The Americans is an American television period drama series created and produced by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg. The series premiered in the United States on January 30, 2013, on the cable network FX, and concluded its fifth season on May 30, 2017.
Set in the 1980s during the Cold War, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth Jennings -real name "Nadezhda"; Russian: Надеҗда- (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings -real name "Misha"/"Mikhail"; Russian: Миша/Михаил- (Matthew Rhys), two Soviet KGB officers posing as a typical American married couple living in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C., with their two unsuspecting children (Holly Taylor and Keidrich Sellati) and their neighbor, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent working in counterintelligence.
The series focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Jennings, sometimes incorporating real life historical events into the narrative. Their assignments as highly trained and dangerous Soviet spy agents range from sabotage, assassination, kidnapping and extraction of individuals (or top secret information) to recruiting potential agents.
FX renewed the series for a sixth and final season consisting of 10 episodes to premiere March 28 2018.
The following weapons were used in the television series The Americans:
What appears to be a Beretta 84FS is the pistol used by Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) in some episodes of Season 1, while the Cheetah series is a good choice for the 1981 setting, the FS features were not introduced until years later.
A suppressed Beretta 92FS is used by Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) in "Mutually Assured Destruction" (S1E08). A Beretta 92 or a Beretta 92SB would have been a more appropriate choice, as the 92F was not introduced until the mid-1980's, a few years after the season's setting.
Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) disarms a cleaning woman's angry brother of his Colt M1911A1 in "The Clock" (S1E02). The grips of another M1911A1 (this one with ivory grips) can be seen tucked in the waistband of the man who sells Phillip anti-ballistic missile schematics in "Gregory" (S1E03).
Phillip uses a Smith & Wesson 645 taken from one of his and Elizabeth's KGB interrogators in "Trust Me" (S1E06). The presence of the 645 is an anachronism for this episode of the show as it takes place in 1981 and the 645 was not released until 4 years later.
Chicago FBI Agents use Smith & Wesson 645's in S6E07 "Harvest." The weapon (introduced in 1985) is appropriate for the time period of this episode (1987) as the Washington Nuclear Summit is just weeks away (Dec 8-10 1987).
Soviet KGB Agent code named Harvest uses what appears to be a Smith & Wesson 39 in S6E07 "Harvest"
Error creating thumbnail: File missingSoviet KGB Agent code named Harvest fires a Smith & Wesson Model 39 through the windshield of the van as Elizabeth takes over steering in S6E07 "Harvest."Error creating thumbnail: File missingSoviet KGB Agent code named Harvest fires a Smith & Wesson Model 39 through the windshield at FBI Agents in S6E07 "Harvest."Error creating thumbnail: File missingSoviet KGB Agent code named Harvest fires a Smith & Wesson Model 39 out the rear of the van in S6E07 "Harvest"
Smith & Wesson 3913
An East German assassin (Chris Sullivan) appears to be a armed with a suppressed Smith & Wesson 3913 in "Mutually Assured Destruction" (S1E08). This weapon is anachronistic for the time period of this episode, as the pistol was introduced in 1990.
A SWAT officer is armed with a Remington 870 during a raid in "Only You" (S1E10).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingRemington 870 Slug Gun - 12 GaugeError creating thumbnail: File missingA SWAT officer is armed with a Remington 870 during a raid in "Only You" (S1E10). These officers are wearing PASGT ballistic helmets with goggles, which are anachronistic for the series' time period. SWAT teams in 1981 were likely equipped with WWII-surplus, dark colored M1 steel helmets or dark and white fiberglass motorcycle helmets with riot shield visors. SWAT officers would not adopt the PASGT until the early nineties.
Sniper Rifles
Remington 700PSS
In the episode "In Control" (S1E04), Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) takes out two Remington 700PSS chambered in .308 rifles from a hidden cache. Philip also uses the rifle in the episode.
