The A-Team was an American action television series that aired in the US on NBC for five seasons from 1983 to 1987. The show followed the adventures of a squad of Green Berets and their pilot who were wrongly convicted of a military crime during the Vietnam War and upon escaping from a maximum security prison, currently survive as soldiers of fortune in the Los Angeles underground. The show was known for its numerous gunfights where nearly no one is actually killed, and for its car chases where everyone is able to get out of their vehicles even after they experienced spectacular crashes. For its fifth and final season, the series underwent a radical overhaul, having the team actually being caught and subsequently working covertly for the US government. A feature film adaptation of the series was released in 2010 and starred Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper.
The following weapons were used in the television series The A-Team:
Seen twice during Season 5. First in the episode "The Theory Of Revolution", when the A-Team show General Stockwell just how many weapons they managed to smuggle into the farmhouse without his security detail noticing. The second time in "Alive at Five", as the sidearm of Tommy Tedesco's right hand man. It has a slide-mounted safety/decocker and a round trigger guard, identifying it as a 92SB.
The Browning Hi-Power is one of the handguns frequently used by Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), notably in Season 1's "Black Day at Bad Rock". During Season 3 it becomes H. M. Murdock's (Dwight Schultz) sidearm of choice.
Hannibal (George Peppard) holds a Colt Detective Special in Season 2's "Recipe For Heavy Bread". A nickel plated version is the sidearm of Tommy Tedesco (Richard Romanus) in "Alive at Five", Season 5. It is also quite frequently wielded by bad guys throughout the show.
The M1911 and many variants are carried at various times by A-Team members, U.S. Military Police pursuing the A-Team, and various bad guys. A nickel plated version is seen through Seasons 4 and 5.
Seen on multiple occasions in Season 2 and as the sidearm of Colonel Decker in Season 4. Absolute confirmation on the exact model is not possible, since the original Colt Government Model, Colt MK IV Series 70 and Colt MK IV Series 80 were all available at the time of filming (1983 to 1987).
A nickel plated Colt Lawman MK III is used primarily by Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Dirk Benedict). It is correctly referred to as a ".357 magnum" in "Skins", Season 3. This is also the revolver of the main villain in the Season 2 episode "The Only Church In Town".
Seen in the episodes "Judgement Day Part 1", "The Trouble with Harry" and "The Little Town with an Accent", Season 4, and "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair", Season 5. It was used again as the sidearm of Alice Heath (Rosalind Chao) in "Point of No Return". One of the hitmen in "Without Reservations" is also seen using it.
The FIE Titan can be seen in the hands of various bad guys. Notably in the hands of Colonel Sien in Season 4's "The Sound Of Thunder" and Hannibal (George Peppard) in "The Spy Who Mugged Me", Season 5.
When the A-Team enter the road bar in "Pure-Dee Poison", Tawnia Baker (Marla Heasley) is seen pulling a Remington 1866 Derringer on the owner of the establishment.
A Single Action Army is used in the Wild West show. General Fulbright also carries two SAA in crossdraw holsters in "The A-Team Is Coming, the A-Team Is Coming", Season 4.
During Season 2, the Smith & Wesson 39 is one of the preferred sidearms of Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard). During Season 3, he can at times be seen carrying a nickel plated version of the same handgun.
The Smith & Wesson 639 is among Hannibal's most prevalent sidearms and appears with both adjustable and fixed sights. It remains his personal sidearm all through Season 5. Charles Jourdan (Roy Dotrice) also uses this weapon in "The Spy Who Mugged Me".
These first appear as the personal sidearms of General Fulbright in "Beneath the Surface". In the Season 4 episode "Mission Of Peace", Hannibal (George Peppard) is seen defending the Mission with a Smith & Wesson Model 65.
Seen on few occasions during Seasons 1 and 2. In one instance suppressed in the hands of Hannibal (George Peppard) during "The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas".
The Star M28 has its first appearance as the sidearm of Jack Lane (Wings Hauser) in "The Big Squeeze", Season 3. The Star M28 then becomes a frequently seen handgun during Seasons 4 and 5, both in the hands of bad guys and the A-Team.
Seen only during the two parter "Judgement Day". Murdock retrieves it off of one of Gino's thugs and then hands it to Hannibal. It makes another appearance during Season 5's "Point Of No Return" as the sidearm of a guard at the Imperial Bank of Hong Kong.
Used in the two-parters "Judgement Day" and "Mexican Slayride". In "The Out-Of-Towners" a thug can be seen firing a Thompson M1928A1 with a drum magazine. As a nice gag, Hannibal is hanging onto a 1930's car with a Thompson with drum magazine and fires on a mafia boss in Season 4's "The Little Town with an Accent".
The A3 model of the Heckler & Koch HK94 are featured throughout the series. They appear to have the early "Slimline" forearms featured on older versions of the MP5.
