Billy (Sonny Landham) and Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) are prominently seen armed with AR-15/SP1 slab-side M16 rifles fitted with M16A1 birdcage muzzle flash suppressors to appear more modern (they are likely AR-15/SP1s over genuine M16s, converted to full-auto by the armorers for the film). Dutch's AR-15/SP1 is fitted with a Fake M203 Launcher and a perforated forend typical for the M203, while Billy's AR-15/SP1 is fitted with a Mossberg 500 shotgun and M16A2 foregrips. These particular SP1 rifles are clearly fitted with blank adapters (which are visible sticking beyond the muzzle, out into the flash hider), which means they were real guns converted to fire blank rounds. Many other guns in the movie also have these adapters visible.
Fitted on Dutch's AR-15/SP1 is a Fake M203 Launcher with a 39mm bore diameter. This particular faux launcher was popular at the time before the Cobray launcher was produced and was used in several other '80s movies, including Heartbreak Ridge. Gun is inaccurately seen as capable of detonating its rounds at close range, yet real M203 rounds have a safety device in which they must spin for a certain amount of time before detonating, giving it a range limit. Dutch later uses his spare 40mm rounds (which actually don't fit his launcher) to make explosives to face the Predator.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingScreen used Faux M203 39mm launcher attached to an M16/SP1 rifle. Note that the film used multiple rifle/launcher combos, and the wear on the launcher actually changes from shot to shot, indicating that the actor is using the backup rifle/launcher combo for that particular shot.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDutch fires his fake M203 launcher at the Guerillas. Note how the SP1 rifle has a blank adapter protruding from the barrel into the muzzle break.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDutch with his SP1/Fake M203.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDutch takes out the UH-1 Iroquis with his fake M203 at a far too short distance. Also, when he fires the gun, a considerable amount of smoke exits the muzzle...Error creating thumbnail: File missing...yet as the chopper blows up, no smoke is visible.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDutch takes out his two 40mm rounds, which don't actually fit in his fake M203.Error creating thumbnail: File missingDutch dumps the powder out of the 40mm round to make explosives.
Mossberg 500
Billy's AR-15/SP1 is fitted with a Mossberg 500 underslung under the barrel. While never seen firing the shotgun in the film, he is seen pumping it closed after the men cut down the forest with weapons fire, implying he had been firing it during that scene. In the original screenplay, Billy's SP1 rifle was to be fitted with an M203 launcher. During the helicopter scene, he was to be seen opening and closing the breech repeatedly. Since the fake M203 launchers don't open in such a manner, I guess someone decided to change it to a Mossberg 500 shotgun (although they seemed to have forgotten the helicopter scene).
An M60E3 machine gun is carried by Sgt. Mac (Bill Duke). Like the gun in Commando, this M60 appears to have a professionally shortened barrel. They actually could be the same gun supplied by Stembridge Gun Rentals.
Nicknamed "Old Painless", a hand-held M134 Minigun is the main weapon of the movie carried by Blain (Jesse Ventura). It has been modded for Commando use with an M60 handguard and a rear pistol grip. The weapon was powered by an electric cable hidden in the actors pants and fired reduced power 7.62x51mm blank rounds to ease the recoil force. It is believed in real life a similar weapon was tested by US special forces in the 1970s but found impractical. Although rumored to be an XM214 'Microgun' which fires the smaller 5.56mm NATO rounds, it is the larger M134 hence the barrel cluster.On the subject of the weapon's caliber the film's technical advisor Kevin Dockery had the following to say."The Predator gun is an M-134. It was never a microgun (XM-214). That story has been rattling around the Internet and elsewhere for years, that the Predator gun was a 5.56, it wasn't. Ventura had a hand in putting together the harness that held the gun, after all, he had to carry and handle the darn thing, and told me a bunch about it. When Dan had the gun (past tense I believe) he contacted me to see if Ventura wanted to buy the weapon. I'm going to do a writeup on the XM-214 including pictures of me holding one. It isn't a big deal to pick the microgun up and hold it cradled in one arm. Maybe when people see just how small the 5.56mm gun is, this story will start going away. The pack in the movie held all of four seconds worth of ammo and no batteries. In the first scene when Ventura fires the gun, you can see the cable for it in the dirt behind him. And the trigger didn't work. The special effects man handled powering the gun for several reasons, including safety. Something about them not wanting the actors injured if the gun was dropped and the trigger pulled." The gun is also operated in the film by Mac shortly after Blain's death and Mac uses it to chop down half the forest in an attempt to kill the Predator. For the firing scenes, the weapon is fed from the same type of helicopter ammo box used on the M23 armament system for the M60D machine gun. These ammunition canisters hold aproximately 550 rounds,At the confirmed rate of fire(1,250 RPM) when the weapon was sold the weapon had all of 25 seconds of ammo or just long enough to do the Counter-Ambush scene. For the non-firing scenes the ammo box was turned on its side with the chute attached to the bottom of the box and positioned upside down on the gun in order to hide the fact that there was no ammunition present.
