The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers (1980)

The Blues Brothers is the 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and based on characters created for the late night comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live. The film stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd (who reprised their roles from SNL) as Jake and Elwood Blues, musician brothers who are determined to get their band back together in order to raise funds to prevent the orphanage they grew up in from being demolished. As what was customary in John Landis films of the time, there are numerous cameos from several well known directors and actors including Steven Spielberg, Carrie Fisher and Frank Oz. The film's cast also included appearances by several prominent musical performers including Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Aykroyd would return as Elwood in the 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000.

The following weapons were used in the film The Blues Brothers:

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Handguns

Colt MK IV Series 70

Illinois State Troopers Daniel (Armand Cerami) and Mount (Steven Williams) are armed with Colt MK IV Series 70s when they go to arrest "Joliet" Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd).

Colt MK IV Series 70 - .45 ACP

Troopers Daniel and Mount talk to Corrections Officer Mercer (John Candy) with their Colt MK IV Series 70s in their holsters (noted by the grips) outside Elwood's apartment.

Troopers Daniel and Mount with their MK IV Series 70s drawn as Officer Mercer (John Candy) kicks in Elwood's door.

Trooper Daniel (Armand Cerami) aims his MK IV Series 70 at the Good Ole' Boys after crashing into them.

"Boys, you in big trouble now." Trooper Mount (Steven Williams) draws his MK IV.

Walther PPK

When the Blues Brothers and the band go to Ray's Music Exchange, Ray (Ray Charles) pulls a Walther PPK and fires it at a kid who is about to steal a guitar.

Walther PPK - .32 ACP

Ray (Ray Charles) draws and fires his Walther PPK at the kid trying to steal the guitar (a particular humorous gesture given the fact that Ray Charles was actually blind!)

"Go on, now, git." Ray holds the pistol.

Luger P08

The Head Nazi (Henry Gibson) uses a Luger P08 to shoot at the Blues Brothers during the car chase at the end.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm

The Head Nazi (Henry Gibson) holding his Luger P08 during the chase with the Blues Brothers.

The Nazi leader fires his Luger P08 at the Blues Brothers.

The Nazi leader's Luger P08 jams when he is trying to reload.

"Faster." The Head Nazi (Henry Gibson) holds the Luger while chasing down the Blues Brothers.

Smith & Wesson Model 10

Several Illinois State troopers are armed with the Smith & Wesson Model 10 during the climax of the film when the police chase the Blues Brothers into the Cook County Accessor's office.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 - .38 Spl

The Illinois State trooper (foreground) holding his Smith & Wesson Model 10.

Smith & Wesson Model 19

One Chicago police officer is seen with a Smith & Wesson Model 19 in his holster during the Nazi Rally. These also appear to be carried by Illinois Corrections Officers.

Smith & Wesson 19 - .357 Magnum

The Corrections Officer (Frank Oz) appears to carry the revolver.

On the left, a CPD officer holds back an angry crowd with his Smith & Wesson Model 19 in his holster.

Shotguns

12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun

The leader of the Good Ole' Boys band Tucker McElroy (Charles Napier) uses a 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun to shoot at the Blues Brothers after their gig at Bob's Country Bunker.

12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun

The band leader Tucker McElroy (Charles Napier) loads up his Double Barreled shotgun.

McElroy aims at Jake and Elwood's car.

High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Shotgun

Trooper Mount (Steven Williams) carries a High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Standard Model shotgun when they arrive at the Blues Brothers concert. Several prison guards are seen armed with the shotguns near the film's conclusion (this is more visible in the Extended Cut of the film).

High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Standard Model (Catalog #8111) - 12 gauge. This is the screen used shotgun, held by Steve McQueen in the film The Getaway (1972).

Trooper Mount (right) holding his High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Standard Model shotgun when Corrections Officer Mercer (John Candy) explains that he wants to see the Blues Brother's concert before they arrest them.

Trooper Mount, holding his High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Standard Model shotgun, sits with Trooper Daniel and Officer Mercer as they watch the Blues Brother's concert. The shotgun's ejection port is more visible here.

Two of the prison guards hold High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Standard Model while others hold Ithaca 37s. This scene is from the Extended Cut.

In a scene from the Extended Cut, prison guards hold High Standard FLITE KING K-1200 Riot Standard Model shotguns during the prison riot at the end.

Remington 870

A CPD officer is seen with a Remington 870 toward the end of the film.

Remington 870 Slug Shotgun - 12 gauge

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A SWAT officer (center right) holding a Remington 870 as the SWAT team prepares to find and arrest the Blues Brothers during the climax.

Ithaca 37

Several police officers and prison guards are seen with Ithaca 37s toward the end of the movie.

Ithaca 37 - 12 Gauge

The State trooper on the left holds an Ithaca 37 at the Blues Brothers concert.

The State troopers in the background all hold Ithaca 37s.

The State trooper on the right holds an Ithaca 37 when trying to apprehend the Blues Brothers during the climax.

