Full Metal Jacket is the 1987 Vietnam War film directed by Stanley Kubrick that follows a US Marine nicknamed "Joker" (Matthew Modine) through his initiation into Marine boot camp up to his tour in Vietnam as a reporter for Stars and Stripes. Upon his deployment, Joker and his fellow Marines find themselves in the midst of the Battle of Hue during the 1968 Tet Offensive. With a screenplay adapted from Gustav Hasford's novel "The Short-Timers", Full Metal Jacket provided breakthrough acting roles for Vincent D'Onofrio and R. Lee Ermey, who was a former Marine drill instructor prior to his iconic role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the film. At the time of its premiere, the film was part of a wave of Vietnam War-related theatrical releases, and was unfairly compared to Oliver Stone's Platoon (which was released just over six months prior to this film). The film's title refers to a bullet usually consisting of a soft lead core encased in a shell made of harder material, typically of metal.
The following weapons were used in the film Full Metal Jacket:
The M14 Rifle features prominently in the U.S. Marine boot camp scenes in the film. Once the Marines arrive in Vietnam they are issued M16s. The M14 rifle is notably seen in the film 'locked and loaded' with 7.62x51mm NATO rounds when Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio) is confronted first by Pvt. "Joker" (Matthew Modine), and then Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey), in the 'head'. When Joker asks if the rounds were live, Pyle responds, "Seven-Six-Two millimeter, Full Metal Jacket".
The M16 Rifle appears in the film as the standard-issue weapon of most of the US Marines in Vietnam. Since the film takes place during the Tet offensive in 1968, the use of M16s is correct since it was adopted by the USMC in 1967. However, the particular rifle adopted by the USMC was the M16A1 whereas the rifle featured in the film is a Colt Model 604, which was the version of the M16 adopted by the US Air Force which lacked a forward assist and had the partial magazine fence of the XM16E1. "Cowboy" (Arliss Howard) has his M16 with two magazines taped together 'jungle style', a practice that originated during World War II for the Thompson that was carried over to the M16 during Vietnam. During his encounter with the VC sniper, Pvt. Joker's rifle jams on him, something early M16s were notorious for due to poor maintenance habits and faulty ammunition.
What appears to be an XM16E1 Rifle is seen in the hands of a Marine.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingXM16E1 rifle with 20 round magazine - 5.56x45mm. What distinguishes it from the original M16 was the addition of the forward assist button and a chrome bolt carrier (which was later dropped with the M16A1).Error creating thumbnail: File missingJust visible in-frame on the right is an XM16E1 being used by a Marine. Note the forward assist.
Sa vz. 58
The VC sniper (Ngoc Le) that engages the Marines is armed with a Czech-made Sa vz. 58. Though the Sa vz. 58 rifles were commonly used by the North Vietnamese Army alongside the more predominant Soviet AK-47 (as well as the Type 56 Chinese copy), it is technically incorrect for them to be in common use with the VC. The Việt Cộng tended to use "less front line" weapons, like captured M1 Carbines, SKS rifles and old weapons from the French Indo China War.
The Doorgunner (Tim Colceri) on the Westland Wessex helicopter (standing in for an H-34 Choctaw) that takes Joker (Matthew Modine) and Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard) to join Cowboy's (Arliss Howard) 1st Platoon repeatedly fires an M60 machine gun at random Vietnamese they pass. The M60 is also the weapon Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin) carries throughout the film. Pvt. Joker can also be seen firing an M60 when their base is attacked at the start of the Tet Offensive.
Several Marines carry M67 hand grenades on their flak vests as well. An interesting note about this is that during the late-1960's (when the events of the film take place), the M67 was just starting to see use among frontline US military units, and beginning to phase out older designs such as the M26 hand grenade mentioned above.
Crazy Earl carries a lever-action Daisy Red Ryder BB gun in addition to his M16 throughout the movie, as carried by his character in the book on which the film is based, The Short Timers.
