The Great Escape

The following guns were used in the film The Great Escape:

The Great Escape (1963)

Karabiner 98k

German soldiers at the camp are seen armed with Karabiner 98k rifles, although like many WWII films between 1960-1980, the MP40 is innaccurately portrayed as the main weapon of the German Army.

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm.

A German soldier amred with a Karabiner 98k holds back a mob trying to watch a fake fight between two POWs, intended to distract the guards from other POWs escaping in the trucks.

A German soldier with a Karabiner 98k puts Capt. Hilts (Steve McQueen) in the cooler, hence his name "The Cooler King".

Two Germans with Kar98k rifles put Hilts in the cooler once again for another escape attempt.

Flight Lt. Hendley "The Scrounger" (James Garner) helps guide the blind Flight Lt. Colin Blythe "The Forger" (Donald Pleasence) to one of the German planes in an airfield, armed with captured Kar98k taken from a guard he knocked out. The planes in the airfield are American AT-6 Texan trainers mocked up with German paint, although the plane they steal is an authentic German Bucker Bu 181 "Bestmann".

German soldiers armed with Kar98k rifles aprehend Hendley after the plane crashes and Blythe is shot.

A Spanish tracker guides ??? (can't find his name) from Germany to Spain with a Kar98k slung over his back.

A German soldier locks Hilts in the cooler at the end of the film with a KAr98k slung on his back. This gun has a straight bolt, which isn't correct for the era as the German issued models had turned bolts. This implies this is a Kar98k stock and barrel with an older 1920s straight bolt action reciever.

MP40

The MP40 submachine gun is the most commonly seen weapon in the hands of German soldiers.

MP40 - 9mm.

German soldiers armed with MP40s.

A German soldier holds his MP40 on Capt. Hilts (Steve McQueen) when he tries to stop the guards from shooting Goff (Jud Taylor) when he climbs the fence, snapping under the pressure when the Germans find their tunnel "Tom".

A German officer holds his MP40 on the POWs after the escape gets interupted midway with 79 escapes.

German soldiers point their MP40s at Hilts after they shoot his Motorcycle and he skids into barbed wire. Without the bolts cocked back, the guns are rather useless.

A French resistance member with an MP40 hands ??? over to a Spanish guide.