Upon arriving in the present (believed to be 1995 in the film), the Terminator Model T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) enters a biker bar and takes the clothes and firearm off a biker. As he prepares to leave on the biker's Harley Fatboy, the T-800 is confronted by the bar owner, who fires a warning shot from his sawed-off Winchester 1887. The Terminator coolly walks over and snatches the gun from his hand.
Three versions of the gun were used during filming. The first was the iconic "Rosebox Shotgun" with a sawed off barrel and stock and the trigger guard cut out. This is the gun seen through most of the film. The second version had a large lever loop so the gun could be flip cocked one-handed while riding a motorcycle (similar to the actions seen in True Grit and The Rifleman). James Cameron says in the commentary how Arnold accidentally picked up the wrong shotgun and tried to flip cock it and nearly broke three fingers. The third gun was the rubber prop gun for stunt work. The Terminator keeps the gun as his main weapon for a good portion of the film until he comes upon Sarah Connor's (Linda Hamilton) armory, where more superior weapons are at his disposal.
Since Winchester had stopped producing the Winchester 1887 shotgun before the film, the armorers had to find pristine condition guns which were no longer in production! The guns in the film are indeed genuine Winchester shotguns and not a foreign copy such as the Norinco YL1887L (which wasn't released until 2002) or any of the Aldo Uberti copies (they weren't producing an 1887 shotgun at the time). The report of the shotgun is said to be two cannons firing at once.
When the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) first enters the present, he kills an LAPD officer and takes his uniform and his standard issue Beretta 92FS. He is seen using this gun to shoot at John Connor (Edward Furlong) before losing it in the struggle with the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). LAPD officers outside of the Cyberdyne building are also seen with their issued Berettas.
The T-1000 (Robert Patrick) takes a Browning Hi-Power Mklll off of one of the guards he kills in the mental hospital and uses it to shoot at Sarah, John, and the Terminator before discarding it when it runs dry.
An MM1 grenade launcher is used by one of the SWAT team members inside the Cyberdyne building to fire gas canister grenades at Sarah, John and, the T-800. It is then picked up by the T-800 after incapacitating the officer using it and then used by him to fire CS grenades around the police blockade.
Sarah is seen using a Colt Commando CAR-15 carbine (in reality a Colt Sporter II carbine chopped down and mocked up as a Colt 629) out of the armory from the Mojave desert to attempt to assassinate Miles Dyson (Joe Morton) when she learns he started the project which lead to the machines being built. She removes the flash hider and adds a sound suppressor, along with a laser pointer and an ACOG scope. Later in the film during the scene in which Sarah, John, and the T-800 try to escape in a SWAT van as the T-1000 pursues in a police chopper, Sarah uses two CAR-15 rifles, one a mock Sporter II the other a slab-side AR-15 Sporter 1 carbine converted to look like a CAR-15 as well (like the guns in The Dogs of War). The last instance a CAR-15 is used is when the Terminator takes a Mock Sporter II and climbs onto the front of the liquid nitrogen truck the T-1000 is driving and fires it through the windshield. James Cameron commented how foolish this stunt was because it was done exactly as it is seen in the film, from a moving truck with no wires attached.
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) retrieves a Detonics 1911 custom gun from the armory in the Mohave desert and takes it with her on her mission to kill Miles Dyson (Joe Morton). Sarah manages to wound him with the gun before she realizes what she is doing and stops. The gun was custom built for the movie by Detonics off of their ServiceMaster model and features their signature forward mounted rear sight and a long slide. She later uses it to keep a SWAT team at bay during a shootout at the Cyberdyne building.
When the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) first arrives in the present, he enters a biker bar and asks The Cigar Smoking Biker (Robert Winley) to give him his clothes, his boots, and his motorcycle. After a fight breaks out, the Terminator throws the biker on a stove's hot burners and burns him badly. He then tries to draw his custom Colt/Detonics M1911A1 Series 70 Hybrid pistol built with a Colt Series 70 slide, a Detonics frame, an ambidextrous safety, with Pachmyr grips, and chambered in 9mm (because .45s don't cycle well as blanks) but is unable to chamber it an has the gun taken from him. Later when John and the T-800 break Sarah out of the mental hospital, she takes the M1911A1 and fires it at the T-1000 and keeps it as her sidearm until she retrieves her custom Detonics 1911. During the shootout at Cyberdyne, the T-800 uses the M1911A1 to wound all of the SWAT members in the lobby before the gun goes empty and he tosses it away. Even though he is never seen picking it back up, he somehow has it tucked in his pants and ready to shoot the T-1000, frozen in liquid nitrogen, at the end of the film.
