The EM-1 Railgun (EM standing for "Electro Magnetic"), a fictional railgun, is the film's prominent weapon. The weapon is described as being able to "fire caseless aluminum rounds at close to the speed of light", which is dubious for all manner of reasons; power consumption and heating would both be impossible to deal with in an infantry weapon, but the main issue would be how a C-fractional bullet would interact with the air around it. The projectile would be superheated almost instantly and burn up before it left the barrel, with the gun effectively firing a stream of plasma that would rise and dissipate; the result would be more like a hot steam gun than a projectile weapon. If it didn't, the projectile would interact with the atmosphere like a large meteor, creating a massive superheated trail that behaved like a directional nuclear explosion, including wake radiation in the area behind it. Far from throwing victims into the air, it would drill a hole through them so cleanly and quickly they'd barely notice in the instant before they and the entire surrounding area were obliterated by the wake. The shooter would likely end up with an EM-1 shaped hole in them and an equally large trail of destruction going in the opposite direction from the gun shooting itself backwards with similar velocity to the projectile.
The weapon is fitted with a variable magnification "X-Ray" scope, allowing the user to see through solid walls and showing human targets as skeletons, with the user able to mark his shot to their visible beating heart. The scope is a Hollywood invention; any X-Ray that could pass through steel, brick or concrete would not reflect off soft tissue or bone and pass through denser material again to get back to the detector, it would simply go through the less dense material and carry on. Real X-Ray machines work by firing X-Rays from an emitter on one side at a plate on the other, with bones and other dense structures showing up because they do not allow the rays to pass through; the traditional X-Ray with white bones is a negative, showing where the rays did not pass through, not where they were reflected back at the emitter. The net result is that the scope wouldn't actually display anything at all unless the entire area was saturated with lethal radiation or an emitter were present on the opposite side of the target.
Multiple prop versions of the EM-1 were built for the film, ranging from simple rubber and plastic props (e.g., those used in the container drop scene) to functioning "hero" versions made out of plastic, metal, cast resin, and fiberglass that featured CO2 cannisters (used to create the steam effects that are visible when the EM-1 is fired). At least one of the "hero" EM-1 props was sold in a 2018 auction by Heritage Auction.
Deputy U.S. Marshal John Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) carries a 2nd Generation Glock 21 as his sidearm, sometimes with a suppressor. He later steals one from a man in the warehouse by the docks.
Although IMFDB for years mis-identified this weapon as a 2nd Generation Glock 17, the weapon noticeably features two visible two locking block pins (which would not be present on a Gen 2 Glock 17), and the larger grip, which identify this weapon as a Glock 21. The weapon's identity was also confirmed in 2018, when it was auctioned on Heritage Auction’s website - pictures of the screen-used weapon appear below.
Both Deputy Marshal Calderon (Nick Chinlund) and Deputy Marshal Monroe (Danny Nucci) carry the Beretta 92FS as their sidearm. Kruger dual-wields a Beretta along with a Glock 21 at one point in the film. J-Scar (Mark Rolston) uses the 92FS as well. During the final gunfight, Tony Two-Toes (Joe Viterelli) also carries the weapon.
In an apparent continuity error, US Marshal Robert Deguerin (James Caan) picks up a dead assassin's Beretta 92SB as noted by its briefly-seen rounded trigger guard, which was previously seen as a Beretta 92FS.
Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) steals a Desert Eagle Mark XIX from Agent Schiff (Michael Papajohn) during the plane shootout and keeps it until the zoo shootout when he runs out of ammunition, conveniently having 2 rounds left (as opposed to the 40 or so he fires before without reloading) to shoot out the crocodile glass exhibit, and shoot an approaching crocodile remarking, "You're luggage!"
The Desert Eagle from this movie was eventually auctioned, along with several other "hero" weapons from the film, in a 2018 listing posted by Heritage Auctions.
The hitmen sent to kill Johnny Casteleone (Robert Pastorelli) and his wife at the film's beginning use older Walther PPK pistols fitted with suppressors. Kruger also uses one of these guns in the same scene - it's not clear if this pistol is supposed to have been appropriated from one of the men he kills, as Kruger's weapon of choice in the opening sequence changes between no less than three different suppressed pistols.
In a continuity error, the PPK fired by Kruger in the opening scene changes to what appears to be a suppressed .22 cal High Standard Sharpshooter M with wooden grips.
Also in the opening scene, Kruger uses a Heckler & Koch P7M13SD, as noted by its added suppressor. This may simply be another weapon he brought along for the job, although it seems likely that it is another continuity error, and is supposed to represent the same pistol he used throughout. Most obviously, he keeps it tucked in his pants, which is where he put the High Standard Sharpshooter M he was carrying just a few moments earlier.
Kruger tells Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) that he works alone and if anyone ever says they are with him, to use his Smith & Wesson Model 36. It appears that this is a regular Model 36 with Bianchi "Lightning" grips that give the gun a "Bodyguard" appearance.
The IMI Uzi is seen in the hands of several thugs throughout the film and is also used by U.S. Marshal Robert Deguerin (James Caan) and Johnny Casteleone (Robert Pastorelli).
Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) uses an over-under shotgun manufactured by Investarm, chambered in 12 gauge as one of his weapons. This weapon would subsequently appear in two Steven Seagal films, 1997's Fire Down Below and 2005's Today You Die. It was later sold in a 2018 auction by Heritage Auctions.
Kruger uses a Benelli M3 Super 90 shotgun with a top-folding stock while in the dock warehouse. When two snipers armed with Railguns destroy half the place, the bolt on his gun melts to the receiver, rendering it useless. He tosses it over to a thug searching for him, and he picks it up. A railgun sniper spots the thug with the shotgun and blasts him instead.
An AKMS with a chopped barrel is also used by one of the Russians at the dock.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingCustom AKMS Assault Pistol with folded stock - 7.62x39mm. The Custom rifle has parts from the Norinco Type 56 and the AKMS. In reality, these rifles don't interchange parts, but it was possible since the gun is massively customized and practically rebuilt from scratch.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAn AKMS with a chopped barrel is also used by one of the Russians at the dock.
M16A1 (w/ A2 style handguard)
U.S. Marshals towards the end of the film are armed mainly with M16A1s with A2 style handguards as evidenced by their A1 style sights and standard barrels.
At least one of the Deputy U.S. Marshals carries a Colt Model 715 rifle, which has the furniture and barrel profile of the M16A2 but an A1-style carry handle.
Sal (John Snyder) uses a Winchester Model 70 with a scope to shoot out one of the EM snipers. He fires a bullet right through the scope, similar to the legendary USMC sniper Carlos Hathcock, who did the same thing with the same rifle during Vietnam.
J-Scar (Mark Rolston) uses a custom built Drillbit Launcher, that appears to launch a weighted projectile which after several seconds, launches a grenade vertically into the air. The grenade then explodes and propels hundreds of drillbit-shaped fragments in all directions. One succeeds in impaling Kruger's hand to the fridge door.
