A Czechoslovakian Sa.23 Submachine Gun with a fixed wooden stock is seen in the parachute harness of a mercenary as they prepare to do a halo jump from the C-130 transport plane. It is the 23 model because it is 9mm parabellum, the later 7.62x25mm Tokarev model has a slanted pistol grip and magazine hence the ammunition. While it might be unusual for one of the mercenaries to be carrying a communist weapon during the Cold War, the design was actually sold to and adopted by South Africa during that time period.
Some may think it is a South African Sanna-77 submachine gun. The Sanna-77 was a semi-automatic SMG issued to white Afrikaans farmers during the Aparthied era as a protection weapon, however many claim that is was merely an updated Sa.24 (folding stock 9mm). This is unlikely since the Sanna-77 was only manufactured in a folding stock version.
There is a huge mix of all manners of FAL rifles in the film. The Mercenaries use a mix of LAR, FAL 50.00 and L1A1 SLR models. Some of them are firing semi auto and others are firing full automatic.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingBritish Inch Pattern L1A1 SLR (Self Loading Rifle) chambered in 7.62x51mmError creating thumbnail: File missingMercenaries all fire the L1A1 SLR (Self Loading Rifle) chambered in 7.62x51mm. Medical Orderly Arthur Witty (far left) carries an Uzi during his jump, uses an L1A1 during the first battle, and then switches back to an Uzi for the rest of the film.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMercenary Samuels (Brook Williams) uses an L1A1 during the barracks attack, while Esposito (Glyn Baker) (on the right) uses a full auto FN FAL 50.00 rifle - 7.62x51mm
FN FAL|FN FAL 50.61
Some of the Mercenaries and nearly all of the Simbas (General Endoufa's crack troops) carry the FN FAL 50.61 paratrooper rifle. This is odd, since the junta's forces are being aided by the Soviet Bloc (note the Cuban and East German military Advisors), thus it would have been more likely that the junta's soldiers are issued AK47s or other Combloc weapon.
Ex SAS member Tosh Donaldson played by Ian Yule used a weapon that was a chopped down L1A1 SLR that was converted to full auto fire with a special single dot reflex sight and flash hider (and 40 round 7.62x51mm magazines). The actor Ian Yule, was a former real life Mercenary in the Congo during the 1960s under the command of Major Mike Hoare. For many years, fans of the film assumed the weapon was a South African R1 Variant, but information directly from the actor reminds us that there was an arms embargo against South Africa during the 1970s (because of apartheid). This was a custom made L1A1 carbine that came from a UK Movie armory.
During the attack on the barracks, a Mercenary carries a StG 57/SIG SG 510 Assault Rifle. It is also seen fired in the prone position during the final firefight.
A Vickers Machine Gun is used by the Mercenaries in the final crossfire against the Simbas. First manned by Sgt. Jock McTaggart and then by Capt. Rafer Janders.
Tosh Donaldson (Ian Yule) carries and uses a Belgian RL-83 Blindicide multiple times during the final firefight. Tosh's rocket launcher does not have the blast shield installed.
