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The Crown
 Work In Progress This article is still under construction. It may contain factual errors. See Talk:The Crown for current discussions. Content is subject to change. |
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The Crown is a Netflix original series that examines the reign of the United Kingdom's current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II (portrayed for the series' first two seasons by Claire Foy). The first two seasons have been released, primarily covering events from 1947 through 1964. Both seasons use flashbacks to touch on events prior to their main narratives, especially to World War II, the abdication crisis, and the youths of the Queen and her consort, Prince Philip (Matt Smith).
The following weapons were used in the television series The Crown:
Rifles
Lee-Enfield No.1
The Lee-Enfield No.1 was the main battle rifle of British and Commonwealth forces in World War I. It continued to serve alongside the Lee-Enfield No.4 through World War II and until the adoption of the L1A1 self-loading rifle. It is often seen in the background or at a distance, and it is also prominently wielded by Elizabeth and Phillip's guide in Kenya.
Unknown double-barreled rifle
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wields an unidentified double-barreled rifle in Kenya. We can be certain that it is not a shotgun, as he can be heard ordering one of the party to "pass me my rifle." Though less commonly seen than double-barreled shotguns, double-barreled rifles were, and still are, popular for protection against dangerous African game. They can be chambered for very powerful cartridges and offer a very quick and reliable followup shot.
Lee-Enfield No.4
The Lee-Enfield No.4 was the main battle rifle of the United Kingdom and Canada during World War II, with the rest of the Commonwealth continuing to use the older No. 1 rifle. Like the No.1, it is often seen in the background or at a distance. It can be distinguished from the No.1 by differences in the muzzle and rear sight.
Type 56
At least one Egyptian soldier is armed with a Chinese Type 56 rifle. It can be distinguished by the underfolding bayonet. It is probably meant to stand in for the Soviet AK-47: the Egyptians were being supplied with Soviet and Czech weapons, the Type 56 was very new (and not exported in large quantities, if at all) at the time of this episode. However, the Egyptian army of this time was armed with a variety of bolt action rifles and Soviet SKSs. A Soviet AK-47 or Chinese Type 56, while not anachronistic, is improbable.
AKS-47
At least one Egyptian soldier is armed with an AKS-47 type rifle, i.e., an AK-47 with an underfolding sheet-metal stock. See above for discussion of the AK-47 in as depicted in this conflict.
SKS
Many Egyptian soldiers and irregulars wield SKSs. The SKS was designed for the Soviet Army, but was obsolete upon introduction and quickly supplanted in Soviet service by the AK-47. Instead, the Soviet Union exported it to many other nations, including Egypt. Several other nations manufactured variations of the SKS. Based on the on-screen rifles' lack of a very distinctive muzzle device, we can rule out Yugoslavian variants, which would be anachronistic. They are not seen clearly enough for more a definitive identification, however.
Unknown bolt action rifle
Tommy Lascelles is seen working on an unidentified bolt-action sporting rifle.
Parker-Hale M81
Queen Elizabeth hunts with a Parker-Hale M81. As Parker-Hale did not introduce the M81 until 1983, this is anachronistic.
M1 Garand
American troops carry M1 Garand rifles. This was the main US battle rifle in World War II and Korea.
K98k
Waffen-SS troops stand for review with K98k rifles. This was Germany's main battle rifle in World War II.
L1A1
The Queen's Guard carry L1A1 self-loading rifles. This is the British version of the FN-FAL, which was the main battle rifle of most NATO countries from the 1950s until the 1980s.
Gewehr 1898
Waffen-SS troops march with Gewehr 1898 rifles. While Nazi Germany tends to be more associated with the K98k, the longer and older Gew. 98 would have been appropriate for ceremonial use.
Shotguns
Unknown double-barreled shotguns
Many characters hunt with unidentified double-barreled shotguns, in the side-by-side barrel configuration.
Winchester Model 1912
Ernst Augustus, Prince of Hanover, wields a Winchester Model 1912 with a Cutts compensator, in contrast to the rest of the hunting party's double-barreled shotguns (S1:E3, "Windsor"). Lord Mountbatten asks about it, to which Hanover replies, "I inherited it from my grandfather - as you know, Kaiser Wilhelm was not blessed with a normal physique ... but he loved to shoot, so modifications had to be made." Mountbatten also complains, "they didn't modify a shotgun, they modified a cannon."
This is all historically plausible. Kaiser Wilhelm II was delivered in a breech birth, and the use of forceps to assist delivery caused a severe shoulder injury. As an adult, his left arm was six inches shorter, and much weaker, than his right arm. He used many appliances and customized firearms to hunt. The Cutts compensator, like most recoil compensators, has a reputation for being very loud, hence Mountbatten's "cannon" comment.
Machine guns and submachine guns
Bren gun
A British tank is shown with a Bren gun in S2:E1, "Misadventure." This was the standard British light machine gun through World War II and for many decades after.
Sten gun
A British soldier wields a Sten gun in S2:E1 "Misadventure." The British made heavy use of the Sten submachine gun through World War II, but it was being quickly phased out in favor of the Sterling submachine gun by the time of this episode.
M1A1 Thompson
An American soldier carries an M1A1 Thompson submachine gun in S2:E6, "Vergangenheit." The "Tommy gun" was used by US forces from World War II through Vietnam.
Other
Gelignite
Though never seen used (or even seen) on-screen, gelignite plays a prominent role in S1:E6, "Gelignite." Gelignite is a nitroglycerin-based high explosive with a gel-like consistency, and it is popular in the UK for mining and quarrying. It was also used in many bombings during The Troubles, and the British government published instructions for how to construct gelignite-based IEDs in manuals for the World War II-era Home Guard.