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M16 rifle series
The M16 series of assault rifles and carbine variants are used by the following actors in the following movies, television series, video games, and anime:
Specifications
Type: Assault Rifle
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 20, 30 rounds box magazine/ 90 rounds snail drum/ 100 rounds dual drum Beta-C Magazine
Fire Modes: Safe-Semi-Burst (M16A2,M16A4,M4) Safe-Semi-Auto (M16,M16A1,M16A3,M4A1)
M16 Rifle
Film
- U.S. Marines in Full Metal Jacket
- U.S. Navy crew n The Spy Who Loved Me stolen from Armoury and Stromberg guards.
- Lobby Guards and Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix
- Police officers and Lance Henriksen as Detective Hal Vukovich in The Terminator
- SWAT team members in Die Hard
- U.S. Marines in Heartbreak Ridge
- L.A.P.D. SWAT in Lethal Weapon (deleted scene)
- N.Y.P.D. SWAT officer in The Park is Mine (fitted with night vision scope)
- U.S. Army soldiers in We Were Soldiers (with and without M7 bayonets)
Video Games
M16A1 Rifle
Film
- American and ARVN Soldiers in Platoon
- U.S. Army soldiers in Apocalypse Now
- Soldiers in Day of the Dead
- U.S. military personnel, Arius' men, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix in Commando
- U.S. Marines and Soon-Tek Oh as a Japanese Zero pilot in the Time Travel movie, The Final Countdown
- U.S. Marines in Heartbreak Ridge (with and without MILES gear)
- U.S. Air Force Security Police in The Day After
- U.S. Army soldiers in We Were Soldiers (with and without M7 bayonet)
- Sonny Landham as Billy in Predator (fitted with a Mossberg 500 shotgun under the barrel)
- U.S. Army Rangers in The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (with and without M203 grenade launcher)
- Chow Yun-Fat as Mark Lee, Anita Mui as Chow Ying Kit, Tony Leung Ka-Fai as Cheung Chi Mun, and ARVN soldiers in A Better Tomorrow III
- N.Y.P.D. SWAT officers in The Park is Mine
- Hong Kong police in Hard Boiled
- Carrie Fisher as the Assassin Mystery Lady "aka"(Jakes Ex-Fiance),various State Troopers, Sheriffs Deputies, Chicago Police SWAT and U.S. Army soldiers in The Blues Brothers.
- Moonraker launch base guards in Moonraker
- Army National Guard soldiers in Ghostbusters
Television
- U.S. Army Rangers in Seven Days (fitted with M203 grenade launchers, one fitted with a night-vision scope)
Anime
- U.S. Army soldiers in Blood+
- Rally Vincents bedroom in Riding Bean
Video Games
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (XM16E1 prototype version)
M16/M203 rifle and underslung launcher
Film
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch in Predator (M16A1)
- Peter Sarsgaard as Troy and Brian Geraghty as Fergus in Jarhead (M16A2)
- U.S. Army soldiers in The Siege (M16A2)
- Hanging in Tom Barnett's place in The Boondock Saints (M16A1)
- Ewan McGregor as Specialist John Grimes in Black Hawk Down (M16A2)
- Philip Kwok as Mad Dog in Hard Boiled (M16A1)
- Reciprocity team member in Clear and Present Danger (M16A2)
- U.S. Marines in Heartbreak Ridge (M16A1)
- U.S. Army Rangers in The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (M16A1)
- Carver's henchmen in Tomorrow Never Dies (M16A2, with Beta-C drum magazines)
- American Gangster (M16A1)
Television
- U.S. Army soldiers in The Unit (M16A2)
- U.S. Army Rangers in Seven Days (M16A1, with and without night vision scope)
M16A2 Rifle
Film
- U.S. Army Soldier in I am Legend
- U.S. Army Rangers in Black Hawk Down
- U.S. Army soldiers and Marines in War of the Worlds(2005)
- U.S. Marines in Jarhead
- Miami P.D. officers and U.S. military personnel in Bad Boys II
- Several U.S. characters in Three Kings
- U.S. Army soldiers in The Siege
- U.S. Army soldiers in Fire Birds
- John Leguizamo as Pestario "Pest" Vargas in The Pest
- U.S. military personnel in The Day After Tomorrow
