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Assembly

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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Assembly English poster (2007)

Assembly (Chinese title: 集结号; jí jié hào) is a Chinese 2007 war film directed by Feng Xiaogang that tells the story of Gu Zidi (Zhang Hanyu), a Communist soldier who fought to gain recognition for his comrades after his unit was annihilated in a battle during the 1948 Huaihai Campaign of the Chinese Civil War. The film title comes from the Assembly, a bugle call that plays a key role in determining the fate of Gu and his men.

The following weapons are featured in the 2007 war film Assembly:

Pistols

Mauser C96

Mauser C96 Broomhandle pistol can be seen carried by Gu Zidi at the beginning of the battle scene and later in the coal mine battle, however it was never used as it is mostly seen holstered inside it distinctive wooden box.

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Mauser C96 "Pre-War Commercial" - 7.63x25mm Mauser

Colt Model 1903 Hammerless

A surrendering Nationalist (KMT) officer holds up a Colt Model 1903 Hammerless pistol.

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Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Pistol Blued - .32 ACP
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A Nationalist officer surrenders with his Colt Model 1903 in hand.

Submachine Guns

Sten Mk II

A Sten Mk II submachine gun is carried by Captain Gu Zidi's first political officer (Quan Ren) during the first battle in the film. After the officer is killed, the Sten is given to his replacement Wang Jincun (Wenkang Yuan). Though not a common weapon, the Sten gun was used by Nationalist and Communist forces throughout World War II and the latter stages of the Chinese Civil War.

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Sten Mk II submachine gun - 9x19mm
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The political officer orders the Communist soldiers to advance.
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Captain Gu and the political officer take cover behind a gate.
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Gu gives the Sten gun to Wang Jincun.

PPS-43 (Mock Up)

Both Communist and Nationalist forces appear to use PPS-43 submachine guns, which judging from the muzzle brake, shape of the barrel jacket and folding stock are actually based on Norinco Type 79 submachine guns.

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Soviet PPS-43 Submachine Gun - 7.62x25mm Tokarev
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Norinco Type 79 with unfired rounds - 7.62x25mm Tokarev
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A Nationalist soldier opens fire on the advancing Communists with a mock PPS-43.
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A mock PPS-43 is seen.
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A Communist soldier fires his mock PPS-43 during the battle at the abandoned mine.

Thompson Submachine Gun

M1928A1 Thompson submachine guns are used by Nationalist forces when they attack Gu's company at an abandoned coal mine on the Wen River, mostly with 20 round magazines. Thompson submachine guns were common among KMT units due to U.S Lend-Lease assistance during World War II.

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M1A1 Thompson with 20-round magazine and Cutts compensator - .45 ACP
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M1928A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine and early 'simplified' rear sight that would be adopted for the M1 Thompson - .45 ACP
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The Nationalist soldier in the foreground is armed with what appears to a a M1A1 Thompson as indicated by the rear sights and the lack of the bolt on top of the weapon with the Cutts compensator.
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A Thompson on the right.

M3 Grease Gun

Communist soldiers are seen carrying what are either M3 submachine guns or their Chinese copy, the Type 36.

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M3 Grease Gun - .45 ACP
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A Communist soldier with a M3 Grease Gun lifts one of his dead comrades into the mine.

PPSh-41

A PPSh-41 submachine gun is seen hanging from a pillar in a command post, during a scene set in the Korean War.

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Soviet PPSh-41 Submachine Gun - 7.62x25mm Tokarev
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A PPSh-41 on the left.

Rifles

Vz 24

Most of the Communist and Nationalist soldiers carry Czechoslovakian Vz 24 rifles throughout the movie. The Vz 24 was extensively imported by the Chinese, along with the German Mauser Standard-Modell and Belgian FN 1924 rifles.

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Czech vz. 24 - 7.92x57mm Mauser
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A Communist soldier searches the town with a Vz 24.
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A Communist soldier holds his rifle.
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A Communist soldier holds his rifle.

Type Zhongzheng Rifle

Some Chinese soldiers also carry Type Zhongzheng (or Chiang Kai Shek) rifles throughout the movie. The Type Zhongzheng rifle (also popularly known as the Chiang Kai-Shek rifle or the Type 24) was a derivative of the Mauser Standard-Modell that was extensively used by Communist and Nationalist forces during the Chinese Civil War.

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Type Zhongzheng rifle - 7.92x57mm Mauser
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The rifle on the right is a Zhongzheng, or possibly a Standard-Modell.