The Intratec TEC-9 appears on numerous occasions throughout The A-Team, being among the favourite weapons of the show's bad guys. Hannibal (George Peppard) is seen using a TEC-9 Mini in "Recipe for Heavy Bread".
The MAC-10 appears notably when Hannibal (George Peppard) discovers it in a weapons cache inside a limo - complete with what appears to be a SIONICS suppressor.
One of Borofsky's men can be seen with a MP40 in Season 5's "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair". It appears to be plastic prop, since it has a filled in front sight and the barrel is visibly bent.
A MAC-10 mocked up to look like an Uzi with fake Uzi furniture mounted on the barrel and receiver can be seen being used by Murdock (Dwight Schultz). These same Uzi mock-ups can be seen in Raw Deal, The Dogs of War, and also Stripes (they were all built by a company called Special Effects Unlimited, which provided the weapons used in the first two seasons of this show).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingMurdock (Dwight Schultz) blasting away at a group of bad guys. Note that he is wearing the ear muffs so the bullet hits on the barrel he is hiding in won't blow his eardrums when he is taking cover. They also show the barrel being lined with 1/4 inch steel sheeting, which explains it being bullet-proof.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAnother mocked up MAC-10 in the hands of Dwight Schultz during "The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas".
Uzi Carbine
The Uzi Carbine was also a favourite weapon of bad guys on the show, and also used by members of the A-Team in some episodes.
Members of the A-Team and various bad guys use the Ingram Model 6 in the pilot episode. Possibly the only time that this little known SMG has appeared either on television or in the movies.
Ruger Mini 14 Stainless version with Folding stock
When the show began its full run in 1984, the producers decided not to have the team use different weapons every week, primarily due to budget concerns.(Let's face it, it was a cheap show). Beginning with its second season, the A-Team favored the Ruger Mini-14 with a factory folding stock in Stainless steel. Contrary to popular belief, these were not the fully automatic Ruger AC556 rifles, but the Semi auto only Ruger Mini 14 with folding stocks. Close examination of the show reveals that the actors are pulling the triggers quickly and only a few spent brass casing as flying out, despite the sound effects of full auto fire. Also the cuts in editing, showing bullet squibs and 'dust hits' against the ground and buildings, created the illusion of full auto firing Ruger rifles. Since Americans had not yet been exposed to 'assault weapon bans' being that this was the mid 1980s, the title 1 classified Ruger rifles were easy to transport across state and local lines with no paperwork hassles. The rifles were actually purchased for the show and were kept on permanent storage in the show's props containers during the show's run.
The main villain in "The Only Church In Town" is armed with an Armalite AR-18. It can also be seen in "Recipe For Heavy Bread". This weapon, along with the older Armalite AR-10, were often used as stand-ins for the more expensive M16 in television shows and movies.
Seen in the Season 4 opener "Judgement Day Part 2" used by the Italian boarding crew sent to save the passengers of the hijacked cruise ship. In reality no part of the Italian Armed Forces ever used the FN FAL. It could be that the armorer had trouble acquiring the civilian version of the Beretta BM59 at the time of filming. Note that the model used on the show features a rear flip-up sight.
The Heckler & Koch HK91A2 is used mostly by bad guys during later seasons of The A-team. One notable instance is when Hannibal uses a scoped Heckler & Koch HK91A2 during "The Grey Team", Season 5.
Wielded by Tony Victor (Lee Patterson) in the Season 2 episode "Chopping Spree" and during the Season 3 episode "The Island" by Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict).
The M16/SP1 is probably the most high-profile firearm in the first 4 seasons, being used by bad guys and members of the A-Team on dozens of occasions. Most of the M16 SP1s used on the show have been fitted with M16A1 flash hiders, in order to stand in for the newer rifle (though some genuine M16A1s also appeared on the show).
The first appearance of the Faux M203 is during the Season 3 episode "Timber", in the hands of H. M. Murdock (Dwight Schultz). During the Season 4 finale "The Sound Of Thunder", Hannibal (George Peppard) can be seen pulling a M16/SP1 with the same mock-up M203 from Murdock's (Dwight Schultz) bag. It makes a brief reappearance in the Season 5 episode "The Crystal Skull".
Has its first appearance in "One More Time", Season 1, used by the Rashaad's men. Seen in the hands of one of Salvador's men in Season 2, "The Only Church In Town". It can be identified as the P variant by the plastic stock.
Hannibal (George Peppard) is seen holding a Remington 870 in "Sheriffs Of Rivertown". Folding stock versions of this shotgun can be seen in Season 3's "Knights Of The Road", "Breakout!", in the Season 4 opener "Judgement Day Part 1", "A Little Town With An Accent" and in the Season 5 episode "The Crystal Skull". A Remington 870 folding stock with the stock removed and extended magazine tube appears in the hands of Templeton Peck in "The Big Squeeze", Season 3.