- U.S. Army soldiers in In the Army Now
- Seen on a gun rack in Underworld
- U.S. military personnel in Clear and Present Danger
- U.S. military personnel and South Korean MP's in Die Another Day
- Cocaine plant guards in A Man Apart
- Michael Gross as Burt Gummer in Tremors
- National Guard soldiers in Volcano
- U.S Army soldiers in Godzilla
- U.S. Army soldiers in Courage Under Fire
- U.S. military personnel in The Core
- U.S. military personnel in X-Men: The Last Stand
- U.S. military personnel in Independence Day
- U.S. military personnel in Armageddon
- U.S. Marines in Goldeneye
- Security personnel in Jurassic Park (with and without barrel-mounted tactical flashlights)
- U.S. Marines in Jurassic Park III
- Cary Elwes as Lt. Col. James G. Burton in The Pengtagon Wars
- Japanese soldiers in Battle Royale II: Requiem
- Laurence Fishburne as Tad Gruzsa in Bobby Z
Television
- Nicki Lynn Aycox as Pvt. Brenda 'Mrs. B' Mitchell in Over There
- Lizette Carrin as PFC Esmaralda 'Doublewide' Del Rio in Over There
- Pittsburg P.D. officers and an armored van driver in The Kill Point
- U.S. Military personnel in JAG
- U.S. Army soldiers in The Unit
- Various characters in Jericho
- Various characters in Seven Days
- Militant extremists in Star Trek: Voyager (episode "Future's End")
Video Games
- GoldenEye 007 (as the "AR33")
M16A3 Rifle
Film
- Convicts in Con Air (or possible A2 upper on full-auto lower)
Television
Anime
Video Games
- Frank Castle(Thomas Jane) in The Punisher
M16A4 Rifle
Film
- An Arcadia 234 inhabitant in Soldier
Television
- CSI: Miami (fitted with ACOG scope, tactical flashlight, RIS foregrip, and AN/PEQ-2 laser system)
- Major Beck's men in Jericho
Video Games
Facts
The A4 is often mistaken as an A3 w/ RIS rails. This is not true by any means. Two differences are the sight rails themselves (never installed on A3) and a heavier barrel.
Colt XM177/CAR-15/Commando Series
During the Vietnam War, Colt made several short barreled carbines that were fielded. The Colt Model 607 (called the CAR-15 in the US Market) was designated the XM177 in Vietnam. It had a slab side receiver just like the original AR-15s. The Colt Model 609 was designated the XM177E1, where they added a forward assist, raised rib around the mag button and a chromed chamber (the same modifications made to the A1 upgrade of the M16 rifle). This version was also where they started stamping the receivers "Commando", thus known as the "Colt Commando" back in the States. The Colt Model 610 was a version built for the USAF security forces, and was called the XM177 GAU-5/A or when formally adopted by the US Air Force, 'the GAU-5/A ' (which is why the gun is seen on the show Stargate: SG1 since the USAF used the carbine until recently). The Colt Model 629 was officially designated the XM177E2 having changed the barrel from 10" to 11.5" and slightly changing the flash hider/sound suppressor. This is the version most seen as replica and airsoft guns throughout the world.
Movie Armorer's note: Since the ATF viewed the flashhider of the XM177 as a 'silencer' due to the sound baffles within the item, it was as strictly controlled as any other silencer. Also the interior design of the flash hider / sound suppressor of the XM177 made it difficult to adapt to fire movie blanks. Thus there are virtually NO real XM177s used in movies. All of the versions seen in films are modified commercial SP1 Carbines/M16 shorties with 'fake' XM177 flash hiders slipped over or welded to the end of the barrel. Also movie armorers used aftermarket barreled uppers by third party manufacturers and mated them to existing fully automatic lower receivers, thus were constantly swapping parts to build up guns which were requested by movie directors. So it is possible to see various upper receiver assemblies on recognizable M16/A1/A2 lower receivers.
