The M4A1 is the primary rifle used by the sailors aboard the USS Nathan James. Members of the US Navy's Mountain Warfare Unit can be seen using M4A1 carbines fitted with EOTech red dot sights to defend themselves against Russian helicopters in the premiere episode "Phase Six" (S1E01). US Navy sailors including Commander (CDR) Tom Chandler (Eric Dane) are armed with the M4A1 in "Welcome to Gitmo" (S1E02). The M4A1 also is the rifle carried by Tex (John Pyper-Ferguson) throughout Season 1, beginning with "Welcome to Gitmo" (S1E02).
AKMSU rifles are seen in the hands of Russian operatives in the premiere episode "Phase Six" (S1E01). LT Danny Green (Travis Van Winkle) takes an AKMSU off one of El Toro's men in "El Toro" (S1E05).
Russian soldiers aboard the Soviet ship carry AK-103 assault rifles, notably in "Dead Reckoning" (S1E03), "SOS" (S1E07), and "Two Sailors Walk Into a Bar" (S1E08).
Some of the escaped prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are armed with M16A4 rifles in "Welcome to Gitmo" (S1E02). In "We'll Get There" (S1E04), Sailors aboard the Nathan James use M16A4 rifles fitted with what appear to be Mk 87 Mod 1 line-throwing adapters to launch parachutes into the air in order to propel the ship forward using wind power after the engines fail. Although these line launchers are used by the US Navy and can be attached to an M16 (if the flash hider is removed), they are generally only used with the M14 due to the higher pressures generated by a 7.62x51mm blank round.
In the series premiere "Phase Six" (S1E01), an honor guard detail uses the M1 Garand to perform a rifle volley. A rifle volley also is seen performed in (S1E09) in what is likely reused footage.
A Nathan James honor guard detail performs a rifle volley with the Springfield M1A during a funeral in (S1E09). In wide shots, the rifles appear to be M1 Garands.
McGregor (Nathan Sutton) pulls an M1911A1 when confronting the Chandlers' vehicle at a roadblock in Season 1's finale "No Place Like Home" (S1E10).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingPre-War Colt M1911A1 Pistol - Commercial Model known as the "Colt Government Model" - .45 ACP. This has a deep Colt factory blued finish, common for commercial variants before and after the war.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMcGregor (Nathan Sutton) pulls an M1911A1 when confronting the Chandlers' vehicle at a roadblock in Season 1's finale "No Place Like Home" (S1E10).
A Russian operative is seen firing what appears to be an M60 built up to resemble the M60E3 machine gun in the premiere episode "Phase Six" (S1E01).
M60E3 machine gun - 7.62x51mm NATOError creating thumbnail: File missingA Russian operative seen firing what appears to be an M60 built up to resemble the M60E3 machine gun in the premiere episode "Phase Six" (S1E01). The gun appears to have a first generation butt stock, carrying handle, barrel and front sight.
PKM Machine Gun
A Russian gunner opens fire with what appears to be a PKM Machine Gun fitted on a rescue boat in "SOS" (S1E07).
The USS Nathan James is armed with several weapons:
Phalanx CIWS
A Phalanx CIWS are seen as one of the defensive weapons of the Navy Destroyer USS Nathan James (these sequences were actually filmed aboard the active Navy destroyer the USS Dewey). The model seen is the Phalanx Block 1B CIWS, the newest version of the system. The CIWS is seen being used to ward off attacking Russian helicopters in the premiere episode "Phase Six" (S1E01).
An M242 Bushmaster chaingun can be seen as one of the weapons of the USS Nathan James and is used to ward off attacking Russian helicopters in the premiere episode "Phase Six" (S1E01).
During the attack in the Arctic, another member of the Navy's MWU riding on a snowmobile can be seen using what appears to be an M136 AT4 to shoot down one of the incoming helicopters in "Phase Six" (S1E01). A Gitmo prisoner is also seen using an AT4 in "Welcome to Gitmo" (S1E02).
Several of the Nathan James crew are seen carrying the Palmer Cap-Chur Long Range Projector with synthetic stocks to capture monkeys for testing in "El Toro" (S1E05).