Saving Private Ryan

The following weapons were used in the movie Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

M1 Garand

Perhaps the most commonly seen weapon in the movie, the M1 Garand is used by the majority of the U.S. soldiers seen in the film. The M1 Garand is easily identified by the characteristic ping it makes ejecting its clip after the last round in the en bloc clip is fired. Based on the way everyone can hold these weapons easily, they seem to be light weight models for easy handling in the film, which cuts the realism down a bit.

M1 Garand semiautomatic Rifle with leather M1917 sling - .30-06

An M1 Garand prop rifle used in the film during the D-Day scene. The butt still has sand stuck in it from the beach.

This image of a soldier during the D-Day scene shows that the rifles in the film are clearly not genuine 9 1/2lb Garands and simple light weight replicas.

Pvt. Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg) fires his M1 Garand.

PING! Private Adrian Caparzo (Vin Diesel) fires his M1 Garand.

A Soldier fires his M1 Garand at a fleeing German. The rifle makes the distinct PING sound but you can clearly see it just jammed.

A soldier of low morals holds an M1 Garand with cuts in the stock for an ammo pouch to sling through like an M1 Carbine. This is a stange stock for a Garand. Also note how he can easily hold it with one hand since it is lighter than a real Garand.

Sergeant Hill (Paul Giamatti) holding his M1 Garand.

Cpt. Miller (Tom Hanks) pulls the trigger groupings out of the M1 Garands marking dead G.I. graves so they are rendered useless should any Germans try to capture them.

A soldier loads up his M1 Garand before the battle in Rammele.

Mellish fires his M1 Garand and then claims it jams, despite the fact it is clearly still in battery.

PING! Pvt. James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) firing his M1 Garand. Damon's lack of training for the film is evident, note how his sight is above his eyeline.

Cpl. Timothy P. Upham (Jeremy Davies) holds his M1 Garand on a group of fleeing German soldiers including Steamboat Willie, whom he kills. Note how his hand is on the bolt handle, which could result in a finger pinch. Also note how he rests his thumb on the reciever tang, which could result in "shooter's thumb", getting whacked in the nose by you thumb knuckle do to the recoil.

M1A1 Thompson

The M1A1 Thompson or "fast gun" appears several times in the film, primarily as the main weapon of Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks). It is also used by Captain Fred Hamill (Ted Danson) to end a standoff between Miller's men and a group of German soldiers they had stumbled upon. The M1 Thompson was too expensive to produce by the Normandy invasion and the cheaper M1A1, which simply attached the firing pin to the bolt, made it far easier for mass production as well as cheap too. They were far more commonly issued with 30 round magazines, which is evident on Miller's Thompson.

M1A1 Thompson - .45 ACP.

Cpt. Miller removes his M1A1 Thompson from its protective plastic bag.

Captain Fred Hamill (Ted Danson), left, and one of his men holding freshly fired M1A1 Thompsons.

Cpt. Miller reloads his Thompson before the battle in Rammelle, despite having been clearly seen reloading it the scene before when facing the half-track.

Cpt. Miller with his Thompson at the ready.

Cpt. Miller fires his Thompson through the peep hole of a Tiger Tank.

Cpt. Miller firing his Thompson.

Corporal Henderson (Maximilian Martini) fires his Thompson at a German through the wall.

M1 Carbine

The M1 Carbine appears in the film as the main weapon of Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath (Tom Sizemore). It was fitted with one double magazine pouch strapped to the butt stock.

M1 Carbine - .30 Carbine

Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath (Tom Sizemore) with his M1 Carbine on Omaha Beach, Dog Green Sector.

Sgt. Horvath firing his M1 Carbine.

Sgt. Horvath with his M1 Carbine.

Sgt. Horvath racks the bolt on his M1 Carbine before facing the machine gun nest.

Sgt. Horvath with his M1 Carbine.

M1A1 Carbine

Members of the 101st Airborne division as well as any other Air Force soldiers use the folding stock varient M1 Carbine, the M1A1.

Paratrooper M1A1 Carbine - .30 Carbine.

A paratrooper with an M1A1 Carbine.

A 101st paratrooper kills a Tiger Tank operator with his M1A1 Carbine and then holds the hatch open with it. (close inspection reveals the hatch is lightweight and easy to move).