Film
- M.O.I. Swat teams in Brazil (XM177E2)
- Leonardo DiCaprio as Danny Archer in Blood Diamond (with Aimpoint M3 red-dot sight and camouflage paint) (unknown variant; A2 receiver with XM177-style front end)
- Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo)'s men in Blood Diamond (with Aimpoint M3 red-dot sight and camouflage paint) (unknown variant; A2 receiver with XM177-style front end)
- Counter-terrorist teams in Toy Soldiers
- Shadow Company goons and Gary Busey as Mr. Joshua in Lethal Weapon (XM177E2; Busey using one with a scope as well as with and without 'jungle-style' taped magazines)
- Drug runners in Bad Boys II (unknown variant)
- U.S. military personnel in Die Another Day (unknown variant)
- N.Y.P.D. SWAT in The Park Is Mine (unknown variant)
- Joaquim de Almeida's henchmen in Desperado (XM177E2)
- Reciprocity team members in Clear and Present Danger (XM177E2)
- N.Y.P.D. SWAT commander in The Park is Mine (unknown variant)
- Danny Glover as Lt. Mike Harrigan in Predator 2, (XM177E2; fitted with M203 grenade launcher)
- U.S. Navy SEALs in Navy SEALs
- Michael Biehn as Lt. Curran in Navy SEALs (fitted with M203 grenade launcher)
Television
Video Games
- The World Is Not Enough (as the "Mustang MAR-4", available with an M203 grenade launcher as the "Mustang MAR-4 GL")
XM607 Carbine
Often misidentified as a 'CAR-15' by many firearms books, since any experimental short barreled carbine tested by Colt during the 1960s was always seemed to be called a "CAR-15". This gun was never officially issued or fielded.
Film
- Militia gang member in Pink Cadillac
Colt Carbine/Model 653/Model 733
After 1973 Colt made several lightweight versions of the M16 and Commando rifles for use with Police and Security forces, as well as civilian sales worldwide. The Model 653 was sold in the US as the SP1 Carbine or AR-15 Carbine. It had the features of the XM177 rifle series, including the telescoping stock, but had either a 14.5" or a 16" lightweight barrel, depending on the demands of the customer, whether domestic or foreign. It was NOT correct for Viet Nam, despite what the movie Platoon portrays. Though 'unofficially' called the "M16 Shorty" by some writers and shooters, the 16" barreled lightweight carbine was never adopted formally by the US Military, and thus never had an "M" or "XM" designation. It was used in the U.S. by Federal and local law enforcement.
Colt also made the Model 733, which was a 11.5" barreled version of the Model 653, intended for Tactical police and security work. Later manufactured versions of both guns had A2 style heavy barrels. The Model 723 was a 733 designed for export for the UAE and used by US Delta Force.
What is confusing is that other manufacturers made all sorts of modified short barreled AR-15 rifles for the Police and Civilian markets throughout the years. Colt themselves bastardized so many of their rifles throughout the years, swapping particular uppers with different lowers so that there will always be exceptions to the rule. The explosion of custom and unique looking AR-15 rifles in the 1980s and 1990s has led to a lot of confusion regarding what rifle is in what movie.
