The Rock is a 1996 action film directed by Michael Bay and starring Nicolas Cage as Stanley Goodspeed, an FBI chemical weapons specialist who is brought into a hostage situation involving a crew of former US Marines, led by a rogue US Marine general (Ed Harris), who have taken over the former prison on Alcatraz Island and are threatening the city of San Francisco with a launch of missiles filled with deadly VX poison gas. Goodspeed finds himself going along on the mission to retake the prison with a team of US Navy SEALS and John Mason (Sean Connery), a former SAS operative who has been imprisoned illegally for the past three decades, and the only man to have escaped the prison alive and could use his knowledge to infiltrate "The Rock".
The following weapons were used in the film The Rock:
The Marines following General Hummel all carry Beretta 92FS (military designation, M9) pistols as their sidearms. Berettas with early model Surefire 333R tactical flashlight are also the standard sidearm for all the Navy SEALs in the film. Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) also uses a Beretta 92FS as his sidearm when infiltrating Alcatraz with Mason and the SEALs. Shortly after the ambush, Goodspeed points his at John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), who swipes it out of his hand, but later gives it back to Goodspeed to defend himself with, and he uses it notably in the underground tunnels to kill one Marine with little hesitation, as Mason notes. Capt. Frye (Gregory Sporleder) later is seen firing a Beretta in a confrontation.
Major Baxter (David Morse) carries a Beretta 92FS Inox as his sidearm. He draws it on Hummel during the standoff with Capt. Darrow and the other Marines. The pistol also appears to be pulled by Sgt. Crisp (Bokeem Woodbine) during the initial takeover of "The Rock".
When FBI transport Mason to the hotel, Goodspeed is given a Beretta 92FS Centurion Inox by another FBI agent after he arrives in San Francisco and tells Womack (John Spencer) that he forgot his FBI-issue sidearm. Strangely, all of the other FBI agents in the movie also seem to be carrying 92 Centurions with Inox finishes, even though this pistol has never been issued to the FBI in real life (at the time the movie was made, the FBI would have been using SIG-Sauer and Smith & Wesson pistols).
Captain Darrow (Tony Todd) is seen using an older Beretta 92SB (which has a rounded trigger guard, rather than squared, like on the 92FS/M9) with wood grips during the scene in which Hummel and his men use a hostage to draw Goodspeed and Mason out of hiding.
The main villain of the film, General Frank Hummel (Ed Harris) carries a stainless Colt MK IV Series 80 stainless as his sidearm of choice throughout the film. It is seen being pulled out by Hummel, who then shoots Sergeant Crisp during the confrontation. On this occasion, you can see written on the right side "Colt Government Model". This particular and rare version of MK IV has advanced vertical grooves from the beginning of the slide.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingColt Government Model Stainless - .45 ACP.Error creating thumbnail: File missingGeneral Frank X. Hummel (Ed Harris) holds his Colt MK IV during a confrontation with Mason.Error creating thumbnail: File missing"Now you're being given your last chance by a man with a gun, put the phone down!" Hummel aims his Colt MK IV at Maj. Baxter when he refuses to stop his call.Error creating thumbnail: File missingHummel draws another MK IV from his back, aware his men would betray him and likely disarm him.Error creating thumbnail: File missingHummel holds his MK IV to Sgt. Crisp. Note that his finger is completely off the pistol's trigger, as the pistol is pointed directly at the throat. Capt. Frye's Beretta seen on the right.Error creating thumbnail: File missingCloseup on the muzzle of the MK IV. Note how the threading that allows the blank plug to be screwed in is visible.Non-Gun 1911 with silver finish.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe pistol is fired at Crisp. For the safety of the actors, the gun seen here is clearly a harmless flashpaper gun as the slide doesn't cycle. The pistol also is seen being aimed slightly to the right of the squib as well.
Submachine Guns
MAC-10
Hummel can be seen holding a MAC-10 in a Vietnam service picture. This image is actually taken from one of Ed Harris' earlier film roles, the Charles Bronson vehicle Borderline.