The gate guard at the mental hospital tries to draw an M1911A1 with a nickel finish and pearl grips before he is shot in both kneecaps by the T-800. He then takes three magazines off of him, which are clearly loaded with .45 ACP rounds. This would make them useless in his 9mm M1911A1 but the viewer isn't supposed to know his gun is a 9mm.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingM1911A1 - .45 ACP.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe guard drops his M1911A1 when he is shot by the Terminator.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe Terminator takes three mags off the guard, which are loaded with .45 ACP hollow points. In reality, his 9mm gun would not accept these. Also note how only four rounds are loaded in each mag to conserve dummy rounds (you can only see brass in two of the five holes, meaning there is only four rounds in each).
M79 grenade launcher
The T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) takes an M79 grenade launcher from Sarah's arsenal in the Mojave desert. During the assault on the Cyberdyne building, the T-800 uses the M79 grenade launcher, first to blast open a locked door, then to destroy several of the police cars assembled outside. He also tries to use it on the T-1000 during the fight in the steel mill, eventually using it to knock the T-1000 into the pit of molten steel. By this point, part of the launcher's stock has been shattered during the fight, but enough remains for the weapon to be usable. In reality, 40mm HE rounds have a safety mechanism in which they will not detonate until they have flown a certain distance. In the film, this safety mechanism is disregarded as rounds detonate 30ft from the user.
In one of the more notable scenes of the film, the T-800 engages the police assembled outside the Cyberdyne building with a handheld GE M134 Minigun destroying the police cars while leaving the police themselves unharmed. Originally the Terminator was going to use a MAC-10 to shoot at the police but James Cameron decided to revisit the gun used in Predator, and the chainsaw gripped Minigun was chosen instead. The Minigun is actually the same gun used in Predator. In the DVD special features James Cameron is sceen wielding it by holding the "carry handle" but the M60 foregrip is still in place. For the film, the carry handle and M60 foregrip were removed and replaced with the ever popular chainsaw grip. In the movie the weapon was firing between 240 and 260 rounds per minute. The special effects department claims that they didn't want the continous sound of the weapon firing so it was slowed so that individual reports could be heard. Another possible reason the weapon was fired so slow was to give the appearance that it was effortless for the Terminator to fire the weapon. At the 1800rpm fire rate in Predator, Ventura was obviously straining himself. A slower firing weapon also eats up less money a lot less money. Whatever the reason, since Terminator 2, the hand held Minigun has never been shot at a fire rate approaching a real Minigun.
A GE M134 Minigun is mounted on the back of a truck in the future battle scene. A soldier next to the future John Connor (Michael Edwards) is also seen manning a Minigun. This is not the same Minigun as the handheld one, as some believe.
The heavy future General Dynamics RSB-80 Plasma Gun from the first Terminator film returns very briefly and is seen used to blow up a machine. It looks like it is built from a British Vickers gun (As a toggle lock is seen at one point in T1) or the Colt variant of the Browning M1917 machine gun hence the spade grips.
Near the end of the film, Sarah Connor engages the T-1000 using a Remington 870 Police Combat with Folding Stock she took from a SWAT van, outfitted with a high-capacity magazine tube and spare shotshell holders, each shot knocking her opponent progressively closer to the pit of molten steel in the mill, until running out of ammo, frustratingly close to knocking the T-1000 into the pit. One of the police officers outside Cyberdyne is also seen using one.
While fleeing from the Cyberdyne building, the Connors and the T-800 find themselves being pursued by the T-1000 piloting a stolen police helicopter and brandishing an Heckler & Koch SP89, mocked up as an MP5K by adding an MP5K foregrip and converting it to full auto. A SWAT member can also be seen using one. They are recognized as SP89s by their lack of a paddle magazine release behind the magazine and the lack of a push pin lower receiver.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingRobert Patrick tries out a real MP5K. The video is too low quality but this too appears to be an SP89, although it is a live fire version, not a blank gun.
Heckler & Koch HK94A2/A3 (chopped and converted)
The SWAT teams that assaults Cyberdyne are mainly armed with Heckler & Koch HK94s with the 16" barrels chopped down and converted to full auto to resemble MP5A3s. The most notable ways to tell are the lack of the 3 barrel lugs, the lack of a paddle magazine release, and the lack of a push pin lower reciever. Some of these guns are the collapsing stock HK94A3s while others are the full stock HK92A2s.
The fictional Westinghouse M95A1 Phased Plasma Rifle is seen being used by the endoskeleton Terminators in the future scenes of the film. This weapon was built on the Calico M960 9mm submachine gun. These walking endoskeletons are among the most famous of Stan Winston's animatronics, right up there with the T-rex from Jurassic Park and the Alien Queen from Aliens.
Enrique (Castulo Guerra) is seen using a Mossberg 590 shotgun when Sarah, John, and the Terminator arrive at his home in the Mojave desert. Later on, a SWAT member is seen firing a 590 at the SWAT van Sarah, John, and The Terminator use to escape from Cyberdyne in.