Film
- Willem Dafoe as Sergeant Elias K. Grodin in Platoon (M653)
- Tom Berenger as Sgt. Bob Barnes in Platoon (M653)
- Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in Heat (M733)
- Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis in Heat (M733)
- Michael Paul Chan as U.N. Cultural Attache of China Xian Chen in U.S. Marshals ((Colt AR-15 Carbine, Civilian version of the Colt M653); fitted with a scope and silencer)
- Delta Force operators and Ron Eldard as Mike Durant in Black Hawk Down (fitted with various accessories including Aimpoint scopes, silencers, tactical flashlights, and camouflage paint) (M723 and M733)
- Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (fitted with silencer, laser sight, and ACOG scope, and a standard issue one on the freeway shootout) (Supposed to be an XM177E2 but was Commercial Colt version of the Model 653 with a fake slip on flash hider)
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Supposed to be an XM177E2 but was Commercial Colt version of the Model 653 with a fake slip on flash hider)
- Models at the Berlin Arms Fair in Lord of War (M653 and M723)
Television
- Johnathan LaPaglia as Frank Parker in Seven Days (episode "The Fire Last Time", M733)
- Michael Gross as Burt Gummer in Tremors: The Series (episodes "Shriek and Destroy" and "Night of the Shriekers", M653)
- Victor Browne as Tyler Reed in Tremors: The Series (episode "Night of the Shriekers", M653)
Video Games
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (M733, called the M4 in game.)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (M733, called the M4 in game.)
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (M733, called the M4 in game.)
M4 Carbine
The M4 Carbine is a 14.5" barreled select fire Assault Rifle. It has a distinctive 'step down' in the barrel to allow for mounting the M203 grenade launcher. It has a flat top receiver that can be outfitted with the detachable handle with iron sights or not. Many of them in the battlefield are customized with forearm rails (usually holding the ANPEQ IR designator, a pistol grip, sometimes a flashlight, or one of many types of rifle scopes).
What is confusing is that many civilian commercial makers of AR-15 style rifles call their 16" Carbine "The M4". Though there is no rule saying they can't name their gun whatever they want, the official M4 is the version used and originally issued by the U.S. Army and built by Colt (or FN on contract). Colt tried to sue other gun makers to stop using the term 'M4' however, it was ruled that M4 refers to a type of firearm and Colt cannot copyright the term.
Film
- "Company Men" in Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- U.S. Navy SEALs in Tears of the Sun (fitted with M68 Aimpoint and ACOG scopes, M203 grenade launchers, silencers, and a camo paint scheme
- U.S. Army soldiers in War of the Worlds (fitted with M203 grenade launchers, M68 Aimpoint and ACOG scopes, C-More red dot sights, and AN/PEQ-2 laser systems
- Jeremy Renner as Brian Gamble, his men, and L.A. Police SWAT in S.W.A.T. (fitted with ACOG scopes and Surefire M500AB weaponlights)
- TNT and rescue team members in Bad Boys II
- SWAT officers and Nick Stahl as John Connor in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (fitted with various accessories including Surefire M500AB weaponlights and C-More red dot sights)
- Thomas Jane as Frank Castle in The Punisher (fitted with M203 grenade launcher and M68 Aimpoint Close Combat Optic)
- Miami P.D. SWAT in Transporter 2
- Robbie Gee as Kahn in Underworld (fitted with a scope and a Surefire M500AB weaponlight)
- Child recruits in Soldier (fitted with red dot sights)
- Will Smith as Robert Neville in I Am Legend
- U.S. Army Soldiers in Cloverfield
- Carver's henchmen and Götz Otto as Richard Stamper in Tomorrow Never Dies (Stamper using one fitted with an M203 grenade launcher)
- NSA Agents in xXx: State of the Union (fitted with Surefire M500AB weaponlights)
- Marton Csokas as Yorgi, Jan Pavel Filipensky as Viktor, and Yorgi's henchmen in XXX (fitted with M68 Aimpoint scopes, Beta-C mags, and RIS foregrips, Yorgi using one with a Surefire M900 weaponlight foregrip)
- William Stryker's men in X2 (fitted with M500AB weaponlights)
- U.S. Army soldiers including Jeremy Renner as Doyle in 28 Weeks Later (Renner using one fitted with RIS foregrip, EO-Tech red dot sight, and a night vision scope)
