Phantoms is a 1998 science-fiction thriller adapted from the Dean Koontz novel of the same name, in which two sisters (Joanna Going and Rose McGowan) arrive at a small town in Colorado and discover that its residents have all mysteriously vanished. As they seek to uncover what happened to the town, they are joined by the town's Sheriff (Ben Affleck) and his deputies, and eventually a discredited academic (Peter O'Toole) who believes that the town's residents may have all been consumed by an evil shape-shifting entity known as the Ancient Enemy.
The following weapons were used in the film Phantoms:
Sheriff Bryce Hammond (Ben Affleck) carries a SIG-Sauer P226 as his sidearm throughout the movie, although he later switches to a Beretta 92F. Bryce's use of the SIG may be due to the character's background as a former FBI Special Agent; at the time of the film, the SIG P226 and P228 were the standard-issue FBI sidearms.
The Beretta 92F is carried by Deputy Steve Shanning (Nicky Katt) and is used by Sheriff Bryce Hammond (Ben Affleck) near the climax. Berettas (or possibly Brixia Arms Model 92 Army replicas - see below) also appear to be carried in the Bianchi M12 holsters worn by the Biological Warfare Unit soldiers who first appear later in the film.
Although the Beretta 92F appears in most scenes in the film as the sidearm of the Snowfield, Colordo deputies, an early scene actually features a Brixia Arms Model 92 Army (standing in for an actual Beretta), which is seen in the hand of the deceased Deputy Paul Henderson (Larry Odien) when the sisters find him at the sheriff's substation. They find the expended shell casings but not the actual slugs, which were shot into Henderson's killer. The absence of his attacker's blood (to say nothing of the bizarre condition of Henderson's corpse) is one of the early mysteries of the film.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingBrixia Arms Model 92 Army - 8mm blankError creating thumbnail: File missing"You weren't shooting at a disease, were you, Paul?" Henderson's service weapon in his hand; notice that while he supposedly fired the weapon before his death, the hammer is not cocked back in single-action mode, as it should be. Also note that the slide markings reveal clearly that this is the Brixia Arms Model 92 Army; the indentation at the front of the slide, as well as the two-level markings on the left side, are consistent with Brixia Arms replicas of the Beretta 92FS. (Flipping the image also reveals the slide in fact reads, "Brixia Arms.")Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe expended shells from Henderson's sidearm. These appear to be crimp-nosed blanks. Note that these blank casings more likely were fired by some of the other handguns in the film, as the Brixia Arms Model 92 Army seen in Henderson's hand fires 8mm commercial blanks rather than Hollywood blanks.
Dr. Jennifer Pailey (Joanna Going), after finding the dead Deputy Henderson, smashes open the sheriff's gun cabinet and appropriates a Mossberg 500 shotgun. Her sister, Lisa (Rose McGowan) rightly points out that a gun didn't do Henderson any good, but Jennifer insists on taking one "For whatever." She proves incapable of loading it properly, despite claiming to "understand the concept," leaving Lisa, who was raised in L.A., to load it for her.
When Jennifer smashes open the gun cabinet in the sheriff's station there are two Ithaca 37 shotguns seen. Bryce, Lisa and Stu are seen with the shotgun at various times in the film.
The military personnel at the checkpoint outside of Snowfield, Colorado all carry MGC M16 replica rifles that are fitted with M16A2 foregrips and "birdcage" flash hiders to make them look like M16A2s. MGC M16s fitted with replica M203 grenade launchers are also carried by some of the Biological Warfare Unit soldiers, and are also seen in the armory of the unit's transport vehicle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingMGC M16.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSoldiers guard one of the Biological Warfare Unit's mobile laboratories, armed with MGC M16 replicas configured to look like M16A2s.Error creating thumbnail: File missingOn the far left, the distinctive "fake" forward assist of the replica can be seen.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe muzzle of a discarded M16 replica is visible on the ground after the Ancient Enemy kills all of the soldiers at the military checkpoint.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSheriff Hammond finds several M16s fitted with M203 grenade launchers in the armory of the transport vehicle. All of these rifles clearly have the square-shaped forward assist found on MGC M16 replicas. (Also note that the second rifle from the right seems to have the magazine inserted upside-down!)
Ruger AC556 Muzzelite Bullpup
Ruger AC556 assault rifles fitted with Muzzelite Bullpup stocks, laser sights, forward vertical grips, and (in some cases) AN/PVS-4 night-vision scopes are carried by the Biological Warfare Unit soldiers in MOPP suits who accompany the science team into Snowfield. The Rugers used in Phantoms are the same rifles that were originally built for the movie Tank Girl, though they are fitted with different accessories in this film; they were also later re-used in several episodes of Firefly.
Defense Technologies 37mm Gas Gun launchers are used by Sheriff Bryce Hammond (Ben Affleck) and Dr. Jennifer Pailey (Joanna Going) to fire the bacteria canisters into the shape-changer. The DefTech launchers used in the movie are fitted with a custom flash hider designed to hold an under-barrel flashlight, as well as ladder sights borrowed from M203 grenade launchers.
Several of the Biological Warfare soldiers carry MGC M16 replica rifles fitted with M203 grenade launchers. Four more of these replica rifle/grenade launcher combinations are also seen in the armory for the transport vehicle when Sheriff Hammond retrieves the DefTech launchers.
