The Day of the Jackal: What is a bespoke rifle? Everything you need to know

The Day of the Jackal, the new thriller series based on Frederick Forsyth's classic 1971 novel, released its first five episodes on November 14, 2024. The Peacock Original series stars Eddie Redmayne as the elusive assassin known as the 'Jackal,' who carries out high-profile assassinations for money.

This adaptation gives a fresh twist to the original story, bringing it into a contemporary political setting. Unlike the novel which was a historical fiction on the assassination of the President of France, the plot for the new version revolves around the assassination of a tech-mogul called Ulle Dag Charles.

In The Day of the Jackal, Lashana Lynch plays a determined British intelligence officer, Bianca, who is tracking down the Jackal, pushing both characters to their limits. Both in the show and the novel, the Jackal is known for his bespoke rifles.

A bespoke rifle is a custom-made rifle with specifications, designed according to the client's needs. In The Day of the Jackal, the Jackal's bespoke rifles are a prominent reason for his near-impossible shots and irrecoverable tracks.

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What are the bespoke rifles used in The Day of the Jackal?

In the episodes released so far, there are two bespoke rifles used by the Jackal. The first one is introduced in the very first episode and is used for the assassination of Manfred Fest. It was a sniper rifle with a collapsable barrel, disguised as a suitcase. The second weapon introduced in episode 5 was built with a 3D printer and hidden in an orthopedic boot.

In the first episode, the Jackal assassinated Manfred Fest with a sniper rifle from a distance of around 3800 meters. He did this from a hotel room and then left the site. The law enforcement officers could not figure out how an aim like that was possible.

Later in the episode, MI6 firearms expert Bianca theorized that he used a sniper rifle with a collapsable barrel. She concluded that the gun had to be broken down and carried into the building.

Lashana Lynch as Bianca (Image via YouTube/Peacock)

The audience is aware that it was indeed broken down and carried as a suitcase. Bianca also identified the maker as a Northern Irish gunsmith called Norman Stoke, who had been trying to perfect this design for a long time.

In episode 5, the audience got a glimpse of the new bespoke gun of the Jackal, made with a 3D printer. For the assassination of Ulle Dag Charles, Jackal contacted Norman Stoke again, to craft a weapon that could avoid security detection. Together, they built a gun that could be disguised as a fracture boot and could fire 7-8 shots.

Norman mentioned that fracture boots were made of plastic and polymer, so the gun would not be caught in a security scanner. They made a disposable barrel for the gun and the Jackal went out in the woods to try the new weapon.

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More about The Day of the Jackal

'The Day of the Jackal' Premiere (Image via Getty)

The Day of the Jackal has 10 episodes and the upcoming episodes 6 to 8 will be released on Thursdays as follows:

• Episode 6 on November 21, 2024
• Episode 7 on November 28, 2024
• Episode 8 on December 5, 2024

The last two episodes are scheduled to be released on December 12, 2024. Episode 5 ended on a cliffhanger after the Jackal shot Norman to protect his identity and barely escaped. With Bianca still on his trail, fans are excited to see how the story unfolds in the upcoming episodes.

The creator and writer of the show is Ronan Bennett (Top Boy). It is produced by Christopher Hall and directed by Brian Kirk, Anthony Philopson, Paul Wilmshurst, and Anu Menon.

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Catch The Day of the Jackal on Peacock.