The Armorers for the movie Dawn of the Dead (1978) was an East Coast outfit called "The Plastics Factory", however other information on them are unavailable.
The following weapons appear in the 1978 film Dawn of the Dead:
During the gun shop scene Peter is seen holstering what appears to be a pair Colt 1851 Navy black powder revolvers. Probably replicas manufactured by Uberti.
Used by all SWAT members , in particular, the characters of Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott H. Reiniger) but eventually discarded after raiding the gun store. In one shot, when Peter is unloading his weapon after shooting the zombie kids, we can see the tiny .22lr magazine. The Adler-Jager (also marked Armi-Jager) AP-74 is an inexpensive .22 AR15 clone (that was actually pretty close to an SP1 and much better looking than the .22 M16 clone made by Armscor). The guns were pretty much 'mime' fired, with only the sound effect and blood squibs to indicate that the rifle was fired and is used in place of the M16A1.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingAdler-Jager AP-74 rifle - .22 LR. Note the sharply angled three prong flash hider and the forward assist, and the small .22 LR magazine that protrudes under the 'fake' 20 round magazine.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPeter (Ken Foree) aims his Adler-Jager AP-74 (standing in for a real SP1 or M16). The AP-74 was a .22lr M16 clone that had characteristics of both the SP1 and M16A1. - 22LRError creating thumbnail: File missingSWAT team member hands out gas-masksError creating thumbnail: File missingPeter and Roger disembark onto the mall roofError creating thumbnail: File missingPeter and Roger, with a clear view of the AP-74's small ejection portError creating thumbnail: File missingPeter seems to have a strange way of aiming itError creating thumbnail: File missingSide view of Peter's AP-74, note the small .22 LR magazine protruding from the faux 20 round fake magazine.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSoldiers of the 28th Infantry Division (Keystone Patch) aka "Pennsylvania National Guard" with AP-74's meant to stand in for M16A1's. There is a mix of actual U.S. Army National Guardsmen and actors. The difference between them is striking. The 'actors' look like long haired "college age students" with plain helmet liners only (no steel pot), non-subdued 28th Infantry Div. patch (red Keystone), and anachronistic Green M43 10-pocket M1 Garand Belts. The Real National Guardsmen have Nam era leaf Pattern Helmet covers, shorter hair, and LCE (ALICE) web gear with correct nylon M16 ammo pouches.
Savage 99 rifle
Peter (Ken Foree) takes a scoped Savage 99 lever action rifle, chambered in 300 Savage, from the gun store for his personal use. He later uses it against the bikers when they invade the mall.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingSavage 99 with scopeError creating thumbnail: File missingPeter:"The only man that could miss with this gun is the sucker with the bread to buy it"Error creating thumbnail: File missingPeter chambers a round on his Savage Model 99, showcasing the rifle's lever action assembly - .300 SavageError creating thumbnail: File missingPeter's view through the Savage 99's scope. Peter tells Stephen not to fire through the security doors, lest the ricochets 'chase them around' in the store, however, the metal in the security doors are a combination of aluminum and soft steel, easily punctured by any of the high powered rifle ammo.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAmmo boxes of .300 Weatherby Magnum ammunition (The words 300 magnum are clearly seen on the box and the artwork of the casing says "Weatherby"). Since the Savage Model 99 was never chambered in .300 Wby Mag, this is a error.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA bandoleer of 303 British soft points is loaded up; note the rimmed case. Even though a Lee-Enfield is pictured in the shop, this is an error since no 303 British chambered guns are used.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPeter goes biker hunting with his scoped Savage Model 99 Rifle - .300 Savage
Marlin Model 983
Stephen originally uses a Marlin Model 983 rifle but is incompetent with it. During the sequence when Roger (Scott H. Reiniger) and Peter (Ken Foree) are venturing forth from the safety of the mall to get the trucks Fran (Gaylen Ross) is providing cover fire from the roof of the mall with a rifle.
A Smith & Wesson 916A shotgun is seen during the S.W.A.T. raid at the beginning of the film. One is also carried by one of the bikers when they attack the mall.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe split second before and after Wooley blows the head of the apartment resident (it was NOT meant to be a zombie). This was a head made by Tom Savini. It is made from a mold of Gaylen Ross for the original ending of the movie (Peter commits suicide, and Fran sticks her head in the blades of the Helicopter). When they decided to change the ending, they decided to use it in the tenement building scene, so Savini made it look like a African-American male, filled with food scraps, and shot with an actual shotgun.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPeter shoots a zombie (Nick Maestandrea) in the head. This effect was generated by yanking a soup can lid (using fishing line) through the mortician's wax layered on the actor's forehead.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSteve loads a bandoleer up with shotgun shells despite not being armed with a shotgun. Of course it can be argued that a loaded 12 gauge bandoleer was for another unseen shotgun that was stowed somewhere in their 'apartment' hidden on the top floor of the mall.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDespite being armed with M16's the "soldiers" in the Apartment scene are wearing World War II vintage M43 Green 10 pocket M1 Garand ammo belts.