Sheriff Hank Thompson (Ed Lauter) carries an Ithaca 37 shotgun in the Season 1 episode "Black Day at Bad Rock" episode. It's also seen in the weapon rack in the sheriff's office along with multiple other shotguns. The bartender in Season 1's "The Out-Of-Towners" uses an Ithaca 37 with sawed-off stock and barrel. Another Ithaca is used by a thug in "The Only Church In Town", this one with sawed-off stock.
Double barreled shotguns can be seen on several occasions in The A-Team. Notable instances include a shotgun with cut down barrels and stock in the hands of Reverend Taylor (John Amos) in "Pure-Dee Poison", Season 2. Another one is hidden away in the prosthetic leg of El Cajon (Sergio Calderón) in the Season 3 two-parter "The Bend in the River". One of the Mafiosi in "Judgement Day", Season 4, can also be seen holding one during the Cruise ship hijacking.
Used only when the script calls for a trained assassin is a Arisaka Type 99 rifle. Specifically, the Type 2 takedown paratrooper variant.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingArisaka Type 02 Takedown paratrooper rifle - 7.7x58mmError creating thumbnail: File missingA Arisaka Type 99 rifle leaning against a couch. It can be identified as the Type 2 takedown paratrooper by the sling swivel and the receiver. Sporterized versions of the Type 99 are often used when a weapon that can be easily assembled is called for.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe disassembled Arisaka. In the series is it usually only separated into two parts, not counting the scope. This makes assembly fast and unproblematic. This weapon was also prominently featured in Dirty Harry.
The M60 was the regular squad support weapon in the series, always used by Hannibal Smith (George Peppard) and rarely by B.A. Baracus (Mr. T) even though he would have been the obvious choice but was more often relegated to using a nickel plated Star Model BM with ivory grips. The M60D can be seen as dorsal weapons on the UH-1, seen in stock footage used in the Season 5 and 1 Intros.
In the episode "Cowboy George" the viewer is treated to two M60 rubber props. While the use of rubber props themselves is not an unusual occurrence in The A-Team, the M60 appears far less often than any other firearms on the show.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe fact that this is a rubber prop is most evident when checking for the magazine. There is none. The body is also visibly wiggling around when the prop hits the ground.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAnother M60 rubber prop bites the dust towards the end of the episode.
Vickers-Berthier Mk.1
The right hand man of Malavida Valdez (Sergio Calderón) is seen carrying a Vickers-Berthier Mk.1 light machine gun during the Season 1 Pilot episode "Mexican Slayride".
In the Season 2 episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", Col. Decker (Lance LeGault) uses a Federal L-5 Gas Riot Gun. It makes a reappearance in "Semi-Friendly Persuasion".
First seen in the Season 3 episode "The Island". Next the M1 "Bazooka" is used by Murdock (Dwight Schultz) in the Season 4 episode "Where's The Monster When You Need Him?". A real one is seen during two Vietnam-era recordings used in Flashbacks of the team in the Season 4 finale "The Sound of Thunder". Another one is used by the revolutionaries in Season 5's "The Theory Of Revolution" during the prison break.
The bounty hunters in the Season 3 episode "Bounty" have two M72 lying in their hideout. The A-Team also store two of them in the Virginia Farmhouse in "The Theory of Revolution".
One of the Russian extremists in "The A-Team Is Coming, the A-Team Is Coming", Season 4, is seen firing a mock-up of the SMAW. The weapon made a reappearance in "The Theory of Revolution", Season 5.
In Season 2, Episode 17 "Pure-Dee Poison" Face (Dirk Benedict) holds a gas gun similar but not identical to the Federal Gas Riot gun series. The body is more slender and it has a more conventional 'rifle/shotgun style' buttstock and apparently different adjustable sights on the top of the receiver. Though it could just be a Federal Gas Gun that was modified after the fact. Another launcher is used by Hannibal in Season 5's "Without Reservations".
Hannibal (George Peppard) retrieves Mk 2 Hand Grenades from the trunk of former Green Beret Ray Brenner in the Season 1 Finale "A Nice Place To Visit". Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict) and H. M. Murdock (Dwight Schultz) also come across a box full of Mk 2 fragmentation grenades in the Season 3 episode "Moving Targets". Hannibal also uses one to demolish Johnny Turian's yacht in "Hot Styles", Season 3. Templeton Peck is seen pulling one in "The Road to Hope", Season 4, to take out a jeep. Murdock utilizes one to wreck a drug shipment in "There Goes the Neighbourhood". During "The Theory Of Revolution", Season 5, Templeton Peck uses a Mk 2 to demolish a weapons cache.
