The Boys in Company C is a 1978 Vietnam War satire that focuses on a group of young US Marines from their initiation into boot camp through their yearlong tour in Vietnam. The film co-starred Stan Shaw, Andrew Stevens, James Whitmore Jr., Michael Lembeck and featured the acting debut of R. Lee Ermey, who played a boot camp drill instructor nine years before his role in Full Metal Jacket. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie, who went on to direct the Vietnam War-themed films Purple Hearts and Going Back.
The following weapons were used in the film The Boys in Company C:
M16A1's are the most frequently seen rifles in the film. Used by American and ARVN forces in the film, this particular model is highly anachronistic for the time period depicted (the majority of the film is set in 1968). Also anachronistic is the use of the 30 round "banana clip" magazine.
Some of the Marines in the film appear to carry the M16 (SP1) rifle noted by its "slab-side" receiver. Just as seen in 1978's Apocalypse Now (which was also filmed in the Phillipines around the same time), the use of the M16 is an error as the original M16 was never used by the US Army or any other branch of the US Military other than the Air Force. By the time the movie takes place (1969), all M16's that were being used by the entire US Military were already replaced by the M16A1 as seen above.
The M60 machine gun is carried by several US Marines in the film, notably by Billy Ray Pike (Andrew Stevens) and Vinnie Fazio (Michael Lembeck). It's also seen mounted on US armored vehicles.
Several Browning M2HB heavy machine guns are seen in the film mounted in US Armored Personnel Carriers. Tyrone Washington (Stan Shaw) is notably seen pointing an M2 at an inept officer.