- Jake La Botz as Reese in Rambo (fitted with M203 grenade launcher, ACOG scope, and camo paint scheme)
- Rose McGowan as Cherry Darling in Planet Terror (fitted with M203 grenade launcher, used as a prosthetic leg)
Television
- U.S. Army soldiers and an Iraqi civilian in Over There (fitted with RIS foregrip and AN/PEQ-2 laser system)
- Luke MacFarlane as Pvt. Frank "Dim" Dumphy in Over There (fitted with M203 grenade launcher and AN/PEQ-2 laser system)
- Keith Robinson as Pvt. Avery "Angel" King in Over There (fitted with RIS foregrip, AN/PEQ-2 laser system, and ACOG scope)
- U.S. military personnel in Stargate SG-1
- Pittsburg P.D. SWAT officers on The Kill Point
- U.S. Army soldiers in The Unit
- Mercenaries in Jericho
- Keifer Sutherland as Agent Jack Bauer and most CTU Tactical Team members in 24
- Miami P.D. SWAT in CSI: Miami
- SWAT in Heroes
- Las Vegas P.D. SWAT in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (fitted with Surefire M500AB weaponlights and M68 Aimpoint scopes)
Video Games
- America's Army (with and without M203 grenade launcher)
- Cuban Army soldiers, L.A.P.D. SWAT, and Tokyo SWAT in Kane and Lynch: Dead Men
- U.S. Army Soldiers in Combat Mission: Shock Force (with M68 Aimpoint sight and optional M203 grenade launcher)
Anime
Colt 9mm Submachine Gun
Film
- Vin Diesel as DEA Agent Sean Vetter in A Man Apart
- Chow Yun-Fat and Wei's men in The Replacement Killers
- An FBI Special Agent in Collateral
- An NSA commando and hidden in the back seat of the GTO in XXX (the commando using one fitted with a Surefire M500AB handguard flashlight)
- One of the Merovingian's henchmen in The Matrix Reloaded
- Special operations soldiers in The Siege
Video Games
- Enter the Matrix (as the "9mm Carbine")
Commercial Copies of the M16 Rifle series
Many of the guns seen as Colt model guns aren't Colt at all, but the many various other manufacturer copies of the M16/AR-15 series of firearms. The most common clones are the guns made by Bushmaster, PWA, Eagle Arms. Though there are now many semiautomatic rifles made by companies like Panther DPMS and others, most of the Movie Prop houses acquired their guns before the 1990s. So only the most common third part manufacturers will be seen. Since it's difficult to determine which maker built the gun, for the sake of simplicity, the rifle variants in movies will be identified by the COLT model they most look like.
Non Firing Replicas of the M16 Rifle
Before the advent of inexpensive Airsoft guns there were precious few replica weapons that could be used in productions if they didn't want to have a live firing weapon on set, or for a stunt or if they didn't have the budget to get a real gun (and armorer). Though the U.S. Army had a "rubber duck", i.e. slang for the hard rubber training M16 they used, it was not readily available on demand for the movie prop houses of the 1970s and the 1980s. Thus the metal REPLICA gun was used (those models that were actually available for purchase). Model Gun Corporation of Japan made and built excellent quality metal replica guns between the late 1960s and the early 1980s and the most utilized one was theMGC M16 assault rifle. They were sold in the United States by Collector's Armory, Ltd. (and should not be confused with the inferior quality metal replicas currently coming in from Spain).
If you've seen a movie with M16s in it, chances are you've seen many replicas of the rifle on camera.
In the following, the use of a metal replica M16 was (painfully) obvious:
Film
- Full Metal Jacket : the MGC M16 was visible being held by all soldiers who carried the M16. Only when they were firing on screen, did it switch to a live version of the weapon.
- Uncommon Valor : in any of the armory scenes or flashback scenes of soldiers not firing their M16s, the MGC M16 is evident.
- First Blood : the Army National Guardsmen are seen holding many MGC M16 rifles. Only when an actor fired, did the weapon change to a real weapon.
- Hulk : when the Hulk explodes out of the ground on Powell Street in San Francisco, many of the U.S. Army Soldiers were carrying MGC-16 replica rifles (in addition to real AR15-A2 rifles). One of the soldiers holding the fake rifle has a closeup in one of the 'split screen' shots of their reaction to the Hulk.