THE U.N.C.L.E. GUN!

The U.N.C.L.E. Gun was called "The U.N.C.L.E. Special," the basic Walther p-38 pistol modified with the addition of a barrel extension, a Bushnell scope and a shoulder stock, making it pretty much a rifle. The Special was an impressive piece of personal artillery, designed by Bob Murdock, Rudy Butler, Arnold Goode and Manuel Zamora, all prop men in MGM Studios' employ.

There were actually two U.N.C.L.E. Specials:
The first was a 1934 model Mauser handgun with modifications:
a removable barrel, replaceable with a barrel extension and new grips

a Bushnell "Phantom" scope could be mounted on the gun's left side

the Mauser was a real gun adapted to fire as a full automatic.

The second Special was a Walther P-38 (shown, above left). It became the most familiar U.N.C.L.E. gun. In comparison with "Have Gun Will Travel's" star Paladin's gun, a Colt .44 Single Action,(shown above right) (made to specifications, perfect blance being one of them), there were six, with the same attachments, including the "Phantom" scope, but with some new ones as well:

• The same grips, but only two of the six Walthers could use the attachments
• Fully automatic
• Extended magazine with sixteen rounds (the guns jammed after about 12 rounds!)
• The gun could not fire when carbine barrel was threaded into the it.
• Guns were used to fire sleep-darts (AKA tranquilizer bullets)through the magic of post-production sound effects.
• A square insignia area was used for agents' initials; solid aluminum grips fitting over the standard P-38 grip
• rubber models were utilized in specific scenes:

• when water was involved
• when using valuable props proved risky
• whenever a person was hit over the head (per regulations of the Screen Actors Guild)

The guns carried by the female agents were actually squirt guns manufactured by the Eldon company.

Mauser Pistol