Springfield M1903 Mark I

Captain Gu Zidi uses a Springfield M1903 Mark I rifle during the battles in the town and at the mine. It is identified as the Mark I variant by the presence of an ejection port for a Pedersen device, which is clearly visible when Gu cycles the bolt just before the town battle. Several other Communist and Nationalist soldiers are also seen armed with Springfield M1903s.

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Springfield M1903 Mk 1 - .30-06
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Gu aims his M1903.

Johnson M1941

Jiang Maocai (Baoqiang Wang), the company's sniper, carries a semi-automatic M1941 Johnson Rifle that he uses to great effect against Nationalist soldiers throughout the movie. An enemy sniper that shoots at Sergeant Luo Guangtian (Heng Fu) also uses a M1941 Johnson with a telescopic sight. The M1941 Johnson rifle is a relatively rare weapon that was used by the United States Marine Corps during the early years of World War II, with Chinese examples likely coming from Lend-Lease programs. While the Johnson was considered to be an accurate rifle, there is no evidence that they were actually used as the specialized sniper weapons depicted in the film.

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Johnson M1941 Rifle - .30-06
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Jiang scans the abandoned town with his Johnson M1941.
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Another angle of the Johnson M1941 that shows its unique rotary magazine.
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Jiang shoots at enemy machine gunners.
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A Nationalist sniper fires a Johnson M1941 fitted with a scope.

M1917 Enfield

M1917 Enfield rifles are used by Nationalist soldiers during the battle at the mine in the Chinese Civil War, and later by a Chinese scout disguised as a South Korean soldier during a scene set in the Korean War.

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M1917 Enfield - .30-06
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A Nationalist soldier fires on the advancing Communist soldiers with a M1917 Enfield.
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A PLA soldier dressed as a South Korean gestures towards the rest of his team.

M1 Carbine

The M1 Carbine is carried by Gu Zidi when he participates in a scout mission during the Korean War, as part of his disguise as a South Korean soldier.

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M1 Carbine - .30 Carbine
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Gu motions for his comrades to cross the road.

Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I

The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I is seen in a scene when Gu returns to China after his military service ends, when People's Liberation Army soldiers are decommissioning old weapons (possibly to be issued to the People's Militia in China or sent overseas to pro-Chinese Communist insurgents in the Third World). When asked about the identity of the rifle, Gu calls it a "British 77", referring to the Lee-Enfield's .303 caliber ammunition. Gu notes he used the weapon as a guerrilla fighter in Pingxi and that it is "hard to use". This is interesting as the Lee-Enfield is well known for its smooth and rapid action. It is possible he may be referring to the difficulty in loading due to the .303's rimmed ammunition, the lack of ammunition in general, or it could be a translation error.

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Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I - .303 British
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Gu inspects the "British 77". It should be noted that while it is possible for No. 4 Mk I rifles to have seen service during the Civil War (The Chinese Nationalist forces in India received Savage-made Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifles from the Americans during World War II so its possible that Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifles found their way back to China), it is more likely that older variants such as the No.1 MkIII/No.1 MkIII* were used.
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Gu cycles the No. 4 Mk I's bolt.

Arisaka Type 99

A number of Arisaka Type 99 rifles were seen in the scene where soldiers of the People's Liberation Army were decommissioning old infantry weapons.

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Arisaka Type 99 battle rifle - 7.7x58mm
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Several Arisaka Type 99s are stacked next to the table.

Type 53 Carbine (Mosin-Nagant M44)

Mosin-Nagant M44 rifles are used by a PLA honor guard at the end of the film. It could be the Type 53 Carbine, the Chinese copy of the Mosin-Nagant M44 Carbine.

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Full-length Soviet Mosin Nagant M44 - 7.62x54mmR
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A honor guard chambers a round into his Mosin Nagant M44.

Machine Guns

Bren gun

Bren gun machine guns are used by both the Communist and Nationalist forces during the battles in the town and at the mine, most notably by Lu Kuangnou (Naiwei Li). National Revolutionary Army used 7.92mm Mauser specification.

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Bren Gun - 7.92x57mm Mauser. This variant of the Bren was manufactured by Inglis in Canada and was supplied to the Chinese army during WWII.
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The Communist soldiers, including Lu, wait for the advance party to search the town before attacking.
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Lu (in the goggles) aims his Bren gun at surrendering Nationalist soldiers.

FN Model D

The Browning Automatic Rifle is used by Nationalist forces as a support weapon, and is distinguished as a Fabrique Nationale manufactured Model D by its smaller forend and quick detachable barrel. Such weapons, chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser, were supplied to the Nationalist Army during the 1930s.