The Heckler & Koch HK94 are the mainstay weapons of many members of the squad. Blain (Jesse Ventura), Poncho (Richard Chaves), Hawkins (Shane Black) and Dillon (Carl Weathers) all carry them. The guns are meant to be MP5A3s, but close inspection reveals they are the civilian HK94s with the 16" barrels chopped down and they are converted to full auto. They clearly aren't MP5A3s due to the lack of the three lugs on the barrel, the lack of the paddle magazine release situated behind the magazine, under the gun and the lack of the push pin set.
A custom launcher built specifically by the armorers is used by Poncho. It is built from Heckler & Koch HK94 parts (mainly the stock and pistol gips) and uses parts ftom an AN-M5 aircraft pyrotechnic discharger (a 37mm flare launcher). Its possible the same launcher was used in Braddock: Missing In Action 3.
Sgt. Mac can be seen arming M18A1 Claymores as part of the defensive perimeter when he and the commandos camp out for the night after Blain is killed, then when Dutch orders the other commandos to make a stand against the Predator in the jungle. Mac and Blain are also seen disarming a Claymore when they sneek into the Guerilla camp.
M18A1 Claymore Mine.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMac holds down the trip wire of a Claymore Mine as Blain clips the wire.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMac sets up a Claymore mine as a trap for the Predator. Interesting to note that the green paint is chipping off the mine revealing it to be a blue practice mine
Walther PP
The Russian Officer (Sven-Ole Thorsen) is seen using a Walther PP to execute an American prisoner. Anna (Elpidia Carrillo) is also seen trying to shoot Dutch with a Walther before he whips around and rifle butts her.
Billy, Dutch, Mac, Poncho and Hawkins are also seen with IMI Desert Eagle handguns, presumabley .44 or .357 Magnum, holstered as their sidearms. Dutch and Poncho keeps theirs in a hip holster while Billy, Mac and Hawkins use shoulder holsters.
Some of the Guerillas are seen armed with Valmet M78 light machine guns, note by their synthetic "Dragunov" style stocks. While similar to an RPK light machine gun, slight differences in the sights and receiver help tell them apart.
When preparing to fight the Predator, Dutch builds himself a recurve bow with enough strength to send arrows completly through trees. Dutch also builds some explosive tipped arrows with no visible ignition source, so apparently they just explode on impact for no reason.
The infamous shoulder mounted plasma gun used by The Predator (played by 7'2" tall actor Kevin Peter Hall, now deceased), nicknamed the "Blow Dryer" gun due to its similarity to a Hair Dryer is used several times in the film and is the main cause of death to many of the team's Commandos.
"Plasma Caster" is another name commonly attached to the shoulder cannon.
Before the great Stan Winston (RIP) turned the Predator into what it was, it was originally going to use a Harpoon gun, and in one scene, we see this gun's projectile in use. The Predator uses it to skim Blaine's shoulder and stun him before using his shoulder gun to put a hole through his chest. Since this idea was dropped, this is the only instance the weapon is seen used in the film.
There is also the possibility that the Harpoon could be another version of the "Spear gun" seen in the second movie.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingA harpoon projectile is seen in motion, skimming Blaine. Note how blood is seen coming out of his shoulder, yet look how high the harpoon is.
