The Andromeda Strain (2008 Miniseries)

WARNING: This page contains spoilers.

The following weapons appear in the television miniseries The Andromeda Strain:

The Andromeda Strain (2008)

Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun

In many scenes, the Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun can be seen mounted on U.S. Army M1126 Strykers. The M2HB is used by a group of soldiers in a futile attempt to defend themselves from a swarm of Andromeda-infected crows. The weapon is also incorrectly shown being manually-fired, despite the real Stryker having the M2HB on a remotely-operated mounting operated by a crewman inside the vehicle.

Trivia: The "Stryker" used in the movie is actually an Omni International V-150-S, standing in for the Stryker. This APC was also used in The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.

Browning M2HB .50 BMG in vehicle mounting

Two soldiers stand in front of a mock Striker APC with an M2HB turret.

The gunner in a Striker turret fires the M2HB at the crazy soldier who invades the base (in reality, the M2 turret is remote-controlled on Strikers).

Another Striker gunner is overwhelmed by infected birds at a checkpoint.

M16A2

Most of the U.S. Army soldiers carry M16A2 assault rifles. However, since these weapons are always replaced by other M16 variants (mostly, early M16s and Colt Model 715s) in all firing scenes, it seems likely that all M16A2s used in the miniseries are Tokyo Marui airsoft replicas.

M16A2 - 5.56x45mm

An infected soldier collapses as his comrades look on; the receiver of his (airsoft) M16A2, slung on his back, is visible in the foreground.

A soldier is hit by his comrade after going insane from Andromeda.

Another soldier with an airsoft M16A2.

Soldiers with airsoft M16A2s disperse from a Striker.

Colt Model 715/Olympic Arms K4B

Several National Guard personnel, including the soldier who goes crazy and kills off his entire squad, use what appear to be Colt Model 715s, standing in for the M16A2. These are most likely to be Olympic Arms K4B copies, since Felcan Enterprises (the armory in British Columbia which supplied this show) uses mostly Olympic Arms AR-15s, even for shows depicting U.S. Army personnel.

Diemaco C7/Colt Model 715 - 5.56x45mm

"Hell in a hand basket...that's where we're going!" An infected National Guardsman goes insane and mows down his comrades with his Olympic Arms K4B (standing in for an M16A2).

A soldier with another K4B rifle fires at the infected birds.

More soldiers with K4Bs fire in vain at the birds.

M16 (SP1)

An M16 rifle fitted with M16A2 hand guards and an M16A1 flash hider is carried by at least one soldier (as an M16A2 stand-in).

M16 aka SP1 (flat "slab side receiver") with A2 style handguards used to impersonate the M16A2 - 5.56x45mm

The Guardsman on the left in the foreground has an early M16 with A2-style hand guards.

M4A1 Carbine

At one point in the film, a black-ops team can be seen attempting to kill a reporter named Jack Nash (Eric McCormack), using M4A1 carbines as their main weapons, fitted with M68 Aimpoint red dot scopes and Surefire Universal weaponlights. The team fails however; one member being killed by Andromeda and another being killed when Jack rigs a Jeep Cherokee to blow in a culvert, the blast throwing the Cherokee sideways and crushing the hapless assailant against the side of the culvert.

The M4 used by the soldier who is killed by Andromeda has an older-style flattop receiver with a Weaver (not Picatinny) rail, which means that the carbine is actually an older-model Olympic Arms K3B-FT.

M4A1 5.56x45mm with M68 Aimpoint red dot scope and RIS foregrip

A black ops soldier is hit by Andromeda.

The black ops soldier unloads his M4 into the air as he dies.

Beretta 92FS

The Beretta 92FS is used throughout the film, in the hands of U.S. military personnel (standing in for the M9) and police officers.

Beretta 92FS - 9x19mm

A black ops soldier disguised as a state trooper kills Nash's informant.

Another police officer (obscured by the woman in the foreground) goes insane and kills patrons at a diner with his Beretta 92FS.

A National Guardsman fires at his infected comrade with an issued Beretta.

M1 Garand

Near the end of the second episode, a U.S. Army honor guard can be seen firing a 3-volley salute using M1 Garand rifles at the funeral of Major Bill Keane (Rick Schroeder) and Dr. Tsi Chou (Daniel Dae Kim), who were lost when the Wildfire lab was compromised.

M1 Garand .30-06

The honor guard fire their M1 Garand rifles into the air at the funeral.

Walther P99

At the end of the second episode, a U.S. Army soldier uses a suppressed Walther P99 to assassinate Col. James C. Ferrus (Justin Louis) and General George Mancheck (Andre Braugher). The suppressor is then removed and the pistol placed in the hand of one of the slain officers in an attempt to make it look like a murder/suicide.

Walther P99 - 9x19mm

A black ops soldier kills Ferrus with a suppressed Walther P99 (seen very blurry in background).

The soldier plants the P99 in Ferrus' hand (minus the suppressor).