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Apocalypse Now

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
Revision as of 00:10, 11 October 2010 by StanTheMan (talk | contribs) (→‎M16 (SP1): (Removing inaccurate comment - according to the M16 page, the Air Force indeed transitioned to the M16A1))
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Apocalypse Now is the 1979 Vietnam War epic directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Martin Sheen as a Special Forces officer sent on a mission downriver to terminate a rogue American colonel. In 2001, Coppola would release an extended version of the film under the title Apocalypse Now Redux.



The following weapons were used in the film Apocalypse Now:

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Apocalypse Now (1979)
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Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)



M16A1

M16A1s are used by various characters throughout the film. Since this film takes place in the late '60s/early '70s (1969 to be exact), the introduction of the 30-round magazine is historically accurate.

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M16A1 with 30-round magazine - 5.56x45mm.
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Capt. Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) and Gunner's Mate Tyrone 'Clean' Miller (Laurence Fishburne) with their M16A1's as a camera crew films.
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Gunner's Mate Lance Johnson (Sam Bottoms) with his M16A1.
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Clean with his M16A1.
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A soldier sets the bullets in his magazine by tapping it against his helmet (note the crimp-nosed blank protruding from the magazine).
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Soldier (left) with an M16A1, soldier (right) with an M16 on a Huey.
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Kilgore: Smell that? You smell that?
Lance: What?
Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like...victory.
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Chief Phillips (Albert Hall) fires an M16A1.
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Jay 'Chef' Hicks (Frederic Forrest) armed with his M16A1, while speaking French to the colonist.
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Capt. Willard with his M16A1 before surrendering it to the colonists.

M16 (SP1)

Col. Kilgore (Robert Duvall) is seen briefly holding an M16 (SP1) rifle noted by its "slab-side" receiver after the battle at Vihn Din Drop. The gun notably has an A1-style lower receiver, as evident by the fencing around the magazine, meaning this is a "franken-gun". The Use of the M16 is an error as the original M16 was never used by the US Army or any other branch of the US Military other than the Air Force. By the time the movie takes place (1969) the all M16s that were being used by the entire US Military were already replaced by the M16A1 as seen above.

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M16 (SP1) fitted with A1-style birdcage flashhider (to imitate M16A1) and 30-round magazine - 5.56x45mm.
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Soldier on the right with an M16.
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Kilgore talking to Lance about surfing while holding his M16 (SP1)
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Kilgore looks over the battlefield while holding his M16 (SP1).

MGC M16

When the PBR boat is taking incoming tracer rounds, Two MGC M16 replica's are shot up.

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MGC M16 replica
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Two MGC M16 replicas being shot up.

M60 machine gun

M60 machine guns are used by Col. Kilgore's (Robert Duvall) gunners during the battle at Vinh Din Drop. Clean (Laurence Fishburne) is the M60 gunner on the Navy PBR. Chef (Fredric Forrest) is seen with it briefly while taking incoming arrows from natives, but switches to the single mounted M2.

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M60 machine gun - 7.62x51mm NATO.
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A soldier with an M60 before the battle at Vinh Din Drop.
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The OH-6 gunner fires his M60 at the woman (and her family) who chucked a grenade in a Huey.
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The gunner continues to pour fire down with his M60.
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A clearer shot of the M60.
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Clean fires the M60 at the fisherman.
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"I'm good." Clean looks in horror at what he just did.
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Clean fires the M60 while taking incoming tracer rounds.Note the blank rounds and the customized 'anti-snag' made from a C-rat can.
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Clean with the M60 while on patrol.
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Chef with the M60 before switching to the M2.

M60D

M60D machine guns are mounted on Col. Kilgore's (Robert Duvall) choppers during the battle at Vinh Din Drop.

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M60D machine gun - 7.62x51mm NATO.
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Kilgore: How you feeling Jimmy?
Jimmy: Like a mean motherfucker sir!
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Jimmy (James Keane) with an M60D.
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A gunner fires an M60D.

Browning M2HB

Browning M2HBs are single and double hand mounted on the Navy PBR. Jay 'Chef' Hicks (Frederic Forrest) is the rear gunner with the single mounted M2HB (nicknamed after the band "Canned Heat"). Lance Johnson (Sam Bottoms) is the front gunner with double hand mounted M2's. While traveling on the river through the Do Lung Bridge two soldiers are seen firing an M2 trying to kill a single VC under all the dead VC bodies.

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Browning M2HB on pintle mount - .50 BMG.
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Chef fires "Canned Heat" while taking incoming tracer rounds. Note Kilgore's surfboard.
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Closer shot of Chef firing "Canned Heat".
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Lance with the double mounted M2HB's.
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Lance shows us his war face.
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"Where'd the dog go?"
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Trench soldiers firing an M2HB.
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Trench soldiers fire an M2HB in an attempt to kill a single VC hiding under dead bodies. Unable to do so, they get the "Roach".
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Chef fires "Canned Heat" while taking arrows from the natives.

M1911A1

An M1911A1 is seen on the nightstand of Capt. Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) in Saigon hotel bedroom at the start of the film. Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) uses one as his sidearm throughout the movie. In a deleted scene, Col. Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) aims Willard's 1911 at him when he's caged.

