Perhaps the most commonly seen weapon in the movie, the M1 Garand is used by the majority of the U.S. soldiers seen in the film. The M1 Garand is easily identified by the characteristic ping it makes ejecting its clip after the last round in the en bloc clip is fired. Based on the way everyone can hold these weapons easily, they seem to be light weight models for easy handling in the film, which cuts the realism down a bit.
The M1A1 Thompson or "fast gun" appears several times in the film, primarily as the main weapon of Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks). It is also used by Captain Fred Hamill (Ted Danson) to end a standoff between Miller's men and a group of German soldiers they had stumbled upon. The M1 Thompson was too expensive to produce by the Normandy invasion and the cheaper M1A1, which simply attached the firing pin to the bolt, made it far easier for mass production as well as cheap too. They were far more commonly issued with 30 round magazines, which is evident on Miller's Thompson.
The M1 Carbine appears in the film as the main weapon of Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath (Tom Sizemore). It was fitted with one double magazine pouch strapped to the butt stock.
There are several appearances of the M1911A1 pistol, in the hands of Horvath (Tom Sizemore) and Miller (Tom Hanks), as well as other members of the squad. Horvath uses it to threaten PFC Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) when he threatens to abandon his squad, later throwing it at a German during the final battle when he runs out of ammo. Miller is seen firing it at an advancing Tiger tank as he lies wounded on the bridge in one of the film's more memorable moments.
The M1 Bazooka rocket launcher makes several appearances in Saving Private Ryan. It is first seen in the hands of a U.S. Army soldier under the command of Captain Hamill. Later we see Private James F. Ryan (Matt Damon) use an M1 Bazooka to destroy a German half-track. This same Bazooka is later used by Horvath during the final battle to destroy a German Marder self-propelled gun and again in an attempt to destroy a Tiger tank, but unfortunately for our protagonists the rocket is deflected by the tanks' heavy armor.
The squad's sharpshooter, Private Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper), carries the sniper version of the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle. The differences include the deletion of the front sight, and the addition of a scope. Jackson is famous for quoting religious scriptures when shooting the rifle, and shooting a German sniper through his own scope similar to a feat accomplished by Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock in the Vietnam War.
As the squad's BAR gunner, PFC Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) carries a Browning Automatic Rifle as his main weapon. The BAR Reiben carries is not his original one, which he claims he lost during the start of the D-Day landing to keep from drowning, and has the bipod removed.
Among the weapons used by the defenders during the final battle are a pair of Browning M1919 machine guns. Both guns eventually run out of ammunition, their users being killed by the Germans.
During the attack on the machine gun nests, the squad uses Mk 2 hand grenades to take out all but one of the Germans manning it, some of which throw the grenades back at them, though thankfully miss. Later, at the final battle in Ramelle, several Mk 2 hand grenades are tossed into a disabled German tank, killing the crew.
During the D-Day landing scene Doyle (Glenn Wrage) uses his M1 Flamethrower to clear one of the German bunkers overlooking Omaha Beach, turning the occupants into human torches who are picked off by other soldiers as they emerge.
During the opening Omaha Beach landing scene we can briefly see a rifle mounted M7 rifle grenade fired from an M1 Garand after the German line has been broken.
As common with the German soldiers as the M1 Garand is with the Americans, the Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle is the standard-issue weapon of the German Army. One is seen fitted with a scope and covered in makeshift camouflage being used by a German sniper who mortally wounds PFC Adrian Caparzo (Vin Diesel) before being killed himself by Private Jackson (Barry Pepper). Jackson shoots the German sniper through his scope, a reference to a shot made by Carlos Norman Hathcock II(a legendary Marine Corps Sniper) during the Vietnam War.
The German MG42 machine gun makes several appearances in the film; first in bunkers overlooking Omaha Beach during the D-Day landings, then in a machine gun nest at the base of a radar site the squad encounters. The ensuing firefight at the radar site costs them their medic, Irwin Wade (Giovanni Ribisi).
A German Flak 38 is crewed by several SS soldiers during the final battle at Ramelle and delivers devastating 20mm flak rounds on Captain Miller's (Tom Hanks) men.
During the final battle of the film, Private Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg) and Corporal Henderson (Maximilian Martini) get several Model 24 Stielhandgranates thrown at them while manning one of the M1919 machine guns. Thankfully the two are able to grab and toss the grenades clear before they detonate.
During the final battle, one of the German soldiers can be seen carrying a Panzerschreck rocket launcher, but is killed before his weapon can be brought to bear.
Yet another German weapon in the film is the MP40. It's not very often seen, mostly in the scene where Miller's men stumble on a group of German soldiers, and again during the final battle.
At the final battle in Ramelle Private Ryan (Matt Damon) and Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) arm 60mm M2 Mortars by banging them against the steel launching base of the mortar tube and throw them like hand grenades at advancing SS soldiers, scoring several kills.
While planning the defense of Ramelle, Captain Miller comes up with a unique improvised explosive device he calls a "sticky bomb". It consists of a sock filled with Composition-B explosive with a fuse attached and covered in grease so it sticks where it's placed. Deploying it is a hazardous proposition though; as one soldier is killed when the fuse runs out while he is trying to place it one one of the German tanks, though the bombs do succeed in immobilizing one Tiger tank by destroying its treads.
Prior to the climactic battle Cpl. Henderson relays to Capt. Miller that thier arsenal of "spitwads" includes Hawkins mines. Later a 101st Airborne soldier is seen placing one on the main street and camouflaging it.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingAlthough manufactured as a grenade the Mk-II No.75 Hawkins Grenade was utilized more efficiently as an anti-tank/vehicle mine. Partly because its shape and weight made accurate throwing difficult.