M1911A1

There are several appearances of the M1911A1 pistol, in the hands of Horvath (Tom Sizemore) and Miller (Tom Hanks), as well as other members of the squad. Horvath uses it to threaten PFC Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) when he threatens to abandon his squad, later throwing it at a German during the final battle when he runs out of ammo. Miller is seen firing it at an advancing Tiger tank as he lies wounded on the bridge in one of the film's more memorable moments.

File:Springfield Armory M1911A1.jpg

M1911A1 - .45 ACP

Pvt. Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper) fires his M1911A1 into a German filled trench.

Pvt. Jackson draws his M1911A1 when they first confont Steamboat Willie and checks the magazine, which is cleary empty.

Horvath (Tom Sizemore) threatening to shoot PFC Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) with his M1911A1.

A wounded Cpt. Miller fires his M1911A1 at an advancing Tiger Tank. Note how his .45 is clearly out of battery, but in perfect working order in the next shot.

Cpt. Miller fires his M1911A1 at the advancing Tiger tank.

Miller in amazment after seeing the Tiger blow up after shooting it with his M1911A1 (which was actually blown up by a P-51 Mustang). For some reason, the pistol was only loaded with six shots instead of the fully-loaded seven.

M1 Bazooka

The M1 Bazooka rocket launcher makes several appearances in Saving Private Ryan. It is first seen in the hands of a U.S. Army soldier under the command of Captain Hamill. Later we see Private James F. Ryan (Matt Damon) use an M1 Bazooka to destroy a German half-track. This same Bazooka is later used by Horvath during the final battle to destroy a German Marder self-propelled gun and again in an attempt to destroy a Tiger tank, but unfortunately for our protagonists the rocket is deflected by the tanks' heavy armor.

M1 Bazooka 60mm with rockets

Private James F. Ryan (Matt Damon) with his M1 Bazooka after destroying a German half-track.

Sgt. Horvath fires the M1 Bazooka.

Cpt. Miller attmepts to use an M1 Bazooka before Sgt. Hoorvath takes it.

Sgt. Hoorvath fires a shot at a Tiger tank, but sadly it deflects do to the heavy frontal armor. If only it had approached backwards, since the back end is its week point.

Springfield 1903A4

The squad's sharpshooter, Private Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper), carries the sniper version of the Springfield 1903, the 1903A4 bolt-action rifle. The differences include the deletion of the front sight, and the addition of a scope. Jackson is famous for quoting religious scriptures when shooting the rifle, and shooting a German sniper through his own scope similar to a feat accomplished by Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock in the Vietnam War, although the bullet drop at 400yds would make it impossible to clear all the scope lenses, while Hathcock was far closer to his target. Jackson clearly has trouble cycling the gun throughout the film due to him being a lefty and the gun being built for right handed shooters. Perhaps he should have found a better method of working the bolt instead of reaching over and shaking the bolt until the extractor ejected the spent shell.

Springfield 1903A4 sniper variant with M84 scope - .30-06

Pvt. Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper) aims his Springfield 1903A4.

Pvt. Jackson fires his 1903A4.

Jackson fits an 8x Unertl scope on his 1903A4 to face the German sniper (although he doesn't zero it to the gun, which would make his incredible shot even more impossible). Here, he is seen adjusing his scope for elavation, even though he claims it is for windage. Also, his hand is the only thing moving, the front of the scope never twists.

Jackson takes aim at the sniper with his 1903A4.

Jackson with his 1903A4 during the standoff.

Cpl. Upham looks through Jackson's rifle scope and despite which way he turns it, the reticle is always perfectly centered.

Jackson ejects a shell (which is clearly a blank) from his 1903A4.

Note how the free-bolt safety is clearly on in this shot.

Falty Scope

During the belltower sequence, Jackson fires an incredible seven shots from his five shot Springfield, many of which miss their target do to quite possibley the most innaccurate rifle ever. His Unertl scope is probably so off because he didn't zero it when switching it with his other scope.

Jackson clearly led his target but the gun still shot too far left and likely hit this soldier by luck.

This shot went way left and way low.

This shot went way right and way low.

Browning Automatic Rifle M1918A2

As the squad's support gunner, PFC Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) carries a Browning Automatic Rifle M1918A2 or "B.A.R" as his main weapon. The B.A.R. Reiben carries is not his originally issued one, which he claims he lost during the start of the D-Day landing to keep from drowning, and has the bipod removed, making it more into an assault rifle instead of a Light Machine Gun. Further supporting this theory is how he fires it on the rapid full-auto fire mode instead of the more efficient slow auto-fire used for support. Reports have said like the M1 Garands in the film, this B.A.R. was lightened for easier use by the actors, making it far easier to shoulder fire the weapon as an assault rifle. (periods have been added to the B.A.R. abbreviations to make sure no one refers to the weapon incorrectly as a "Bar".)