(In an interesting note, the SEALs use Chalker Slings for their weapons, designed by Denny Chalker, plank-holder in SEAL Team SIX. Chalker also appears in the film as one of the SEALs (Boyer). Another of his teammates, Harry Humphries, is the Navy Admiral who asks to bring in the SEAL leader after the initial ransom call)
Heckler & Koch HK94 (converted to resemble the MP5)
What appear to be Heckler & Koch MP5's used by the SEALs in the film in reality are customized 16" barrel civilian semi-auto Heckler & Koch HK94s with the barrels chopped down and converted to full auto. These lack barrel lugs and paddle magazine releases, as well as no push pin lower receiver and a right handed only selector switch with the old 0-1-2 switch. John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) uses the during a firefight he and Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) have with one of the Marines in the morgue.
A Heckler & Koch SP89 by the SEAL Boyer during the failed attempt to save the hostages. It seems to be fitted with the folding stock of MP5K-PDW, and was evidently converted to full-auto.
When Private McCoy's M60E3 is empty, he picks up a .50 BMG LAR Grizzly Big Boar bolt-action rifle to shoot Goodspeed. He is knocked off the roof by Mason before he can use it, though.
Many of the Marines under General Hummel's (Ed Harris) command are armed with M16A1 assault rifles fitted with M16A2 handguards. They are easily noticed as A1 models by the lack of a brass deflector and elevation-adjustable rear sight, older forward assists, and fully-automatic firing modes. Most of them have tactical flashlights installed on the barrels.
Colt XM177 Commando look-a-like rifles are seen being used by many of the Marines. Mason and Goodspeed take two for themselves later in the film. Upon close inspection, the weapons are mostly the Olympic Arms K3B CAR, which is a civilian XM177 clone - notably, all of the weapons appear to be K3B CAR uppers fitted to full-auto converted Colt AR-15 SP1 carbine lowers. All are fitted with Surefire 660 weapon lights on Weaver barrel mounts.
The receivers vary - some (notably the carbine carried by Gregory Sporleder) have A1E1 upper receivers, while others, such as the rifle used in the final shootout by Mason (Sean Connery) have A2 upper receivers, and others have A1 upper receivers. The receiver styles of the carbines are noteworthy because they represents a common continuity error throughout the film. For instance, the XM177 handed to Goodspeed by Mason clearly has an A2 receiver when he first gets it, but later, it has an A1 receiver. Captain Frye's XM177 also undergoes various receiver changes - in the shower room scene, it has an A2-style receiver, while in later scenes it has a forward assist and brass deflector but no A2-style rear sight, and still later it has just the forward assist (A1-style receiver).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingOlympic Arms K3B CAR carbine - 5.56x45mm NATO. This is Olympic Arms' XM177 look-a-like variation for the civilian market, featuring an 11.5" heavy barrel and 5.5" flash hider, and was available with either A1, A1E1, or A2-style upper receivers (the latter is shown here). This weapon is a common stand-in for the XM177 in Hollywood productions made in the 1990s.Error creating thumbnail: File missingWhen going over Hummel's military file, he is seen armed with a Colt XM177 in Vietnam. The image is actually a photomontage of a real military field photo where two SEALs are photographed during a training exercise in 1995. The Colt XM177 here is actually an MGC replica.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMajor Baxter (David Morse) with an XM177-style rifle, actually an Olympic Arms K3B upper on a Colt SP1 lower.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA Marine aims his XM177 at Goodspeed. The large muzzle brake is pretty obvious in this shot.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMason gives Goodspeed the XM177 after killing the Marine aiming it at him. This image clearly shows the profile of the weapon's receiver - it has an A2 upper receiver (albeit with an A1-style teardrop forward assist button), but the lower is clearly that of a Colt AR-15 SP1 carbine, distinguished by the lack of fencing around the magazine release.Error creating thumbnail: File missingGoodspeed's XM177 switches to an A1-style upper receiver in this scene.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMason prepares to fire the XM177.Error creating thumbnail: File missingMason firing the XM177.Error creating thumbnail: File missingCpt. Frye returns fire on Mason. Note that the receiver of his gun has an A1-style rear sight, but it does have the brass deflector. The lower is also missing the fencing near the magazine release, so this again might be a civilian AR15 lower or a very early GAU-5/A lower.Error creating thumbnail: File missingCpt. Frye fires his XM177 at Goodspeed, which now lacks a shell deflector.