When going through the armory in the desert, John checks the chambers on several AKM rifles (extended edition only). Sarah can also be seen carrying one briefly.
John picks a MAC-10 submachine gun while the Terminator examines the M79.
Trivia: In the screenplay, the MAC-10 was supposed to be the weapon that the Terminator used during the shootout at the Cyberdyne Building, before James Cameron decided that the Terminator should use the handheld Minigun instead.
When the doctors at the mental hospital show Sarah pictures of the Terminator from surveilance cameras in the police station during 1984 (keep in mind that security cameras weren't installed in police stations at this time), the Terminator is seen wielding the two guns we saw him use in the first film. In his right hand, he is holding an Armalite AR-18.
Several times in the film, stunt doubles are seen used during some of the more extreme scenes. This was back before editors could digitally modify the stunt double's face to look like the actual actors. By converting the film to 1080p Digital DVD, these doubles become quite noticable.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingDuring this scene, both Arnold Schwarzenegger's driving stunt double, Norman Howell, and Edward Furlong's driving double are seen in the same shot! Also note how the dirtbike Furlong's double is driving is almost as big as the Harley. Since Furlong's stunt double is bigger than him, the Yamaha dirtbike was sized up to a bigger model so the double would look smaller.Error creating thumbnail: File missingLinda Hamilton's stunt double, Debbie Evans, is seen firing a CAR-15 at the T-1000 during this scene, since this shot had the vehicle really driving down the road (the close up shots with Linda Hamilton were in an immoble vehicle).Error creating thumbnail: File missingDebbie Evans is used instead of Linda when the vehicle is suddenly halted and she is slid across the back.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAs the T-800 fights the T-1000 in the mill, a stunt double is used for Robert Patrick when he is slammed into the walls.
Goofs
Some of the notable goofs in the film.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingWhen this biker stabs the Terminator with his knife, it is clearly a rubber prop. Note how it bends.Error creating thumbnail: File missingWhen the cigar smoking biker is thrown by the Terminator onto the kitchen burners, the steam jets are visible.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAs the Terminator prepares to jump his Harley Fatboy off the ledge, note how it is pointed.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAs he jumps off, the ledge changes to a squared type. Many people claim you can see the wires guiding the bike down but all you can see is the slightly visible edit over the cables, so transparent lines are visible as the bike falls.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAs The Terminator and the Connors pull out of the Mental Hospital, the T-1000 grabs onto their car. Here a dummy is used in place of a stunt man as they drive through the gate. James Cameron says he wished he had the CGI capabilities back then so he could make the T-1000 climb up the car as they drive.Error creating thumbnail: File missingWhen the Terminator is impaled by the steel rod, he is clearly laying to the side to avoid the pole.
Payback
In the extended cut, Douglas (Ken Gibbel) hits Sarah in the stomach with his billy club so he can force feed her her medication. Gibbel didn't want to hurt Linda so he kept pulling the swing, but she had to fall to the ground on her knees the same every time. He did this so much, her knees got bruised up quite badly. If you watch the scene, it is clearly sped up for this exact reason. When Sarah escapes her cell, she breaks off a broom handle and uses it to hit Douglas repeatedly until he is unconcious. As payback for her bruised knees, every blow Linda inflicts on Gibbel is real and not pulled.
A few of the impressive special effects were achieved in unique ways shown here.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingWhen the biker puts his cigar out on the Terminator's chest, the only thing protecting Arnold from being burned was a block and prosthetic skin the size of a dime. If this guy was off even a little bit, he would have been burned pretty bad.Error creating thumbnail: File missingTo give the effect that the Terminator's time portal burned a chunk out of a truck, scotch light is painted onto the rim and has light concentrated on it to give it a heated glow.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe same method is used for the introduction of the T-1000.Error creating thumbnail: File missingTo accomplish the scene in which the T-1000 slowly emerges from the fire, Robert Patrick had to stand in the center of the flames and walk out. After the scene, his clothes were singed.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDuring the chase scene, the police helicopter used by the T-1000 is hung by a moving crane to give it the look like it is flying. This allowed the actor to fire and reload his gun with two hands while the two spare hands could convince the audience the helicopter is being flown.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAn amputee double was used during the scene when the T-1000 emerges from the truck, continually being drenched in liquid nitrogen as his limbs fall of and he finally freezes solid.Error creating thumbnail: File missingFor the scene in which the shattered T-1000 melts and reforms, frozen Mercury was melted on a hotplate until it melted and joined together.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA piece of the frozen mercury melting.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe melted mercury begins to liquify.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe hotplate is pretty seemlessly added to look like the floor of the steel mill.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe Mercury eventually turns into one big pool.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDuring the fight between the T-800 and the T-1000, the steel mill walls were padded with rubber so the actors could slam each other into objects without injuring each other.