M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle .30-06

Private First Class Richard Reiben sets the bullets in his B.A.R. mag by tapping it on his helmet and then loads it into B.A.R.

PFC. Reiben gives supporting fire on a German machine gun nest with his B.A.R.

Reiben with his B.A.R. during the standoff.

Reiben racks the charging handle on his B.A.R. before being driven out as bait for the German tanks.

Reiben with his B.A.R. at the ready.

Reiben hip fires his B.A.R. on rapid auto-firing mode.

A shell-shocked Cpt. Miller watches Reiben fire his B.A.R. in slow motion.

Browning M2 M1919A4

Among the weapons used by the defenders during the final battle are a pair of Browning M2 M1919A4 machine guns. Both guns eventually run out of ammunition, their users being killed by the Germans. Throughout the scene, some are seen loaded with fabric belts and others with disentagrating link belts, and sometimes both in continuity errors.

Browning M2 M1919A4 on M2 tripod - .30-06.

A U.S. soldier is seen lugging a Browning M2 M1919A4 machine gun during the D-Day scene.

Corporal Henderson (Maximilian Martini) and Pvt. Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg) load their Browning M2 M1919A4 in preparation for the final battle.

Cpl. Henderson firing his Browning M2 .30 cal.

Cpl. Henderson firing his Browning M2 .30 cal., which is now using a fabric belt.

Cpl. Henderson firing his Browning M2 .30 cal.

Mk 2 Hand Grenade

During the attack on the machine gun nests, the squad uses Mk 2 hand grenades to take out all but one of the Germans manning it, some of which throw the grenades back at them, though thankfully miss. Later, at the final battle in Ramelle, several Mk 2 hand grenades are tossed into a disabled German tank, killing the crew.

Mk 2 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

PFC. Reiben hands Cpl. Medic Wade a Mk. 2 grenade before rushing the machine gun nest.

A Mk. 2 grenade is seen on this paratrooper's vest.

M1 Flamethrower

During the D-Day landing scene Doyle (Glenn Wrage) uses his M1 Flamethrower to clear one of the German bunkers overlooking Omaha Beach, turning the occupants into human torches who are picked off by other soldiers as they emerge, before they are ordered to let them burn. During the opening of the scene, a flamethrower user gets hit in the pack and gets blown up along with his fellow commrades around him.

A flamethrower user with an M1 Flamethrower, seconds before being lit up by a single 8mm round.

Doyle readies his flamethrower to burn the machine gun bunker.

Doyle's flamethrower clears out the bunker with a burst of flame.

M1A1 Bangalore Torpedo

Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) aids some soldiers in employing M1A1 Bangalore Torpedos to clear the barbed wire protecting the German bunkers on Omaha Beach.

Soldiers bring up M1A1 Bangalore Torpedoes to clear the barbed wire.

Soldiers passing up Bangalores. Note how the side reads "Bangalore M1A1".

A soldier lights the fuse on the Bangalore while Cpt. Miller holds it.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

M7 Rifle Grenade

During the opening Omaha Beach landing scene we can briefly see a rifle mounted M7 rifle grenade fired from an M1 Garand after the German line has been broken.

M7 grenade launcher

An M7 rifle grenade about to be fired from an M1 Garand.

Karabiner 98k

As common with the German soldiers as the M1 Garand is with the Americans, the Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle is the standard-issue weapon of the German Army. Soldiers during the battle in Rammelle line up armed almost entirly with Kar98k rifles, including Steamboat Willie, who mortally wounds Cpt. Miller with his 98k rifle.

Karabiner 98k - German manufacture 1937 date - 7.92x57mm

Germans during the standoff armed with Kar98k rifles and MP40 submachine guns.

Germans run to the bridge in Rammelle armed with Kar98k.

Steamboat Willie fires his Kar98k. eyes closed.

Karbiner 98k Sniper

One german sniper is seen armed with a Karbiner 98k sniper rifle fitted with a Zeiss scope with a rubber reflective eye cover (which despite goof reports, is a proper eye relief) and covered in makeshift straw camouflage who mortally wounds PFC Adrian Caparzo (Vin Diesel) before being killed himself by Private Jackson (Barry Pepper). Jackson shoots the German sniper through his scope, a reference to a shot made by Carlos Norman Hathcock II (a legendary Marine Corps Sniper) during the Vietnam War.

