The Bandit Revolver

The screen used gun used throughout the dorry's tavern scenes

Introduction

This vintage black cap gun revolver is a screen-used prop from Gremlins, featured prominently in the film’s iconic Dorry’s Tavern sequence. Manufactured in Italy and stamped with the markings “Brevettata,” the toy revolver was first wielded by Stripe as he fires at a cheating Gremlin during the rowdy poker game, then later reused by the Bandit Gremlin to threaten Kate (Phoebe Cates). With its realistic metal frame, short barrel, and textured brown plastic grips, this cap gun helped bring some of the film’s most chaotic and memorable moments to life—and now stands as a fascinating piece of Gremlins history.

In the smoke-filled chaos of Dorry’s Tavern in Gremlins, one of the film’s most memorable sequences unfolds around a poker table packed with rowdy Gremlins. At the center of the action sits Stripe, calmly holding a hand of cards in one claw while gripping a small black revolver in the other. Seated beside him is the flamboyant Deagle Gremlin, adorned with a feathered hat, laughing maniacally. When a fellow Gremlin is caught cheating, Stripe doesn’t hesitate—he raises the revolver and fires, ending the dispute with a dramatic spark and a puff of smoke.

The weapon used in this scene is a child-sized cap gun revolver, made in Italy and chosen specifically because its compact size fit more naturally into the puppet's scaled-down hands. A full-sized firearm with blanks would have looked awkward or been nearly impossible to manipulate convincingly. To sell the illusion of a real gunshot, special effects crew rigged the barrel with a small pyrotechnic charge, creating a brief but impactful spark on command. Hidden beneath the poker table, a puppeteer triggered the effect in perfect sync with Stripe’s motion, bringing the moment to life with classic 1980s practical magic.

Now preserved as a rare piece of Gremlins history, this unassuming toy revolver played a starring role in one of the film’s most chaotic and iconic scenes.

Later in the tavern sequence, the same small cap gun makes a second on-screen appearance—this time in the hands of the now-iconic Bandit Gremlin. As Kate (Phoebe Cates) attempts to escape the bar amid the escalating chaos, she’s cornered behind the counter by the mask covered Bandit, who dramatically draws the revolver and aims it at her in a tense standoff. She pivots for cover just in time, as Billy crashes onto the scene using the blinding headlights of his red VW Beetle to scatter the Gremlins and save her.

Making this moment believable required a deft collaboration between the puppeteers and the effects team. Hidden out of frame, the puppeteers tracked Phoebe Cates’ movements, guiding the Gremlin’s arm to follow her with the gun in real time. Despite the revolver being a simple toy, its small size was an advantage—it allowed for better control and maneuverability. To enhance the realism, the effects crew rigged the barrel to fire a flash at the right moment, sending a burst toward a framed photo on the tavern wall, giving the impression of a real gunshot. The result is a tense, reactive performance between actor and puppet that showcases the film’s clever use of practical effects to bring even the smallest props to life.

When Billy’s VW Beetle headlights flood the tavern, the sudden burst of light gives us a clear look at the Bandit Gremlin’s revolver—revealing the toy-sized cap gun in full detail. Its distinct shape and features perfectly match the prop used throughout the two scenes.

As a bonus, while the final shooting script doesn’t specifically mention the Bandit Gremlin, the character was added on the fly during production as shown in the following shooting script images. Bandit and his distinctive mask went on to become a bit of an iconic figure in the Gremlins universe thanks to his somewhat humorous yet tense standoff with Kate.