Mail Call is a television show on the history channel in which retired Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey answers letters and E-mails asking military questions from the past to today. Gunny answers these questions in interesting ways, usually showing us the information hands on and testing it for the show. This page covers the weapons he has tested through out the series.
I have the best of Seasons 1 and 2 and the SNAFU DVD which has select episodes, so this is not a complete analysis of the series. Please wait until I have finished my work on the page before adding more information. - Gunmaster45
The M1 Garand rifle has made several appearances on the show including an episode in which an M7 rifle grenade is fired from it and an episode in which 101st paratrooper re-enactors are seen armed with them. In almost every episode, an M1 is seen on Gunny's jeep saddle.
Browning M1919A4
In one episode R. Lee Ermey tests a Browning M1919A4 mounted on the pintle of his jeep. In most episodes, this pintle is fitted with a "dummy" .30 caliber with no bolt or action.
Browning M1917
When Introducing the M1919 machine gun, war footage shows soldiers firing the Browning M1917 water-cooled machine gun.
M1 Carbine
One of the re-enactors of the 101st paratroopers is seen armed with an M1 Carbine.
M1A1 Carbine
One of the re-enactors of the 101st paratroopers is seen armed with a folding stock M1A1 Carbine.
M1A1 Thompson
One of 101st re-enactors uses an M1A1 Thompson submachine gun.
Colt New Service
One of the 101st re-enactors keeps a Colt New Service in a chest holster. While it would be more accurate for them to be giving M1917 revolvers with a lanyard loop, not many people notice this kind of mistake.
M16A2 + M203 grenade launcher
In one episode, Gunny is sent an E-mail asking how grenade launchers work. To show us, he went to Camp Pendleton, California to see how the Marine recruits test them, firing M203 grenade launchers from M16A2 rifles.
For the episode in which Gunny introduces the XM29 OICW, he first introduces the M16A2 fitted with an M203, as if the gun is now completely obsolete due to this gun.