Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Full Metal Jacket is the 1987 Vietnam War film directed by Stanley Kubrick, who directed such landmark films as The Killing, Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and A Clockwork Orange. The screenplay was adapted from Gustav Hasford's novel "The Short-Timers" and primarily follows Pvt. Joker (Matthew Modine) through Marine boot camp up until his involvement in the Battle of Hue during the 1968 Tet Offensive. While the film provided breakthrough acting roles for R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D'Onofrio, it was at the time unfairly compared to Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film Platoon (which was released just over six months prior to this film).

The following weapons were used in the film Full Metal Jacket:

WARNING - Possible Spoilers

M14 Rifle

The M14 rifle features prominently in the U.S. Marine boot camp scenes in the film. Once the Marines arrive in Vietnam they are issued M16s. It is with an M14 rifle locked and loaded with full metal jacketed 7.62x51mm NATO ammo that Pvt. Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio) uses on both Gunnery Sgt. Hartman (R. Lee Ermey) and himself.

M14 rifle - 7.62x51mm NATO

"There are many like it, but this one is mine." Pvt. Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio) with his M14 along with the rest of the boots recite the Rifleman's creed as a prayer before bed.

"This is my rifle, this is my gun! This is for fightin', this is for fun!" Gunnery Sgt. Hartman marches with the men.

Pvt. Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio) fires the M14 on the range and shoots the most accurate.

M16 Rifle Colt Model 602

The M16 rifle appears in the film as the standard-issue weapon of most of the US Marines in Vietnam. The film takes place during the Tet offensive in 1968, it would be technically accurate since the M16A1 rifle were introduced after 1967. Cowboy (Arliss Howard) has his M16 with two magazines taped together "jungle style", as this is where this practice originated prior to the introduction of higher-capacity 30-round magazines for the M16. During his encounter with the VC sniper, Pvt. Joker's rifle jams on him, something early M16's were notorious for due to poor maintenance habits and faulty ammunition.

The original M16, the first version, firing in a 20-round magazine, adopted in large numbers by the U.S. Army in Vietnam. It would later be replaced by the upgraded M16A1 - 5.56x45mm

Crazy Earl (Kieron Jecchinis) holds his M16 after shooting some NVA.

Cowboy (Arliss Howard) fires his M16 at the NVA sniper. Note the mags taped "jungle style".

Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard) unloads his M16 rifle into the VC sniper (Ngoc Le).

Ducking the snipers' fire, Pvt. Joker (Matthew Modine) lets go of his M16 rifle and lets it fall to the ground, after it jams on him.

MGC Replica M16 rifle

A number of characters were seen carrying MGC M16 Replica rifles for scenes where they didn't carry the blank-firing M16 rifles.

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.

A production image of Matthew Modine as Pvt. Joker holding a Model Gun Corp MGC M16 as he walks a column.

Cowboy (Arliss Howard) holds the replica MGC M16. Note the fake forward assist indicating that this is the replica.

M60

The Doorgunner (Tim Colceri) on the helicopter that takes Joker (Matthew Modine) and Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard) to join Pvt. Cowboy's (Arliss Howard) 1st Platoon repeatedly fires an M60 machine gun at random Vietnamese they pass. The M60 is also the weapon Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin) carries throughout the film. Pvt. Joker can also be seen firing an M60 when their base is attacked at the start of the Tet Offensive.

M60 GPMG - 7.62x51mm NATO

"Get Some!" The Doorgunner (Tim Colceri) wastes several civilians with his M60 machine gun.

Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin) hugs the dirt and his M60.

Joker holds the M60 as the Marines prepare for the NVA assault on the base.

"Better you than me" Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin) shoulders his M60 while looking over the dead Marines.

M1911A1

Pvt. Joker draws his M1911A1 pistol after his M16 rifle jams on him. He uses the .45 to "waste" the already-wounded VC sniper.

M1911A1 - .45 ACP

Pvt. Joker (Matthew Modine) with his M1911 pistol series drawn.

Sa vz 58

The VC sniper (Ngoc Le) that "wastes" Eightball (Dorian Harewood), Cowboy (Arliss Howard) and Doc Jay (Jon Stafford) is armed with a Czech made Sa vz 58. It should be also noted that the Sa vz 58 series rifles were commonly used by the Việt Cộng and the North Vietnamese Army alongside the more predominant AK-47 and SKS rifles; all used the Soviet 7.62x39mm round.

Sa vz 58 - 7.62x39mm

The VC sniper (Ngoc Le) with her Sa vz 58 just before Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard) kills her.

The VC sniper (Ngoc Le) lines up her Sa vz 58 on Eightball (Dorian Harewood).

M72 LAW

We briefly see a U.S. Marine firing a 66mm M72 LAW at the VC Sniper's (Ngoc Le) position.

M72A2 LAW - 66mm

A U.S. Marine firing an M72 LAW.

M79

The M79 grenade launcher is mainly carried by T.H.E. Rock (Sal Lopez) in the film.

M79 grenade launcher - 40mm

T.H.E. Rock (Sal Lopez) fires his 40mm M79 grenade launcher during the Battle of Hue.

T.H.E. Rock firing his M79.

Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun

Several Browning M2HB heavy machine guns mounted on M41A Walker Bulldog tanks are seen firing in the background of several scenes.

Browning M2HB .50 BMG in vehicle mounting

A .50 cal Browning M2HB is seen mounted on the M41A Walker Bulldog tank.

A .50 cal Browning M2HB is seen mounted on the M41A Walker Bulldog tanks as they enter Hue.

An M2HB is glimpsed behind Animal Mother.

Daisy Red Ryder

Crazy Earl carries a lever action Daisy Red Ryder BB gun in addition to his M-16 throughout the movie, as carried by his character in the book on which the film is based, The Short Timers, although we never see it closely.

Daisy Red Ryder BB gun in "Full Metal Jacket" (arrow). Also, note how the character of Crazy Earl is carrying an MGC M16 replica rifle.

Daisy Red Ryder BB gun in "Full Metal Jacket" (arrow)

M26 Hand Grenade

M26 hand grenades are seen several times on the flak vests of various Marines in Hue.

M26 "Lemon" hand grenade.

Joker gets a dressing-down from a Marine Colonel, a pair of M26 hand grenades visible on his vest above his camera

M67 Hand Grenade

Several Marines carry M67 hand grenades on their flak vests as well. An interesting note about this is that during the late-1960's (when the events of the film take place), the M67 was just starting to see use among frontline US military units, and beginning to phase out older designs such as the M26 hand grenade mentioned above.

M67 High-Explosive Fragmentation grenade

Lt. Touchdown (Ed O'Ross) has an M67 grenade on his vest.