Familiar Scenery
The place under the bridge that the T-1000 arrives in the present from was later reused in another James Cameron film, True Lies, although they aren't the exact same spots. Strangley enough, the bridge is really in Washington D.C., which is accurately portrayed in True Lies. In T2 on the other hand, it takes place in Los Angeles.
Linda Hamilton was trained how to pick locks for the film and Linda refused to fake any of the lock picking when she escapes her cell. She actually picks the locks on her harness and the lock on the door.
In some scenes, CGI was avoided to reduce strain on ILM's schedule and the actor wore a special "Tin Foil" suit so he would look like the liquid metal T-1000.
During the scene in which the Terminator enters the biker bar, completely naked from time travel, Arnold was obviously not going to go nude in this scene and instead wore some colorful shorts. How the extras could stifle their laughter is unknown.
Two sets of identical twins were used in the film to make certain scenes more convenient to shoot. The first twins were used in the mental hospital, the first playing Lewis the guard (Don Stanton) and his brother (Dan Stanton) playing the T-1000 clone. The second pair of twins were Linda Hamilton and her sister Leslie Hamilton Gearren, who worked together in several scenes, both playing Sarah Conner.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingDon playing Lewis the guard and his brother Dan playing the T-1000 copy.Error creating thumbnail: File missingIn the extended cut, the T-800 tells the Connors how to modify his CPU so he can progressively learn. They open up his head to remove the CPU. During this scene, Linda is seen in the foreground working on a Stan Winston prop and in the "mirror" is Leslie imitating her movements so Arnold's face can be seen in the mirror as he talks.Error creating thumbnail: File missingIn this scene Leslie (in the foreground) plays the T-1000 disguised as Sarah while Linda plays the real Sarah (in the background).
Speedy Robert
For any scene in which Edward Furlong had to ride his Yamaha DT50 dirtbike, a tow dragged him along to give the illusion he is driving. The guy driving the tow said he would be pulled out fast enough that Robert Patrick would not be able to catch him while running full speed. The driver underestimated him because when Robert started chasing him, he not only caught up with Eddie, he tapped him on the shoulder. Robert is an insanely fast runner.
For some unknown reason, the original cut edited out all of the scenes in which the T-1000 shows signs of glitching after being frozen and shattered. These include:
The "Molten" Steel pit in the steel mill, called "The Spoof Pit" by the crew, was composed of an unknown liquid illuminated by orange fluorescent lights with pieces of plastic floating in it to resemble authentic molten steel. It is used to destroy the T-1000 when he is knocked into the pit and the T-800 uses it to destroy himself with the help of Sarah. With the lights heating the liquid, it was actually pretty hot in the pit. Isn't it interesting how when the T-1000 falls into the pit, he is in extreme pain, yet when the T-800 is lowered in, he seems to feel perfectly content? A matter of perspective I guess.
Stan Winston was one of the greatest special effects and animatronics designers in film history. He brought fictional creatures to life and made the impossible seem real, for which he has won four separate oscars. His animatronics and costumes are some of the most famous in film history and include:
Sadly, Stan Winston passed away on June 15th, 2008. He may be gone but his creations will forever live on in film history as some of the most life-like and creative designs ever. Rest in peace Stan.
The following Stan Winston props are seen in T2:
Liquid Metal Squibs
Stan Winston invented special foil squibs meant to fold out like a flower to imitate a gunshot wound inflicted to the T-1000.
Even animatronics with the smallest roles are heavily contributed to by Stan. This prop was built to show the T-1000 after his head is blown apart by a 10 Gauge slug. The head flaps even move around by control.
The Terminator proves to Miles Dyson he is a machine by cutting off his living tissue and revealing his robotic arm inside. Stan Winston designed this arm and made it as controllable as a real hand.
When the T-1000 copies Lewis the Guard and kills him by stabbing him through the eye, a robotic copy of his head was built to shake and allow the point to stab in and out.
Stan Winston built a copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger's head to torso so squibs could be used on the head region and people would see the Terminator shot in the head. It was also used so the T-1000 could smash his head without killing or injuring Arnold. Because the dummy walked awkwardly, Arnold matched its walk so it would look less suspicious in the film.
The dummy greatly resembles the one used in the scene from the first Terminator where he removes the damaged eye tissue and starts wearing sunglasses.
T-1000 Blade Arm fold-out
The T-1000 kills the liquid nitrogen truck driver by stabbing him with his sharp arm. Stan Winston designed a blade to pop out of the clothes to achieve the look of his being impaled.
Stan Winston designed a replica of the T-1000 frozen in liquid nitrogen that was built with a fiber glass shell with fragements inside. When "shot", primacord is used to shatter the shell and release the fragments. Since fiber glass is not as heavy as ice, a fan blew the fragments to the ground to give the prop a shattering effect.