(Good Gun Picture Needed)

A German sniper aims his Karbiner 98k sniper rifle.

MG42

The German MG42 machine gun makes several appearances in the film; first in bunkers overlooking Omaha Beach during the D-Day landings, then in a machine gun nest at the base of a radar site the squad encounters. The ensuing firefight at the radar site costs them their medic, Cpl. Irwin Wade (Giovanni Ribisi).

Machine Gewher 1942 (MG42) - 7.92 x 57mm (8mm Mauser).

Germans firing MG42 machine guns from their bunker during the D-Day scene.

An MG42 machine gun still smoking from the recent firefight.

Luger P08

During the final assault in Rammelle, a German soldier can be seen using Luger P08 pistol when facing off with Sgt. Horvath and is killed but still manages to wound him with it. His rank must be high because only high ranking officers still used Lugers in WWII. Walther P38 pistols had phased out Lugers as standard sidearms by that time.

Luger P08 - 9mm.

A German soldier fires his Luger at Horvath.

Flak 38

A German Flak 38 is crewed by several SS soldiers during the final battle at Ramelle and delivers devastating 20mm flak rounds on Captain Miller's (Tom Hanks) men. It is finally brought down when PFC. Reiben flanks it from above and takes out the whole crew single-handedly with his B.A.R.

German soldiers mow down U.S. paratroopers with their Flak 38.

20mm shells kick out of the Flak 38.

The German's turn their Flak gun to fire on Cpt. Miller.

The German's begin to reposition the Flak gun before being mowed down by Reiben's B.A.R.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

During the final battle of the film, Private Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg) and Corporal Henderson (Maximilian Martini) get several Model 24 Stielhandgranates thrown at them while manning one of the M1919 machine guns. Thankfully the two are able to grab and toss the grenades clear before they detonate.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate "Potato Masher" High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

File:SPR-Stielhandgranate.jpg

Mellish (Adam Goldberg) and Henderson (Maximilian Martini) catch and toss back several Model 24 Stielhandgranates thrown at them by German SS soldiers.

Panzerschreck

During the final battle, one of the German soldiers can be seen carrying a Panzerschreck rocket launcher, but is killed before his weapon can be brought to bear.

Panzerschreck 88mm with rocket

File:SPR-Panz.jpg

A German SS soldier carrying a Panzerschreck during the final battle.

MP40

Yet another German weapon in the film is the MP40. It's not very often seen, mostly in the scene where Miller's men stumble on a group of German soldiers, and again during the final battle.

MP40 9mm

File:SPR-MP40.jpg

A German soldier of the 2nd SS with an MP40 during the final battle at Ramelle.

M2 Mortar

At the final battle in Ramelle Private Ryan (Matt Damon) and Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) arm 60mm M2 Mortars by banging them against the steel launching base of the mortar tube and throw them like hand grenades at advancing SS soldiers, scoring several kills.

File:SPR-M2.jpg

Private Ryan (Matt Damon) and Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) arm 60mm M2 Mortars by hand.

Sticky Bomb

While planning the defense of Ramelle, Captain Miller comes up with a unique improvised explosive device he calls a "sticky bomb". It consists of a sock filled with Composition-B explosive with a fuse attached and covered in grease so it sticks where it's placed. Deploying it is a hazardous proposition though; as one soldier is killed when the fuse runs out while he is trying to place it one one of the German tanks, though the bombs do succeed in immobilizing one Tiger tank by destroying its treads.

File:SPR-Sticky.jpg

A "sticky bomb" placed on a Tiger tank's treads.

Molotov Cocktail

During the final battle at Ramelle two soldiers light and throw a pair of Molotov Cocktails off a balcony into an open top German vehicle below.

File:SPR-Molotov.jpg

Two soldiers lighting Molotov Cocktails.

Mk-II No. 75 Hawkins Grenade/Mine

Prior to the climactic battle Cpl. Henderson relays to Capt. Miller that thier arsenal of "spitwads" includes Hawkins mines. Later a 101st Airborne soldier is seen placing one on the main street and camouflaging it.

Although manufactured as a grenade the Mk-II No.75 Hawkins Grenade was utilized more efficiently as an anti-tank/vehicle mine. Partly because its shape and weight made accurate throwing difficult.