Sahara (2005)

Sahara is the 2005 Adventure movie starring Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn and Penelope Cruz.

The Following guns were seen in the movie:

Civil War Rifles

• Seen in the historical flashback sequence at the beginning of the film, many rifle are seen from a distance, but it is hard to identify them since the battle is at night and the only time we see long rifles, the soldier holding them is being blown up by cannon fire.

Confederate Soldier holds a rifle as his position is hit by Union Cannon Fire

Union Soldier holds a rifle while running from cannon fire from the CSS Texas.

FN MAG

• FN MAG-58 Machine guns are seen mounted on trucks and boats, all manned by Kazims' troops.

FN MAG-58 mounted on a patrol boat - 7.62x51mm

Browning Hi-Power

• Seen in the hands of Kazims' Troops and later commandeered by Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey).

Browning Hi Power Mark III - 9mm

Browning Hi Power pistol - 9mm

Walther PPK

• Dropped by Al Giordino (Steve Zahn) when he is disarming himself when confronted by the Tuareg.

Walther PPK in 7.65x17mm Auto (.32 ACP)

Al Giordino (Steve Zahn) holds up his Walther PPK while dropped his guns on the road - 9x18mm

"What???"

Heckler & Koch USP Compact-9

• Used by Yves Massarde (Lambert Wilson) to threaten Eva Roja (Penelope Cruz) while in the helicopter.

Heckler & Koch USP Compact 9 - 9mm

Yves Massarde (Lambert Wilson) threatens Eva Roja (Penelope Cruz) with a Hecker & Koch USP Compact 9 - 9mm

Yves Massarde (Lambert Wilson) with his USP Compact Pistol - 9mm

Unknown Pump Shotgun

When Kazim's troops are mobilizing, a soldier walks by carrying a pump-action shotgun, of a yet undetermined make and model.

Unknown shotgun in the center.

M79 Grenade Launcher

When Kazim's troops are mobilizing, a soldier walks by carrying an M79 grenade launcher.

M79 Grenade Launcher.

Norinco Type 56-1

• The under-folding stock version of the AKS-47, made in China is seen throughout the film. Mostly a mix with other AK types, carried by Kazims' Troops.

Norinco Type 56 (fixed stock variant) with under-folding bayonet ("pig sticker") which was standard on PLA-issue Type 56s - 7.62x39mm

Type 56-1 folding stock AK47s, seen on the left in the hands of a Govt. Soldier, on the right in the hands of Matthew McConaughey in an action shot - 7.62x39mm

Colt M4

• The only time an M16 variant is seen is in the hands of one of Kazim's soldiers, riding in the pickup truck that takes a handcuffed Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino across the desert.

M4A1 Carbine 5.56x45mm

The Guard holding an M4 Carbine listens to the endless chatter of his driver - 5.56mm

M4 behind General Kazim's desk.

AK-47

• One of Tuareg fighters who help Pitt and Giordino raid the waste plant carries what appears to be an original milled receiver AK-47 - (7.62x39mm).

Modibo (Paulin Fodouop) (with a stolen uniform) with a milled receiver AK-47 - 7.62x39mm

Modibo (Paulin Fodouop) with a milled receiver AK-47 - 7.62x39mm

AKM

• Mixed in amongst the AK-47 rifles are AKMs, many of which are modified with 'tribal' decorations.

A nice 'rubber stunt' AKM with Tuareg decorations - note that the rubber cast wooden buttstock has the bloodgroove of the AK-74 but the rifle is cast from a 7.62x39mm gun

M20 Super Bazooka

• Carried by Tuareg tribesmen in the desert battle - 3.5" Rocket.

M20 Super Bazooka - 3.5 Inch

Tuareg fighter on the right holds an M20 "Super Bazooka" - 3.5" Rockets

Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE)

• Some of the Tuareg horsemen also carry Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII* rifles.

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - .303 British. This was the main battle rifle of British and Commonwealth forces during the First World War, introduced in 1907 it has seen action throughout the 20th century.

A Tuareg fighter near the one with the bazooka is seen with a Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII* rifle in his hands

French Flintlock Pistol

• Yves Massarde (Lambert Wilson) gives a matched pair of French Flintlock pistols to General Kazim (Lennie James) at his palace. They are a duelling set with silver caps at the bottom of the grips and have other inlaid silver accents. It is mentioned that they were formerly the property of "General Mayenne" causing Kazim to quip that they must have killed 'The Comte de Vézelay' (French for The Count of Vézelay, in the Bourgogne region of France. Though there is no famous Count from that area, it is most known for holding the abbey where the bones of Mary Magdalene were brought.)

Kazim (Lennie James) admires a match set of French Duelling pistols, delivered as a gift from Yves Massarde (Lambert Wilson).

Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action

• General Kazim (Lennie James) uses his ".455 caliber" Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action revolver to shoot (W.H.O.) Doctor Frank Hopper (Glynn Turman), Eva Roja's boss, with it. It is a Silver Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action with ornate engraving all over the pistol. Kazim mentions that the pistol was previously owned by "General Sir Henry Watkins" and that he must purchase custom loaded ammunition from Holland & Holland of England since the .455 rounds are so rare. Note that this model was not produced in .455 calibre.

Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action - .44 Russian

Kazim (Lennie James) pulls out a pistol from a case and shoots Dr. Hopper. It is a Silver custom engraved Smith & Wesson Frontier Double Action chambered in .455 Webley.

Type 69 Rocket Launcher

• Some of the Tuareg carry Chinese Type 69 RPGs though they have different warheads

Chinese Type 69 RPG

Modibo (Paulin Fodouop) looks on as his Tuareg fighters carry AK rifles and Chinese Type 69 Rocket Launchers.

Sterling SMG

• Seen held by Tuareg horsemen in the desert.

British Sterling Submachine Gun - 9mm

Tuareg Horsemen hold aloft AK rifles and Sterling Submachine guns - 9mm

FN FAL

• Carried by General Zateb Kazims' armored troops at the final battle (in addition to the plethora of AK47 type rifles). They look to be the solid Metric style front sight block, however the barrels seem shorter than usual, so the exact model is unknown, but they appear to be Metric FALs - 7.62x51mm.

FN FAL 50.00 7.62x51mm NATO

Kazims' soldiers carry AKs and FN FALs - 7.62x51mm

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M249 SAW

• Carried by General Zateb Kazims' armored troops at the final battle, identified from minimi due to heatshield and solid stock.

M249 SAW

soldier in the background has a M249

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L1A1

The L1A1 is used by a Mali sniper with a scope, but later commandeered by Al Giordino (Steve Zahn).

L1A1

Sniper fires an L1A1 with early style wood grips and scope - 7.62x51mm

Steve Zahn holds an L1A1 in the truck - scene from the movie "Sahara"

Guard on the Solar plant supply train holds a Wood stocked L1A1 rifle - 7.62x51mm

Guard on the Solar plant supply train peers around a corner holding a Wood stocked L1A1 rifle - 7.62x51mm

PKM

• Kazims' Soldiers are seen holding PKM Machine Guns (7.62x54R).

PKM - 7.62x54R

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Soldier guards the palace with a PKM (slung) - 7.62x54R. The soldier checking the papers is holding a Norinco Type 56-1 under-folding stock AK rifle.

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Soldier walking pass Yves Massarde has a PKM.

Browning M2HB

The Browning M2HB is mounted on the APCs used by Kazim's Armored troops.

Browning M2HB on vehicle mount - .50 BMG

Browning M2HB mounted on M113.

Romanian WASR-3

I believe that Al's rifle during a desert battle is a Romanian WASR-3 Rifle built at the S.C. Uzinele Mecanice Cugir S.A. (Cugir Factory) in Romania. The weapon probably came from a foreign armory, but for the purposes of identification, the U.S. version of the Romanian .223 AK will be identified. The Romanians imported a series of three AK type rifles called the SAR series.

The SAR-1 was 7.62x39mm, the SAR-2 was 5.45x39mm and the SAR-3 was the 5.56x45mm. Then a later variant was imported, the WASR. The WASR was essentially the same firearm, but with a lower grade of fit and finish. (The original WASRs were imported to take only single stack magazines (to please BATF) and the wholesalers opened up the mag well to take standard magazines and replaced some of the parts with U.S. Made parts to make them legal). Like the SAR series, the WASR-1 was 7.62x39, the WASR-2 was 5.45x39mm and the WASR-3 was 5.56x45mm. However, the SAR-3 rifle has the original AK74 style gas block, the WASR-3 has a modified AKM style gas block and blonde wood. Both the SAR-3 and the WASR-3 take the ROMAK 223 magazine (Wieger style). This rifle is set up with the Wieger style magazine. Al Giordino's rifle is a WASR-3 (or the European equivalent) and of course, his is fully automatic. It looks to be the same rifle used in the movie Casino Royale since the Sascha Robey was the armorer for both movies.

An U.S. imported Romanian WASR-3 rifle that had the thumbhole stock replaced with a laminated buttstock and US made synthetic pistol grip (for legality) - 5.56x45mm

Dirk Pitt uses the same rifle after Al Giordano liberates it - 5.56mm

Al Giordino fires his Romanian 223 AK - 5.56mm

Al Giordino fires his Romanian 223 AK - 5.56mm

Al Giordino fires his Romanian 223 AK - 5.56mm