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The Green Berets

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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The Green Berets (1968)

This John Wayne film has the distinction of being one of the few movies made about the Vietnam War while the war was actually going on. It also has the somewhat more dubious honor of being the only (somewhat) pro-Vietnam War film of the era.


  • Directors: Ray Kellogg, John Wayne, Mervyn LeRoy

The following weapons were used in the movie The Green Berets:



Captured Weapons Display

At the beginning of the film, when a group of civilians and reporters are being briefed about the capabilities of the U.S. Army Special Forces a number of captured weapons are seen on a display board behind the two U.S. Army sergeants, they include:

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Captured Weapons Display
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Sergeant Muldoon (Aldo Ray) standing next to the Captured Weapons Display

MAT-49

The MAT-49 sub machine gun was used widely throughout (then) French Indo-China with a great deal of them being left behind after the defeat at Dien Bien Phu. The weapon displayed here could be a locally manufactured copy which chambered the 7.62,, Tokarev round.

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French MAT-49 Sub Machine Gun - 9mm
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MAT-49 top dead center of Display

Thompson

Also seen on the board is an M-1928A1 Thompson. The M-1928 and A1 models could have their butt stock removed and were commonly seen with the Vietcong because of the First Indochina War and Captured supplies during the Korean war

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M1928A1 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP
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Viet Cong copy of Thompson in center of Display

SKS Carbine

The Russian SKS Carbine is also on display.

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Russian SKS carbine - 7.62x39mm
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Russian version of SKS Carbine in center of Display

PPsH-41 Submachine Gun

This ubiquitous Russian PPsH-41 Sub Machine Gun is also seen on the captured weapons display but, like the SKS above it could very well be a Chinese clone.

I haven't seen this movie in a couple years, but I specifically remember it being referred to as a Chinese copy of the PPSH. Not sure if that means the actual prop weapon used in the scene was of Chinese origin, of course. -MT2008

I remember it being refered as the "ChiCom K50 submachine gun". User:Cutaway

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PPsH-41 Submachine Gun - 7.62x25mm Tokarev
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Chinese version of PPsH-41 Sub Machine Gun at bottom of Display

Mle 1892 Revolver

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Mle 1892 Revolver - 8 x 27mm
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Viet Mihn copy of Mle 1892 Revolver in center of Display

Unknown Semi-Auto Pistol

Another weapon on the board is a small (relative to the other weapons) semi-automatic pistol.

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Unknown Pistol on board

Browning Over & Under Shotgun

The Airborne Colonel who shoots skeet with John Wayne(and who was the real commander of the Airborne School at Fort Benning Georgia where the film was shot) uses an Browning over-under shotgun.

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Remington Model 1100

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Remington Model 1100 - 12 Gauge

Wayne uses a Remington Model 1100 semi-auto shotgun while shooting skeet.

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John Wayne loading a Remington Model 1100 Shotgun

XM16E1 Rifle

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XM16E1 Rifle - 5.56mm

In real life the U.S. Army Special Forces were one of the first units to actively field the M-16 in combat. In the movie Wayne's troops carry a XM16E1 rifles noted by the presence of a forward bolt assist with the early model three prong flash suppressor.

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Green Beret holding a XM16E1 Rifle
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Col.Mike Kirby (John Wayne) with the Mike Force armed with XM16E1 Rifles
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Colonel Mike Kirby (John Wayne) holding a XM16E1 Rifle while watching Skyhook.

Later in the movie Wayne is seen dramatically smashing one of his men's M-16 against a tree after he is killed fighting 3 VC on his own. Thing is, if you look carefully, the "weapon" is actually a Mattel M-16 Marauder, a plastic toy gun manufactured in the 1960's. Also it would be near impossible for him to smash the aerospace-grade aluminum receivers by hand against a tree, which is what he would have done to really render the weapon unusable to the enemy. Like in most movies, this was done just to give viewers a 'macho' impression on the screen.

