El Mariachi is the 1992 Spanish language action film that was the first feature film directed by Robert Rodriguez. The film also marked the beginning of Rodriguez's "Mariachi" trilogy, which includes Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Because the film was made in Mexico with an extremely low budget, some guns were actual guns taken from a local police station and other were either BB guns or other toy guns. Robert Rodriguez mentioned in the DVD commentary for the film that since they were firing blanks in firearms that were not blank-converted, they would often only be able to get one shot before it jammed.
The following guns were used in the film El Mariachi:
Azul carries a MAC-10 fitted with a suppressor as one of the weapons in his guitar case. El Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo) then is seen taking the MAC-10 from the case and using it. Several of Moco's thugs are seen using MAC-10's without a sound suppressor as well. The gun is frequently switched to other various guns in the many continuity errors in the film It appears that due to the film's low budget, the MAC-10, the TEC-9 mini, and the Micro Uzi are the only submachine guns used in the film.
A Smith & Wesson Model 34 is seen used by a thug to threaten Azul. Azul then uses the revolver to hold Dominó hostage and then El Mariachi is seen using the revolver.
The Intratec TEC-9 Mini is first seen pulled out by one of Azul's men. The TEC-9 is then seen throughout the film used by Moco's thugs, sometimes without a barrel shroud. At one point, El Mariachi is seen firing the TEC-9 in a continuity error (he had held a MAC-10 just previously). Director Robert Rodriguez mentioned that when using this gun, they could only get one shot off before jamming. In order to simulate automatic fire, the frame was reprinted several times.
When Azul enters a rival gang's bar, after killing many of the men inside with his MAC-10, Azul pursues one of the men into the bathroom and kills him with what looked to be either a cut down bolt action rifle or some kind of bolt action pistol.
