This is the next in a series of more comprehensive profiles of the original props in my own collection, and the next piece to be showcased the hero customized Hammerli Model 280 Semi-Auto .22 cal Pistol prop pistol used by Bridget Fonda as Maggie Hayward/Claudia Anne Doran/Nina in John Badham’s “Point of No Return“.

Maggie Hayward/Claudia Anne Doran/Nina (Portrayed by Bridget Fonda)

Hero Hammerli Model 280 Semi-Auto .22 cal Pistol

Point of No Return (1993)

Note: Most images throughout the article can be clicked on for higher resolution versions

Note: Details about the original acquisition of this piece can be found here: Stembridge Auction Report, Part 7: Hero Pistol – Point of No Return

Background: Point of No Return

Point of No Return (1993), also titled “The Assassin” in some territories, was a remake of Luc Besson’s French film Nikita (1990). Point of No Return was directed by John Badham and starred Bridget Fonda. In the film, Fonda’s “Maggie” is a criminal found guilty and sentenced to death, but is given an opportunity to work for the government as an assassin.

With her first mission at a dinner date, she is presented with a wooden case which contains a Hämmerli 280 pistol with two magazines, which she uses to assassinate her first target and make her escape.

Background: Stembridge Gun Rentals

Stembridge Gun Rentals of Hollywood, California, was founded in 1916 by James Syndey Stembridge in conjunction with Cecil B. DeMille. This business was founded to provide firearms and specialist weapons handlers (or “armorers”) to the motion picture industry for use in film and later, television.

At its height at the end of World War I, the armory included more than 10,000 firearms.

In addition to renting firearms (which were eventually converted to fire blanks), Stembridge also produced custom weapons for use in film and television.

Circa 1999, Stembridge closed its operations and a significant portion of the collection was purchased by Robert Petersen of Petersen Publishing. He intended to create a firearms museum in Los Angeles, but the project did not reach fruition. Following his death, the collection was made available for sale at public auction by Little John’s Auction Service in 2007 (see related articles).

Stembridge Gun Rentals is still in existence in different form and owned and operated by Syd Stembridge, grand-nephew of the founder.

Hammerli Model 280 Semi-Auto Pistol .22 cal Pistol

Hämmerli is a Swiss manufacturer of firearms which are used in sport shooting and Olympic events.

The Hammerli Model 280 pictured below was a real firearm converted to blank fire and used by Bridget Fonda in publicity and principal photography for Point of No Return and also appears on the one sheet poster. In addition to conversion to blank fire, it was also custom chromed specifically for the production.

Provenance & Authenticity

This piece was originally sold at the “Stembridge Collection” auction held by Little John’s Auction Service in June 2007. I subsequently purchased it from the collector who acquired the two pistols sold at auction. Below is the excerpt of the two lots from the Little John’s catalog:

This is actually the only Stembridge piece in my collection for which I do not have copies of the rental agreements.

However, in addition to the custom chroming and attributions in the Little John’s catalog, I also have a letter from Carter Mountain Consulting Agency, the firm that was employed to conduct an inventory and appraisal of the assets of Stembridge Gun Rental Company in late 1998 through early 1999.

Additionally, I have been fortunate to have made a number of irrefutable matches to publicity material and screen shots in the film.

The first match is to the one sheet poster/image. I am still seeking an original negative quality image, it is possible to make out the last four digits of actual serial number of the weapon on the DVD cover (which is the same image as the one sheet poster). However, it is very faint and clarity is lost in photographing or scanning this image, so it is not possible to publish a compelling comparison in this article. Once I do find a better image, I will update this feature. Having said that, in addition to the matching serial number is also a mark near the safety button, which will be seen in more detail in following comparisons:

I have also found photography representing a number of publicity photos, and have made several matches between the pistol that is the subject of this feature and the one that appears in these images.

In this first example, the same specific mark seen next to the safety button in the example above – an area with which it appears that the chrome did not take, and an area was filled in with silver paint, which is flaked off revealing black underneath – can also be seen in the publicity photo below:

In this second example, there are distinct marks in the chrome of the ejector port area on the gun in this additional publicity still (which appears to have come from the same session as the image used on the one sheet poster, based on the costume and hair styling):

I have also been fortunate to have “screen-matched” this piece to still frame images in the Blu-Ray Disc version of the film, which is in high resolution at 1920×1080.

Below is a still from the scene in which Fonda opens the presentation box to reveal the pistol inside. Note that there is an area above the trigger in which the chrome did not adhere to the piece and was touched up with silver paint, and the same area on this pistol matches exactly:

Interestingly, when Fonda opens the case the second time, it is a different pistol which does not have the same mark (in addition to using two pistols, there is a continuity error with the magazines):

Point of No Return Blu-Ray Disc Screencaptures

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