Shotguns
Mossberg 590 Combat Shotgun
Hummel's men uses a Mossberg 590 to fire a zip line during the opening assault on the Marine base.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingMossberg 590 12 GaugeError creating thumbnail: File missingOne of Hummel's men firing a zip line from a Mossberg. It's not clear what good the scope will do, as he's clearly having to aim much higher than his target to get the heavy grappling line where he wants it.
Remington 870
A SEAL can be seen using a shortened tactical Remington 870 shotgun.
Private McCoy (Steve Harris) can be seen firing an M60E3 machine gun at Goodspeed when he disables the last rocket. Mason picks it up and knocks the shooter off the roof with it.
While CM203 flare launchers dominate the film, Cpt. Darrow's rifle is fitted with a real M203 grenade launcher, likely because he is a main character. Throughout the film, the rifle this launcher is fitted to changes from a slab-side M16 (SP1), to an M16A1, and at one point, even a Colt CAR-15 Commando, although it is fitted with a CM203 launcher instead.
During the opening assault on the Marine base, one of Hummel's men disables a Marine in the guard tower with a beanbag round fired from an early model standalone RM Equipment M203PI grenade launcher.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingRM Equipment M203PI with standalone "Universal" stock in pistol configuration - 40x46mm. This is the current production model.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSchematic of the early model of the standalone version of the M203PI which differs from current production models by having a sliding stock and ventilated sighting rib, and lacking a MIL-STD-1913 rail.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA renegade Marine fires the standalone M203PI to knock out a Marine guard. Visible in this shot is the ventilated sighting rip which identifies this as an early model standalone M203PI.
DefTech Launcher
What appears to be a DefTech 37mm launcher is used by Private McCoy (Steve Harris) in the shower room, firing shotgun like rounds at the SEALs. They could also be Hornet's nest rounds, which is a grenade round with 8 .22 long rifle bullets inside.
Cpt. Frye (Gregory Sporleder) can be seen with two M26 hand grenades which he throws at Mason (Sean Connery) in an attempt to kill him. Frye is seen flipping the spoons off the grenades and heard counting to three before tossing them (done to shorten the detonation time), yet it still takes an inordinate amount of time before the grenades explode. Mason jumps into a bathtub to avoid the blasts.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingM26 HE fragmentation hand grenadeError creating thumbnail: File missingFrye pops off the primer handles of his M26 grenades. Frye is heard counting to three before tossing his grenades (supposedly to shorten the detonation time), yet it still takes several seconds before the grenades go off.
M18 Smoke Grenade
After collapsing with his feet riddled with bullets, Pvt. Gamble (Greg Collins) tries to pull the pin on an M18 Smoke Grenade to throw at Mason as a last ditch effort to kill him before Mason shoots out an air vent above him which crushes his head. In reality, a smoke grenade doesn't pose a threat for obvious reasons, though it could've brought unwanted attention.
The three-barreled General Dynamics M197 Vulcan is seen chin-mounted on the AH-1 Cobras that escort the SEAL team to Alcatraz. This weapon is a mockup, as the Cobras used in the film were civilian-owned and likely the same choppers used in the films Courage Under Fire and The Siege.
The M61 Vulcan appears in the film as the secondary armament of the F/A-18 Hornets used for the bombing run on Alcatraz. This plane has the markings of the US Air Force, but in reality, Hornets are only in use in the US military by the Navy and Marine Corps.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingM61 Vulcan - 20mmError creating thumbnail: File missingThe mockup of the F/A-18 Hornet, preparing to launch for the bombing run. Note the phony "U.S. Air Force" text, which contrasts with the real USMC VMFA-134 squadron markings along the fuselage's dorsal section. This exact mockup (with the same erroneous markings) was later used in reshoots for the film Independence Day.
When Goodspeed is messing around in his office, he shoots a flip down target with a suction dart spring gun labeled "The Protector". It appears to be based off a Mossberg 500 "Cruiser" with barrel ribbing.
