Three Kings is a 1999 Gulf War movie set during the waning days of Operation Desert Storm. Three Army reservists, SFC Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), SSG "Chief" Elgin (Ice Cube), and PFC Vig (Spike Jonze), who, while searching Iraqi POW's, find a map of Iraqi bunkers that may contain captured Kuwaiti gold. A retiring Special Forces major (George Clooney) gets wind of it and takes them on a search for the gold.
The following weapons were used in the film Three Kings:
The M16A2 can be seen throughout the movie in use by the various US soldiers including SFC Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), SSG "Chief" Elgin (Ice Cube), and PFC Vig (Spike Jonze).
Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), the former Delta Force Operator and now soon-to-be-retired Green Beret, is seen armed with an Colt Model 727 carbine in the film and in promotional pictures. This is accurate for a Special Forces soldier during the time period of the film to carry.
An AKMSU carbine can be seen in the hands of the Iraqi officer in the "moving of the gold" scene at the Karbala bunker. He is later shot in the leg with his own weapon during a struggle with Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), the incident leading to a shootout between the protagonists and the Iraqis.
The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) is seen being carried and fired by one of the Shiite refugees. If you watch this scene you will see the Shiite refugee unload two cartridges while cycling the action of the rifle.
Many of the Shiite refugees are seen armed with Mauser 98 bolt-action rifles - both the Gewehr 98 rifle and the Karabiner 98k rifle. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a clear picture because of the crazy camera movements. The brother of the Shiite refugee with the SMLE is armed with a k98k.
Many of the Shiite refugees and rebel Iraqi troops can be seen armed with Mosin-Nagant M91/30 rifles and M1944 carbines. Most notably in the scene where a child rebel uses a scoped version to shoot an Iraqi soldier shortly before the gas scene. He was then killed by the Iraqi T-62 tank in the village.
I noticed earlier in the scene the Mosin Nagant rifle has a folding bayonet, Also the scope is blocked by the cement design, also the boy is sticking the rifle to far out. It looks like the used a M44 on one seen then filmed this again with a M91-30 Sniper and mixed the stills.
The AKM can be seen throughout the movie in use by Iraqi forces. After the accident, Maj. Gates, SSG Elgin, PFC Vig, and several other refugees use these weapons as well. A couple of Iraqi soldiers not fooled by the "Saddam" ruse also use these weapons to snipe at the protagonists, seriously wounding SFC Barlow.
The Beretta 92FS can be seen throughout the movie as well. Used by SFC Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), SSG Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), PFC Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), Maj. Gates (George Clooney), as well as several other characters. When raiding the Karbala bunker, Chief pistol-whips an Iraqi soldier with his Beretta, causing him to accidentally fire the weapon since he had his finger on the trigger. The stray round thankfully doesn't harm anyone, Gates chastising him for his lack of firearm handling proficiency.
The Thunder 5 is the peculiar-looking "big revolver" carried by PFC Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze). He uses it throughout the movie, but loses it when he is shot. As the revolver obviously is not Army-issue, Vig is seen receiving (in a deleted scene) the weapon inside a chocolate bunny from his parents. He specifically calls it a Thunder 5, and it shoots .410 shotgun shells and Colt .45 long.
The Makarov PM pistol can be seen being used by Iraqi Officers. Maj. Gates also disarms a soldier who was carrying one and later gives one to SFG Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) to confront the Iraqi soldier who was his torturer.
An Iraqi officer points a vintage Nagant M1895 revolver in the face of Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn) to deter her from wanting her video tape back. (The character of Cruz is likely inspired by real-life journalist Christiane Amanpour).
The M60 machine gun is seen mounted on top of the Humvee, and is fired a few times during the confrontation between the main characters and the Iraqi soldiers at the Karbala bunker. The same Humvee-mounted M60 machine gun struck the windscreen of a van driven by SFC Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) after the Humvee ran over a land mine and exploded.
During the mission to rescue Barlow from the Iraqi's, one of the Iraqi's can be seen with an RPK light machine gun, which he discards when fleeing from the ruse of Saddam's arrival.
A Remington 870 with a sawed-off barrel and stock can be seen in one of the flashback scenes where Conrad Vig is blasting away at objects arranged in a makeshift shooting range during his civilian life.
Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze) can be seen pulling out an M72 LAW in the village when the Iraqi T-62 tank arrives. He later puts it away when Major Gates decides to leave.
The Type 69 RPG launcher, fitted with a PGO-7 scope, can be seen used by Iraqi soldiers in two scenes; first to blow up a tanker truck full of milk at the Karbala bunker, then to destroy one of the cars in the convoy pretending to be "Saddam’s” entourage.
In a very rare un-Hollywood moment, Maj. Gates (George Clooney) explains what a bullet does, when it enters a human body. His finger, which he uses to point at SFG Barlow as a demonstration, seems to “shoot” a 9x19mm bullet. Gates explains penetrating abdominal trauma accurately; the abdomen has a number of organs with large blood supplies, and several which accommodate normally benign bacterial colonies that can become severe infections outside them.
This movie is by far one of the most accurate modern movies in its depiction of military details.
Maj. Gates appearance
Major Archie Gates (George Clooney) is a Special Forces officer, who appears to have been in Delta Force as well. Also, his patches, skill tabs, and general appearance is exactly what a SF soldier would have. He uses the Colt M727, which Delta uses, as seen in the film Black Hawk Down.
