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Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Guns?

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 4:01 pm
by 81police
I came across a photograph dated May 23rd, 1934 that states to be from the ambush site. It's a series of firearms on top of Bonnie & Clyde's car. Now we've all seen the famous photos of the firearms Bonnie & Clyde had in their car, but I zoomed in on this photograph and it looks like different guns. The far left gun's barrel profile looks like a Model 8, can't tell if it's broken down or has something on top of it? The BAR is obvious, as is 3 shotguns. Is anybody able to tell what model of shotguns these are?

I don't see why any officer other than the ambush officers would have layed their firearms on top of the car. What do y'all think?

Image

Re: Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Guns?

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 7:35 pm
by imfuncity
Interesting picture. Great job on the enlarging and zeroing in - I've embarrassed a few folks doing that to their pictures. :twisted:

I've read that B&C had a Model 8 in their car. If I'm not mistaken Bonnie was suppose to have had a shotgun on her lap.

I'd bet that the next gun over, in the middle of your picture, is a Rem Model 11 or an A5 (I believe the Savage like those came later).

Re: Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Guns?

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:04 pm
by 81police
You can find pictures of Bonnie & Clyde's gun inventory on google, but here is a list I found online of what was recovered from their car.

Three .30 caliber. Browning Automatic Rifles
One 20 gauge “sawed-off” shotgun
One 10 gauge “sawed-off” shotgun
One .32 caliber Colt automatic pistol
One .380 caliber Colt automatic pistol
One Colt .45 caliber “Double Action” revolver
Seven M1911 .45 caliber automatic pistols
One-hundred rounds on machine gun clips
Three-thousands rounds of ammunition


I guess I've never heard of them using/carrying a Model 8, that's why I was so struck by this picture. It's pretty cool anyways.

Re: Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Guns?

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 11:51 pm
by imfuncity
LIKE - when I did a search for Frank Hamer Guns, two of our sites came up on the first page :o :
http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=434
http://vintagesemiautorifle.proboards.c ... &thread=40

On this blog http://mred-famous-guns.blogspot.com/ about half way down there are several pictures showing an M8, a hat, and a bar labeled "Clyde's hat, rifle & BAR"
Clyde's_hat,_rifle_&_BAR.jpg
Clyde's_hat,_rifle_&_BAR.jpg (13.58 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
There are several pictures on the web with pictures of Clyde's "scatter guns" and Bonnie's "whip it" cut-off shotgun - most indicate pictures and details indicate that they were Rem M11.

As you've noted there is no mention of the M8 in the inventory nor does one appear in the pictures of or around the car regarding the "captured arsenal".

That said, I'm not convinced the guns in your picture were B&C's. I'm more inclined to see these as logical lawmens guns. And that after they approached the car that this was a logical "flat spot" where they could lay their long guns, freeing up their hands to confirm no more thread, to wipe off the sweat off their hands, and to be able to TALK! :mrgreen:

Re: Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Guns?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:49 pm
by wayno
logic would dictate that those were the guns of the men in the picture.