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Mattel M-16 Marauder Toy Gun
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Wayne smashing his fallen comrade's 'M16 rifle' making it useless to Vietcong's if they ever got a grip of it.

M60D Machine Gun

This is a M60D machine gun with spade grips mount in the Huey Helicopter for the crew chief and door gunner.

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UH-1 "Huey" Helicopter armed with M60D machine gun in the door

M60C Machine Guns mounted in M-6E3 Weapons System

This system, consisting of two double sets of M60C machine guns mounted above 8 shot rocket pods is seen attached to a UH-1 "Huey" (probably a C or D model) gunship in the movie.

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Crew doing final adjustments to the M-6E3 Weapons System with M60C machine guns
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Crew doing final adjustments to the M-6E3 Weapons System with M60C machine guns

Browning M2 Aircraft

Seen mounted on tripods throughout the A Camp is this aircraft version of the venerable Browning M2 easily denoted by the full length ventilated barrel shroud. The reason for using the M2 Aircraft version on film was the ease of blank conversion compared to the M2 Heavy Barrel ground gun.

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Browning M2 Aircraft - .50 cal
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Sergeant Muldoon (Aldo Ray) standing over a Browning M2 Aircraft Machine Gun

M30 4.2 inch Mortar

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Sergeant Peterson (Jim Hutton) and crew manning a M30 4.2 inch Mortar

Browning 1919A4 Machine Gun

Also used in the defense of the A Camp is this classic general purpose machine gun.

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Note the M1919 in the upper right corner of the pic
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ARVN Striker firing a Browning M1919A4 Machine Gun
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Green Beret firing a Browning M1919A4 Machine Gun

GE M134 Minigun

Seen in the interior of Puff The Magic Dragon (a name bestowed on most early USAF gunships) are a pair of these devastating weapons.

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GE M134 Minigun - 7.62x51mm
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A Pair of GE M134 Miniguns firing form a AC47 Gunship

M79 Grenade Launcher

Glimpsed briefly (though never actually fired) in the movie is one of the U.S.'s more reliable light support weapons.

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M79 Grenade Launcher - 40mm
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Strike Team member carrying a M79 Grenade Launcher
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Green Beret carrying a M79 Grenade Launcher

M1 Carbine

Seen mainly in the hands of the ARVN troopers as well as the U.S. Navy "Seabees" is this lightweight U.S. rifle although some are seen being carried by the VC.

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Late Model M1 Carbine - .30 Carbine
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Viet Cong carying M1 Carbines
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Mike Force soldier with M1 Carbine assisting the evacuation
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George Beckworth (David Janssen) holding M1 Carbine

M1 Garand

Seen in the hands of the ARVN troops as well as some VC is the all time classic U.S. battle rifle.

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M1 Rifle - .30-06
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Mike Force Honor Guards with M1 Rifles
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Mike Force Honor Guards with M1 Rifles
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Strike Team member carrying a M1 Rifle

M14 Rifle

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M14 Rifle - 7.62x51mm
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Viet Cong charging the camp with M14 Rifles
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Viet Cong charging the camp with M14 Rifles
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Mike Force soldier with M14 Rifle assisting the evacuation
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US Soldiers arriving in Vietnam with M14 Rifles

T-26 Tanker Garand

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T26 Tanker Garand Rifle - .30-06
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Mike Force soldier with Tanker Garand with flash hider
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Mike Force soldier with Tanker Garand with flash hider

Mauser Gew98 Rifle

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Mauser Gew 98 Rifle - 7.92x57mm
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Mike Force soldier carrying a Mauser Gew98 Rifle after the battle

Mauser K98k Rifle

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Mauser K98k 98 Rifle - 7.92x57mm
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NVA Regular soldiers grabbing their Mauser K98k Rifles

M18A1 Claymore

This standard (and extremely devastating) M18A1 Claymore U.S. anti-personnel mine makes a brief appearance in the film though the "mine" displayed is clearly a training model given its' blue coloring.

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M18A1 Claymore in place a camp A-107