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WWII era Colt M1911A1 - .45 ACP.
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The camera pans on Willard's M1911A1 resting on the bed.
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His M1911A1 rests next to Willard on the nightstand.
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Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore of the 1st Cavalry Division carries an M1911A1 with pearl grips in his holster. Note the Cavalry symbols on the grips.
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Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) finishes off Vietnamese civilians with his M1911A1 after Chief's men accidentally open fire on them.

M79 grenade launcher

An M79 grenade launcher is used by The Roach (Herb Rice) to kill an NVA soldier hiding in the barbed wire during the scene at the Do Lung bridge. Roach had customized his with a tiger-stripe paint job.

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M79 grenade launcher - 40mm.
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"He's Close Man, Real Close" Roach tips open his M79 grenade launcher. Note tiger-stripe paint scheme.
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Roach loads a 40mm HE round into his M79 grenade launcher.
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Roach fires his M79 grenade launcher. Note how in this scene he wraps the sling around his arm, a well know technique to steady aim.

GE M134 Minigun

A GE M134 Minigun is seen door-mounted on one of the UH-1 Huey choppers during the famous raid scene. Being that the movie was filmed in the Philippines, they also supplied the helicopters which were outfitted with real guns. Since the weapons require no blank adaption to fire, all they needed was lots of blank ammunition to get the guns running.

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GE M134 Minigun - 7.62x51mm NATO.
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A door-mounted GE M134 Minigun protruding from the Huey UH-1 helicopter.
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The door gunner unleashes the GE M134 Minigun on the NVA.

Fake DShK heavy machine gun (mock up)

NVA fire at the Huey helicopters with a DShK heavy machine gun, in reality a mocked up Browning M2HB machine gun.

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DShKM heavy machine gun - 12.7x109mm.
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NVA fire a mocked up DShK heavy machine gun in the AA position.
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A farther shot of the mock DShK.

Smith & Wesson Model 10

Chief Phillips (Albert Hall) draws his Smith & Wesson Model 10 with a 3" barrel while the fishermens' boat is being searched.

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Smith & Wesson Model 10 with 3" barrel - .38 Special.
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Chief Phillips draws his Smith & Wesson Model 10.
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Chief Phillips with his Smith & Wesson Model 10.

Norinco Type 56

NVA are seen using Norinco Type 56 assault rifles throughout the film, and they are also seen in the hands of Kurtz's men. It is noteworthy that this film was released in 1979 and took nearly three years to complete (thus photography started in 1976). During the 1970s, the Norinco Type 56 were not being imported into the U.S., and none were in U.S. Armorer inventories. The only reason Coppola's film had them was because they were supplied by Filipino armorers in Luzon.

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Norinco Type 56 with folding "Pig Sticker" bayonet - 7.62x39mm.
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A Norinco Type 56 lying next to a dead VC, while Kilgore hands out death cards.
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VC firing Norinco Type 56's during the battle at Vinh Din Drop.
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French Colonists armed with Norinco Type 56's.
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One of Kurtz's men armed with a Norinco Type 56. Note the jungle taped magazines.

Ithaca 37

Capt. Colby (Scott Glenn) carries an Ithaca 37 fitted with a heat shield and bayonet lug. In a deleted scene, he uses it to kill the photojournalist (Dennis Hopper) for taking Kurtz's picture only for Willard to throw his knife hitting him in the gut, killing him.

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Ithaca 37 Trench Gun - 12 Gauge.
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Far shot of Capt. Colby with his Ithaca 37 and Kurtz's "children."
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Close up shot of the Ithaca 37. Note the scalp.

M1 Carbine

In "Apocalypse Now Redux", most of the colonists are armed with M1 Carbines.

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Korean War Era M1 Carbine, with Birch Stock, Adjustable sight, bayonet lug, and twin magazine pouch. Most of the World War II variations of the M1 Carbine were sent back to the Military Arsenals and retrofitted with the Bayonet Lug and adjustable rear sight. This is the version seen after late 1945 and all the way until the 1960s. This version is seen most often in World War II movies, despite being anachronistic for most World War II battles
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French Colonists with their M1 Carbines.
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Distant shot of the Colonist with their M1 Carbines.

MAT-49

In "Apocalypse Now Redux", a French Colonist is seen armed with a MAT-49 submachine gun.

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MAT-49 - 9mm.
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A French Colonist armed with a MAT-49.

Browning Automatic Rifle M1918A2

A Browning Automatic Rifle M1918A2 is seen resting on the shoulders of one of the French Colonists in "Apocalypse Now Redux".

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Browning Automatic Rifle M1918A2 - .30-06.
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A French Colonist with an M1918A2 BAR rested on his shoulders.

M3 Aerial Rocket Artillery

M3 Aerial Rocket Artillery (ARA) launchers are mounted on the sides of the UH-1 Hueys in the film.

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A soldier pats an ARA launcher.
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The right side rockets fire.
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Simultaneously, the left side fires.

M-6E3 Weapons System

Mounted on the UH-1 Huey helicopters are M-6E3 Weapon Systems, which are dual automated M60C machine guns controlled by the pilot.

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An M-6E3 Weapons System mounted on a UH-1 Huey.