The following weapons were used in the film Platoon:
Rifles
M16
Crawford (Chris Pedersen) is briefly seen using what appears to be an original M16 as it lacks a forward assist. It could also be an AR-15/SP1 rifle, but since he is not seen firing it, it is unknown.
A M16 with a birdcage flash hider and a 20 round magazine. M16s like this were common in Vietnam War movies in the 1980s and 1970s - 5.56x45mm
Crawford with his M16 at the ready.
M16A1
Soldiers of the 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 25th Infantry Division "Tropic Lightning" use M16A1s, most commonly seen in the hands of Pvt. Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen). Also using the M16A1 are Big Harold (Forest Whitaker), Manny (Corkey Ford), Francis (Corey Glover) and Sgt. Red O'Neill (John C. McGinley).
M16A1 with 20 round magazine - 5.56x45mm
Big Harold (
Forest Whitaker) humps the bush while on patrol with his M16A1.
A soldier rests with his M16A1 at his side.
Taylor with his M16A1 at the ready.
Francis (
Corey Glover) fires his M16A1 during the final stand.
Taylor fires his M16A1 during the final stand.
Colt Model 653P
Sgt. Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe), SSgt. Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger), and Lt. Wolfe (Mark Moses) are armed with Colt Model 653P carbine assault rifles, noted by their rounded forward assists an 14.5" barrels, as the 653Ps were 653 export models sent to the Philippines. They were probably meant to stand in (albeit poorly) for the XM177E1 or E2. It is thus anachronistic to see these in the movie, as they were not used during the Vietnam war.
Colt Model 653 Carbine - 5.56mm NATO
SSgt. Robert Barnes (
Tom Berenger) approaches a dead Vietnamese soldier with his Model 653P at the ready. Note how he keeps two mags taped together "jungle-style".
Barnes locks and loads his Model 653P.
Barnes shoots a wounded Vietnamese soldier with his Model 653P.
Barnes shoots a Vietnamese woman with his Model 653P.
Close up of Elias' Model 653P.
Wolfe fires his 653P during the final stand.
Norinco Type 56
The Norinco Type 56 is the weapon of choice of the Vietnamese troops, many of which feature "pig-sticker" under folder bayonets. They are noted as Chinese Type 56 rifles based on their hooded front sights. Only the milled receiver variant of this rifle was actually used during the war. Towards the end of the film, both Sgt. Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Pvt. Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) are seen using these rifles, picked up from dead Vietnamese soldiers.
Norinco Type 56 (with 3rd pattern stamped receiver) with pig-sticker bayonet - 7.62x39mm
A Vietnamese soldier approaches Taylor's position armed with a Norinco Type 56.
A Type 56 is seen abandoned when the soldiers search the bunker. Note folding bayonet.
A Type 56 is seen behind SSgt. Robert Barnes (
Tom Berenger).
The Vietnamese hand out Type 56 to the troops as they prepare to assault during the final stand.
A soldier kills Bunny (
Kevin Dillon) with his Type 56. Note the hooded front sight.
A soldier stabs Pvt. Junior Martin (
Reggie Johnson) repeatedly with the bayonet of his Type 56.
SSgt. Robert Barnes (
Tom Berenger) wields a Type 56 during the final stand.
A shell-shocked Pvt. Taylor (
Chris Martin) picks up Type 56 from a dead Vietnamese soldier.
Taylor approaches a wounded soldier with the Type 56.
Taylor gets ready to fire the Type 56.
Machine Guns
M60 machine gun
The M60 machine gun, affectionately known in Vietnam as "The Pig", is fired primarily by King (Keith David) in the film. As was typical in Vietnam, the M60 is typically manned by two men, a gunner and an assistant gunner who "feeds" the ammo.
M60 machine gun - 7.62x51mm
Lerner (
Johnny Depp) sits on watch with his M60 behind him.
King (
Keith David) carries his M60 while on patrol. He keeps in the typical Vietnam configuration with the bipod down.
King fires the M60. Note the bottleneck rounds on the belt.
An M60 in a door gunner mount on a UH-1 'Huey'.
A helicopter door gunner (played by technical adviser
Dale Dye) covers the soldiers with the door-mountd M60.
Browning M2HB
A Browning M2HB .50 cal is seen mounted on for use on an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier after the final stand.
Browning M2HB on vehicle mount - 50 BMG)
A gunner on the M2HB .50 cal as the M113 drives in. Note the Nazi flag on the flagpole
A side-shot of the M2HB on the APC.
Shotguns
Remington 870 Wingmaster
Bunny (Kevin Dillon) uses a Remington 870 Wingmaster shotgun with open blade sights throughout the film.
Bunny leaves the village with his 870 in hand. Note the stainless trigger guard, which helps I.D. it as the same shotgun in other scenes.
Bunny dug in for the last stand with his 870.
Bunny shows us his war face as he pumps his 870.
Sidearms
M1911A1
The M1911A1 is the standard sidearm for all of the NCOs and Officers in the film. It is most prominently seen used by Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) when he does tunnel rat duty and SSgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) when he uses it to threaten a little girl in the Village to get her father to talk.
An M1911A1 is seen in Sgt. Elias Grodin's (
Willem Dafoe) holster.
Elias on tunnel-rat duty with his flashlight and .45 at the ready.
SSgt. Barnes (
Tom Berenger) threatens a little girl with his .45 in the Village.
The Battalion Commander (cameo role of director
Oliver Stone) is seen with a .45 in a tanker-style shoulder holster.
Launchers
M72 LAW
An M72 LAW is seen strapped on top of Pvt. Chris Taylor's (Charlie Sheen) pack. It is also seen used by SSgt. Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger) during the final stand.
An M72 LAW is seen strapped to Pvt. Taylor's (
Charlie Sheen) backpack.
A shot Taylor's M72 LAW during the village scene.
SSgt. Robert Barnes (
Tom Berenger) fires his M72 LAW during the final stand.
M79 grenade launcher
While never seen used in the film, the M79 grenade launcher is carried by several soldiers during the film, including Tubbs (Andrew B. Clark), a member of Red's squad.
Tubbs searches the village with his M79 in hand.
Tubbs chucks a grenade into a well in the village, M79 slung in front.
A soldier armed with an M79 searches the dead after the final stand.
B-40
Several NVA soldiers are armed with B-40's, a Vietnamese copy of the RPG-2.
RPG-2 40mm with PG-2 rocket
A Vietnamese soldier with a B-40
Vietnamese soldiers fire a B-40 at a bunker during the climatic battle. Director
Oliver Stone actually had a live B-40 fired during this scene.
Grenades
M26 "Lemon" hand grenade
M26 "Lemon" hand grenades are seen several times as the standard issue grenade of the members of 1st Platoon.
M26 "Lemon" hand grenade.
As Pvt. Taylor (
Charlie Sheen) glances at the explosives detonator, several M26 grenades are visible.
A primed M26 "lemon" rolls around before detonating.
M34 White Phosphorous Grenade
Huffmeister (Robert 'Rock' Galotti) is seen throwing an M34 White Phosphorous grenade (also called "Willy Pete" - slang for White Phosphorous) in one of the rice wells during the raid of the village. SSgt. Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger) also uses an M34 Grenade handed to him by Ebenhoch (Mark Ebenhoch) to destroy one of the underground tunnels, this time yelling "Willie Pete!" when he throws the grenade.
M34 White Phosphorous grenade