris Pratt fumbles. It’s all there. The weaponry isn't just decoration; it's the script written in steel and lead.
Instead of just watching the movie again, go look up the "Internet Movie Firearms Database" (IMFDB) page for both versions. It lists every single serial number and variant used on set. It’s a rabbit hole, but it’s the best way to see the sheer level of detail the armorer put into the production.