Lt. Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore) uses a suppressed Walther P38 during the scene when his team takes control of the airport. Another P38 is used by a mafia hitman during their hunt for Shawn Fynn. Col. Faulkner also uses a P38 to perform a mercy-killing later in the movie.
Sgt. Major "Sandy" (Jack Watson) uses a Colt M1911 to discipline a soldier during training. He later uses it during the final shootout at the airfield. Another 1911 is used by a mafia hitman (Leslie Schofield) during the Shawn Fynn rescue.
A Czechoslovakian Sa 23 is seen in the parachute harness of a mercenary as they prepare to do a jump from the C-130 transport plane. Later, it is seen being used by the 4th NCO, Derek (Joe Cole), as the mercenaries capture Zembala airport. Derek is still carrying it when Lt. Fynn's detachment capture the battered old Dakota DC-3.
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 25 (folding stock 9mm). This is unlikely since the Sanna-77 was only manufactured as a folding stock version.
There is a huge mix of all manners of FAL rifles in the film. The Mercenaries use a mix of FAL 50.00 and L1A1 SLR models. Some of them are firing semi auto and others are firing fully automatic.
Some of the Mercenaries and nearly all of the Simbas (General Ndofa'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 AK-47s or other Combloc weapon.
However, the number of FN FALs available for the production is logical as the movie was filmed in South Africa and used South African weapons.
A lot of the Mercenaries carry the FN FAL automatic rifle with a wooden stock and metal foreend. Faulkner is seen holding an FAL for one of the soldiers while the latter cuts through a barb wire fence. Note the slim folded bipod.
Ex-SAS member Tosh Donaldson played by Ian Yule uses a custom chopped down L1A1 SLR converted to full auto fire and equipped with a Singlepoint SP220 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.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingBritish Inch Pattern L1A1 SLR (Self Loading Rifle) chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO - Variation of the FN FAL rifle. British & New Zealand SLRs were later fitted with black fibreglass furniture as seen here.Error creating thumbnail: File missingCustom shortened L1A1 SLR (Self Loading Rifle) as used in The Wild Geese (photoshopped image) - 7.62x51mmError creating thumbnail: File missingTosh Donaldson (Ian Yule) fires his Custom L1A1 Battle Carbine at the attacking plane.
SIG SG 510
During the attack on the barracks, a mercenary carries a StG 57/SIG SG 510 battle 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 firefight with the Simbas, manned first by Sgt. Jock McTaggart and then by Capt. Rafer Janders. This weapon was most likely scavenged by the mercenaries at the airport (by Colonel Faulkners orders) since it's not a light-weight weapon (55.12 lb, 25.00 kg) and was probably not parachuted in with the Mercenaries, who according to the plan, were not expected to remain for more than a few hours.
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.
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