This is the sixth in a series of articles reporting on the Stembridge Armory Collection Auction in Los Angeles, hosted by Little John’s Auction Service.
Part 6: Hero Pistol – Terminator 2: Judgment Day
This week I finally have “in hand” the first of my wins from the Stembridge Collection Auction last month (the delay due to CA law and waiting periods).
Of the three original prop firearms I won, I elected to take the Terminator 2 hero pistol first, as that was one of my two top pieces (the other being the hero pistol from the movie, True Lies).
Given that I already had one of the hero custom vintage 1887 Winchester shotguns (two of the others were made available at this very auction), I was thrilled to have an opportunity to reunite the pistol with the shotgun…
The Custom Winchester Shotguns
Just by way of background, the shotguns used in Terminator 2 were vintage 1887 Winchesters that were highly modified for the production. Also of interest is that the lever/loop on each is different. Of the three hero ones I’ve seen (my own and the two at auction), one has the “rose box” configuration (standard/unmodified), one is a very round loop (for the twirling/swing-cocking scenes on the motorcycle), and mine is a less round loop (presumably for the twirling scenes, but I have yet to match that component on screen).
Here is a photo I took before the auction of the three up for auction (the one in the middle was a rubber stunt):
Some of my paperwork reflects a fourth serial number, so there may yet be a fourth hero T2 shotgun “out there”.
Interestingly, the shotguns were frequently disassembled throughout the production, mixing and matching parts, so it is possible to screen match one component of these props in a scene, whereas another component does not match (which I have experienced).
The Custom Detonics/Colt Hero Pistol
When I first learned of the Stembridge Armory auction and went through the catalog, the number one piece, for me (that I could potentially afford!), was the T2 pistol. So I am thrilled to have won the piece (see article, “Stembridge Auction Report, Part 3: My Experiences & Observations at the Event“).
One of the things that makes this piece unique is that it is a custom made firearms. It is a Colt slide on a Detonics frame.
Even more important is the frequency of use throughout the film. In the context of the story, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the Terminator, takes both the pistol and shotgun from the biker in the opening scenes. When rescuing Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton), Sarah takes the pistol and uses to fight against the T-1000, and keeps it up until they arrive at the camp. When invading Cyberdyne, Schwarzenegger again uses it, and uses it again in the final scenes of the film, again fighting the T-1000 (Robert Patrick).
Also of note is that, going from the rental receipts, it shows only two such pistols made for the production. The other one has a notation that states, “DAMAGED THROUGHOUT”, so that would lead me to believe this one I have is the one predominantly used.
Anyway, below are photos of the pistol as well as some screencaps featuring the prop…
Jason De Bord