During the 4th of July parade at the open of the film, ROTC cadets are seen marching with M1903 Springfield rifles. Also seen later in a 4th of July parade set in 1969.
Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) and his fellow Marines use M14 rifles during the Vietnam sequences, which take place in January 20th, 1968, when the rifle was in the process of being replaced by the M16A1 in the United States Marine Corps. The rifle is used in several pivotal sequences, including the accidental shooting of Vietnamese civilians in a hamlet, the death of one of Kovic's squadmates and finally when Kovic himself is paralyzed during an ambush.
North Vietnamese soldiers can be seen with Type 56 rifles during the ambush of the Marines.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingChinese Type 56 Carbine aka the Chinese SKS rifle - 7.62x39mm. The Chinese SKS has a stamped receiver and a spike bayonet (aka a "pig sticker") much like one of their AK47 copies - the Type 56 assault rifle. This version, like many imported SKS rifles, have the infamous 'orange cratewood' stocks, probably the lowest quality wood in any mass produced rifle, save for the last ditch Arisaka Type 99 rifles at the end of WW2. Many SKS rifles during the Vietnam War were issued with reddish plastic stocks, because of the incidents of 'wood rot' in the humid SE Asian jungles.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA NVA soldier running with a Type 56 rifle.
