Did you know James Earl Jones was a prolific firearms collector? He had tons of guns—rare, unique, and eclectic guns. The man loved the weird, but also seemed to love guns that were extremely rare. The old joke was that if only ten of a gun existed, James Earl Jones owned five of them.
Some Favorite James Earl Jones Guns
His collection has been for sale for quite some time, and a company called Checkpoint Charlie’s is handling the sale. I purchased my own gun from JEJ’s collection and wanted to highlight some of my favorites.
The AR in 7.92 Kurz
Okay, so my personal favorite option is a bit biased. I bought this one and did a full review at Athlon, so check that out. James Earl Jones employed SSK to create a custom, straight-pull bolt-action 7.92 Kurz AR-15. It is a straight-pull bolt because of the so-called SAFE Act.
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The rifle fires the famed first assault rifle cartridge from a stainless 16-inch barrel and uses a fairly basic AR configuration. It has an A2-style stock, a flat-top upper, and a round aluminum handguard. It was surprisingly affordable, and I couldn’t say no. Sadly, with PPU no longer importing ammunition, it is drying up fast.
I was lucky to secure a few boxes and enjoyed shooting this old AR a fair bit. It is such a niche and custom thing to do. It shows that James Earl Jones had more imagination than most gun companies. Is it particularly useful? No, but I bet the man himself enjoyed it immensely. From the carbon left on the bolt by him, I am positive he had a smile across his face as he shot it.
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Brazilian G43 Mosquetão in .30-06
The G43 was famously the German Army’s attempt to get into the world of semi-auto infantry rifles. They had been working on it for years with limited success. The G43 was fielded by Nazi Germany during World War II, and it is a neat rifle that uses a short-stroke gas piston with a flapper locking device.
The G43 is traditionally German and traditionally chambered in 7.92 Mauser. Since James Earl Jones was a bit of an eclectic collector, his is far from normal. He owned a Brazilian copy that chambered the American .30-06. IMBEL produced these rifles for the Brazilian military as the M954 Mosquetão.
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Only a few of these were ever made, and it was never fully adopted. How James Earl Jones acquired one is beyond me. It has to be one of the very few of these in existence, and lord knows just how few made it to the United States. If you want one, maybe the only one, check out Checkpoint Charlie’s.
The Baby Luger
The Luger came in various sizes, from the standard sidearm to the giant artillery model. What we didn’t see was some form of concealed carry model. Who was looking for a concealed carry Luger? Fast forward a few decades, and apparently, James Earl Jones wanted one, or at least, found one.
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This gun is described as a DWM 1920 Custom Baby Luger. It is not clear if JEJ had it made or simply purchased it after the customization. Either way, it is adorable. The barrel is trimmed to 2 inches, and the grip is chopped with the magazine to hold six rounds. I am generally against customizing historical weapons, but this gets a pass.
The Baby Luger might be one of a kind, and it is absolutely perfect, at least from my perspective as a weird gun enthusiast. It is in fantastic condition overall and looks absolutely gorgeous. If I had an extra $6,500 lying around, it would be coming home to me.
Dixie Gun Works .45-70 Double Rifle
Double rifles are just kind of cool, right? Double rifles are typically European, with big-bore calibers designed for hunting large and dangerous game. James Earl Jones happened to own what might be the most American Double Rifle ever. The Dixie Gun Works .45-70 Double rifle would easily be mistaken for a double-barreled shotgun.
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The presence of rabbit ear hammers, the stock design, and the all-around gorgeous appearance provide serious side-by-side shotgun vibes. The .45-70 custom double rifle comes with rear sights for 100, 200, and 300 yards that align with a bead front sight.
It is a gorgeous rifle in a pure American cartridge from an American company. I don’t hunt dangerous game, but if I had this rifle, I might have to try it at least once. At least, I could turn an invasive local hog inside out.
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FN 1903 Engraved with Stock
Is this my favorite that I don’t own? Probably. The FN M1903 pistol is a sweet gun that uses the 9mm Long cartridge. It never took off in the United States; we had quite a few different 1903 options. This particular model is stainless with beautiful engraving and white ivory-looking grips.
The handgun comes with a shoulder stock and an extended magazine to use the stock. I know in the past the ATF has removed a variety of guns from the NFA’s purview due to their historical nature. Guns like original Hi-Powers can use original stocks and not be SBRs. I am not entirely sure the M1903 qualifies, but it certainly seems like it would.
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Regardless, this is a beautiful gun. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I can see why James Earl Jones would want it. It is one of the pricier guns on the list, but it is also extremely rare with the engravings and stock. This might be another one-of-a-kind package James had in his collection.
The Legend
James Earl Jones was a wonderful actor who crossed generations. He was also an Army veteran, a lifetime gun owner, and a supporter of the Second Amendment. He was a titan. His collection certainly shows that he had an eye for the interesting and a taste all his own.
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