Two Chicago police officers hold Ithaca 37s when trying to apprehend the Blues Brothers during the climax. The shotguns appear to bend, making these likely to be rubber props.

A prison guard holds his Ithaca 37 during the Blues Brothers prison concert.

A prison guard holds his Ithaca 37 while another calls for backup when the prisoners start rioting.

Rifles

M16 (Colt AR-15 SP1)

The Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher), who turns out to be Jake's ex-fiance, uses an M16 in her final attempt to kill Jake and Elwood after their concert. This rifle has a birdcage flashider, but no forward assist, making it a Colt SP1. Also, while they are normally seen carrying original M16s, two US Army soldiers switch from M16s to SP1s in a continuity error when they are firing through a door when searching for the Blues Brothers.

M16 (aka SP1) with 30 Round magazine - 5.56x45mm

The Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher) fires her SP1 at Jake and Elwood. Fisher does a good job of not flinching here.

"Well, Jake, you look just fine down there." The Mystery Woman holds the rifle with no forward assist, making it a Colt SP1.

Jake's Ex-fiance explains to Jake all that he put her through when he left her at the altar while holding her SP1.

The Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher) fires her SP1 at Jake and Elwood's car as they escape.

Two US Army soldiers fire their SP1s at the door that the Blues Brothers blocked. In all other shots they use original M16s, but when they fire, they switch to SP1s in a continuity error.

Closeup of the soldiers' SP1s. The flash hider is doing nothing, probably due to the length of the blank adapter.

MGC Replica M16

Some of the National Guard soldiers are seen carrying MGC M16 Replica rifles. Chicago PD officers and US Army soldiers also use MGC M16 during the climax of the movie.

The MGC M16 Assault rifle: a non firing metal replica built by the Model Gun Corp of Japan and one of the most used non firing replicas of the M16 in movies and television.

The SWAT officer holds his MGC M16 when the SWAT van pulls up.

Two US Army soldiers in Chicago's Daley Plaza aim their MGC M16s at the Cook County Accessor's office that the Blues brother's are in.

The lead CPD officer asks the guard if he's seen the Blues Brothers, M16 in hand.

Several US Army soldiers aim their MGC M16s at the Blues Brothers, with about a hundred others in the background. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of this shot. Note the ambiguous Army Ground Forces patch.

Remington 700

Several SWAT officer carry Remington 700s when setting up sniper positions across the street during the climax.

Remington 700 - .308 Winchester

SWAT officers crawl with their Remington 700s during the climax. Funny how they decide to crawl when they could just run or walk.

SWAT officers aim their Remington 700s during the climax.

Other

Browning M2HB

Browning M2HB heavy machine guns are seen mounted on National Guard jeeps and other armored vehicles parked on Daley Plaza.

Browning M2HB machine gun - .50 Cal (12.7x99mm NATO)

Browning M2HB machine gun seen mounted on a National Guard jeep.

M2 seen on the left.

M1 Flamethrower

Incorrectly referred to as the "M79 Flamethrower", the Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher) uses an M1 Flamethrower to try to kill Jake and Elwood when they are in a phone booth.

M1 Flamethrower

The Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher) holding her M1 Flamethrower.

Igniting the flamethrower.

the Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher) uses her M1 Flamethrower.

Prop Rocket Launcher

The Mystery Woman (Carrie Fisher) uses a prop rocket launcher seemingly based loosely on the M202 FLASH to try to kill Jake and Elwood when they are outside their apartment building.

The Mystery Woman aims her rocket launcher.

The Mystery Woman looks through her scope at Jake. (That's quite the magnification!)

The Mystery Woman fires at Jake and Elwood.

Trivia

Weapons Manuals

When she is at her beauty salon, Jake's Ex-fiance (Carrie Fisher) has two weapon manuals on her desk: "M79 Flame-Thrower" and "Anti-Personnel Mines". It's difficult to see the other text on the manuals, but from the logos, it looks like Government files. I wonder how she got those...

Jake's Ex-fiance with her two weapon manuals on her desk. Also, notice the pictures of her and Jake on her desk. Incidentally, FM 6-121 is actually "Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Field Artillery Target Acquisition."

Use of Unnecessary Violence

This humorous line proved very controversial within the Chicago Police Department. Due to this line, the Chicago Police Department banned use of its name and insignia in films and television shows until the 2000s. Several movies, such as The Negotiator, used names like "Metro Police" because the name "Chicago Police" could not be used.

A dispatcher (Ralph Foody) tells police officers "Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers has been approved", a line that caused the Chicago Police Department to ban it's name and insignia from films for 20 years.

Police Car Wreckage

About 60 police cars were used in the film. Most of these cars were humorously wrecked throughout the film. Here are some shots of it.

Two Illinois State Police cars chase the Blues Brothers in a mall. The two cars are subsequently wrecked at the end of the chase.

An Illinois State Police car crashes into the Good Ole' Boys van.

Several Illinois State Police cars crash into each other as they fall down a hill.

An Illinois State Police car crashes into a semi.

Several Chicago Police cars crash after the Blues Brothers simply take a left turn.