I was watching an Andy Griffith Show rerun tonight and was admiring the gun rack at the sheriff's office. I was curious to know what Andy and Barney were packing. This is what I found:
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Andy_Griffith_Show,_The

Sheriff Taylor had a few others on the gun rack but other than a Winchester 94 or 92 I can't make them out?

I caught up on the AGS since it's been playing here and had a similar curiosity although not as thorough as yours. Interesting what's become of some of these guns. I understand Barney's revolver sold at auction for the surprising sum of $8000 in 2003.

I have often wondered about that same question. I don't think it answers what was in the gun rack, though. Seems to me that there were long guns other than the ones mentioned, standing there?

Andy Taylor never carried a side arm. Barney was only allowed one bullet that had to be kept in his pocket unless he had permission.

There were one or two episodes where Andy grabbed a shotgun off the rack. Otherwise he never carried

I tried posting a picture of the gun rack but sadly I'm unsuccessful! Perhaps RogueJSK will come to the rescue?

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
Andy Taylor never carried a side arm.

Never?
I distinctly remember him strapping one on a least a time or two.
Here is one...
https://youtu.be/MnASBk2BJRo

That's all good but the question is did Barney carry the same boolit all those years or did he rotate his carry round

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
That's all good but the question is did Barney carry the same boolit all those years or did he rotate his carry round

Nah, he smoked a few... just never on purpose... that I can recall.
And notice Andy with a gun on in the clip as well.
https://youtu.be/dQBhUzEsO-Y

well, you found two episodes that I never saw

quote:

That's all good but the question is did Barney carry the same boolit all those years or did he rotate his carry round

Aunt Bea kept another round for Barney in case it fell out of his pocket. That was in the fifth episode where Goober plays a trick on Floyd the Barber.

Deleted, learning to read/comprehend.

There was that one episode where those guys rob the bank and Barney is ON IT because he is so wound up about Asa, the bank guard, who has a moldy bullet!!

Barney dresses up as a maid to get into the bank, but at some point (at the end of the episode) he and Asa compare bullets to see who has the shiniest one.

I have just been watching this series again, and it's the little things that get me. In one episode (season 2 or 3) a nurse comes into the Sheriff's office, and Andy is sitting at his desk cleaning his revolver. They have an entire conversation, and the gun is never mentioned because...that is just the way things are (or were). Of course a Sheriff would be cleaning his gun - who cares? Just like Barney might be napping or updating the Board, that is just things that happen.

There are many things missing from today's America than Mayberry's, but the acceptance of firearms as a normal part of life is one of them.

Has anyone seen the episode where Opey and Aunt Bea get kidnapped, so Andy opens the weapons vault, pulls out a 1911, tommy gun and BAR then heads out to unleash hell upon the kidnappers? Or maybe that was some other show, I can't remember.

quote:

Originally posted by furlough:
There are many things missing from today's America than Mayberry's, but the acceptance of firearms as a normal part of life is one of them.

Don't forget the episode where Andy loses a skeet shoot to a woman! The episode is called "The Perfect Female." Andy is set up with Thelam Lou's cousin, played by Gail Davis, who happens to be a champion skeet shooter. Davis actually knew how to shoot in real life.

The episode " High Noon" > Andy receives a letter from an ex-con that he shot in the leg, years ago, in a gas station robbery attempt. He has lost most of the function of that leg. The ex-con writes that he is coming to Mayberry to set things straight. Barney assumes the worst. When Andy won't take a vacation or at least carry a gun, Barney deputizes Gomer and Otis to keep watch and protect Andy 24 hours a day. Andy is seen taking a revolver down from on top of a china cabinet..

Collage of gunrack in Sheriff's office &Andy with a lever action.

quote:

Originally posted by CQB60:
The episode " High Noon" > Andy receives a letter from an ex-con that he shot in the leg, years ago, in a gas station robbery attempt. He has lost most of the function of that leg. The ex-con writes that he is coming to Mayberry to set things straight. Barney assumes the worst. When Andy won't take a vacation or at least carry a gun, Barney deputizes Gomer and Otis to keep watch and protect Andy 24 hours a day. Andy is seen taking a revolver down from on top of a china cabinet..

That's the one where the ex-con "sets things straight" by gifting Andy a shotgun, for putting him on the straight and narrow?

quote:

Originally posted by CQB60:
The episode " High Noon" > Andy receives a letter from an ex-con that he shot in the leg, years ago, in a gas station robbery attempt. He has lost most of the function of that leg. The ex-con writes that he is coming to Mayberry to set things straight. Barney assumes the worst. When Andy won't take a vacation or at least carry a gun, Barney deputizes Gomer and Otis to keep watch and protect Andy 24 hours a day. Andy is seen taking a revolver down from on top of a china cabinet..

The ex-con gives Andy a shotgun as a present. The horror!

Leo Gordon played the convict--he was a great bad-guy character actor.

When I came on the job in 1975, we have Win. 94's, M-1 carbines and Thompsons. Plus a selection of shotguns, mostly Ithaca. Plus one of the first m-16's off the line, purchased in 1965.

quote:

Originally posted by rscalzo:
When I came on the job in 1975, we have Win. 94's, M-1 carbines and Thompsons. Plus a selection of shotguns, mostly Ithaca. Plus one of the first m-16's off the line, purchased in 1965.

I started in 1975 too and the department had a Reising .45 ACP submachinegun in its armory. I never had an opportunity to fire it on the range, but when I changed agencies in 1978, my new department allowed officers to check out full auto M16 A1s so we could do some "orientation" shooting. All we had to do was to let the rangemaster know, supply our own ammo, and return it after cleaning it thoroughly! Of course what's a good "orientation day" without sharing the fun with the wife?