17093482-mmmain.jpg

Amity Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) fires at a great white shark with a M1 Garand rifle in the 1975 movie "Jaws."

(Universal Pictures )

Coming soon to a museum near you.

The Springfield Armory Museum is taking a closer look at the movies in a new exhibit, "Springfield Armory Goes to Hollywood," showcasing the many firearms used in action flicks from the heyday of the movies to today.

The public is invited to the exhibit's free premier opening on Saturday, April 25, at 6 p.m., minus the red carpet, which will feature refreshments and a cash bar.

Although Springfield Armory firearms were all made for military use, some of the Armory weapons had another life in Hollywood starring in famous movies, noted Joanne M. Gangi-Wellman, chief of interpretation.



Gathered from two film industry prop houses, the movie firearms will showcase guns used in blockbuster Hollywood movies. The exhibit features such specialties as two rubber prop copies of Colt 1847 Walker Revolvers, which were used by Clint Eastwood for stunts in the cult classic "Outlaw Josey Wales" and a Savage Arms company 1907 pistol fired by Jude Law in the gangster movie "Road to Perdition."

"We saw similar exhibits at other museums and began asking them how they put them together. In fact, Smith and Wesson had their own exhibit at one time. It's been especially fun putting this one together," said the exhibit's curator Alex Mackenzie.

"You don't necessarily expect to see the proper weapons for the period and action depicted in the movie. A primary Armory firearm used was the Trapdoor because there was a surplus available to Hollywood. Whether correct to the period or not, Trapdoors were easy to handle and load for the actors. An attempt was made to make the Trapdoor gun more visually like a 1903, Krag Jorgenson or other rifles needed for the film," he added.

Mackenzie said one of the 24 specimens on display will be the rifle used in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," directed by Steven Spielberg, which was actually an M1.

"We (the Armory) made millions of them during World War II. There is also an interesting back story to this piece. Robert Shaw played Quint, the shark hunter, whose character was a survivor of the USS Indianapolis submarine, which was sunk by the Japanese. He alluded to that in the movie, and I think it is interesting that he played a veteran of the war in the movie and it is kind of cool that he used a vintage M1 in the movie," said Mackenzie.

During the six month exhibit, park rangers will treat visitors to highlight tours, back stories of the displayed firearms, and up-close and personal opportunities to study Armory weapons. The exhibit runs through Sept. 30.