The Guns of Dirty Harry (1971): Every Weapon Identified

One gun made Dirty Harry a legend, and it was the biggest handgun in the world at the time. But Harry Callahan’s 1971 San Francisco is full of interesting iron, from his hand cannon to the killer’s rifle. Here is every major gun in Dirty Harry, and where to find the real thing.

The Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum

“The most powerful handgun in the world, and it would blow your head clean off.” Harry’s Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44 Magnum, with its long 6.5-inch barrel, is the most famous movie gun of all time. The film single-handedly created a run on the Model 29 that lasted years; people who had never fired a revolver wanted the gun Dirty Harry carried. It is a genuine big-bore powerhouse, and it is still made today. See the modern crop in our best .44 Magnum revolvers guide.

The Colt Detective Special

Not every gun in the film is a hand cannon. The compact Colt Detective Special, a snub-nosed .38 revolver, is the classic plainclothes backup of the era, small enough to vanish under a sport coat. It is the everyman counterpoint to Harry’s Magnum, and the snub-nose revolver remains a beloved carry and backup gun. Browse the category in our best revolvers guide.

The Scorpio Killer’s Winchester Model 70

The villain, the Scorpio Killer, does his sniping with a scoped Winchester Model 70, the classic American bolt-action hunting rifle often called “The Rifleman’s Rifle.” Its controlled-round-feed action and reputation for accuracy made it the benchmark sporting rifle for generations, and it is still in production. It is a chilling choice precisely because it is so ordinary, the same rifle a deer hunter would own.

The Rest of the Arsenal

A few more guns round out the film: a Walther P38, the German WWII service pistol, turns up in criminal hands, and a Winchester Model 12 pump shotgun makes an appearance. But make no mistake, Dirty Harry belongs to that six-and-a-half-inch Model 29. No single film has ever done more to sell a handgun. If it made you a believer, our .44 Magnum and revolver guides are where to start.