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FN Model D - 7.92x57mm Mauser. This model has a folding carry handle and a smaller forend than the American version. Also note separate pistol grip and stock.
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A Nationalist soldier opens fire with a FN Model D.

Browning M1919A4

Nationalist troops use Browning M1919A4 machine guns during the first battle in the town, pinning down the attacking Communist forces until Jiang is able to eliminate them. Later, in a continuity error, a Type 54 machine gun mounted on a Nationalist tank becomes a Browning during a close-up.

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Browning M1919A4 on M2 tripod - .30-06
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Nationalist soldiers fire on advancing Communist soldiers with a tripod mounted Browning M1919A4.
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A Nationalist tank crew member fires a Browning M1919A4.

Type 24 Heavy Machine Gun

Two Type 24 heavy machine guns, Chinese-built copies of the famous Maxim MG08, are used by Gu's company as part of their defenses at the abandoned mine. The one that Lu is using appears to be another Machine gun that is mocked up to resemble the Type 24 Heavy machine gun. Note that the barrel is in the center of the water jacket, which appears to be incorrect.

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Type 24 Heavy Machine Gun - 7.92x57mm Mauser
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Gu's soldiers set up the Type 24 HMG.
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Note that the barrel is in the center of the water jacket, which appears to be incorrect.
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Lu firing the Type 24.

Type 54 Heavy Machine Gun (Mocked up as Browning M2)

Nationalist M26 Pershing tanks are equipped with Type 54 heavy machine guns, a Chinese copy of the Soviet DShK machine gun. The barrels are covered with ventilated barrel shrouds in order to imitate the Browning 50 caliber machine guns that were mounted on real Pershing tanks. In Western movies the DShK/Type 54's are very rare and Browning M2's are usually supplanted for the real thing. Since this movie was produced in China there were no lack of Type 54's.

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A Russian DShK on Tripod - 12.7x108mm
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A Nationalist tank commander fires the Type 54 HMG. Note the distinctive ammo box that indicates the weapon is a mocked up DShK.

Grenades

Type 67 Stick Grenade

Type 67 stick grenades are used by Gu and his men, most noticeably as they wait for Nationalist forces to attack their positions at the mine.

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Type 67 High-Explosive Fragmentation stick grenade
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Gu reaches for a box of Type 67 stick grenades as the Nationalists prepare to attack his company.

Mk 2 Hand Grenade

The Mk 2 hand grenade is used by Nationalist soldiers.

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Mk 2 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade
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A Nationalist soldier prepares to toss a Mk 2 hand grenade.

Other

75mm Type 90 Model 1934 Mountain Gun

A 75mm Type 90 Model 1934 Mountain Gun is referred to as a "mountain gun" throughout the movie is first used by Nationalist forces to bombard attacking Communist forces during the film's first battle. After it is captured by Captain Gu's soldiers, the weapon is refurbished and used during the battle at the abandoned mine as an anti-tank weapon.

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A Nationalist soldier attempts to throw a lit satchel charge back at the Communist soldiers before being shot.
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Gu maneuvers the mountain gun into position to shoot at advancing tanks.

Landmine

During Gu's service in Korea, one of his comrades accidentally steps on a land mine, which a passing American soldier calls a "French anti-personnel mine". Gu helps his comrade escape, but is injured in the process.

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Gu clears the snow around the mine.

Improvised Weapons

One of the other defensive weapons are mortars improvised from oil drums, which shoot explosive charges at Nationalist forces.

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Wang Jincun ducks during an artillery attack on the Communist positions.

When the remaining soldiers in Captain Gu's company are attacked by Nationalist tanks, they improvise Molotov cocktails from liquor bottles.

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Soldiers light their molotov cocktails.

Trivia

Fake Tanks

During the battle at the abandoned mine that leads to the annihilation of Gu's company, the Communist forces are attacked by M26 Pershing tanks and M4 Shermans. These tanks are props that are based on the chassis of Chinese Type 62 light tanks, a scaled down version of the Type 59 (a copy of the Soviet T-54) that remains in People's Liberation Army reserves. The easiest way to tell that the tanks are fake are that real Pershing tanks are larger in size than the Type 62, while real Shermans are smaller. Other details include the mounting of Type 54 machine guns in the place of .50 caliber Brownings, and the gap between the second and third road wheels that is a distinctive feature of all T-54/T-55 and Type 59 tanks.

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A side view of the fake M26 Pershing tank. Note the gap between the second and third road wheels that does not exist in M26 Pershings.
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A fake M4 Sherman moves towards Communist positions.