For All Mankind - Season 2

For All Mankind Country USA Channel Apple TV+ Genre Science Fiction Drama Broadcast 2021 No. of Episodes 10 Main Cast Character Actor Ed Baldwin Joel Kinnaman Gordo Stevens Michael Dorman Karen Baldwin Shantel VanSanten Tracey Stevens Sarah Jones Molly Cobb Sonya Walger Danielle Poole Krys Marshall Ellen Wilson Jodi Balfour

Season 2 of For All Mankind takes place in 1983, approximately a decade after the finale of Season 1. The United States has maintained Jamestown, the first lunar colony, for ten years. Technological development bought about by NASA's research for lunar missions has resulted in an alternate vision of the 1980s with more advanced technology than what was available in the real-life early 80s being commonplace. However, the Soviet Union also possesses a lunar outpost, Zvezda, not too far from Jamestown and is aggressively expanding their operations on the Moon. Tensions on the Moon between the two superpowers begin to rise, mirroring the ongoing Cold War tensions on Earth.

The following weapons were used in Season 2 of the television series For All Mankind:

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Smith & Wesson Model 19

When Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) visits Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger) at her home in "Pathfinder" (S2E04), a holstered Smith & Wesson Model 19 is seen hanging next to her bathtub.

Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum - .357 Magnum

"You always leave the door open while you're bathing alone?"
"Who says I'm alone?"
Molly points out her Model 19 to Ed.

Colt M1911A1

The crew of the next-generation NASA space shuttle Pathfinder are provided Colt M1911A1 pistols as part of their survival kits. When questioning why they are being given pistols, the astronauts are told that they are to be used in the event the shuttle lands in hostile territory and that Soviet cosmonauts have been provided firearms for decades. In reality, Soviet cosmonauts were indeed routinely provided Makarov PM pistols in their survival kits and later, the specially-designed TP-82 survival pistol.

World War II Ithaca made M1911A1 with light grey finish - .45 ACP

Three M1911A1s for the three crew members of Pathfinder as seen in "Triage" (S2E09).

In a desperate bid to avert nuclear war, Sally Ride (Ellen Wroe) pulls her M1911A1 on Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) in Season 2's finale "The Grey" (S2E10).

Soon after, Ed draws his own M1911A1 on Sally, initiating a standoff.

AKM

In "Best-Laid Plans" (S2E06), Soviet troops are seen holding AKM assault rifles when American astronauts arrive at Star City, a cosmonaut training facility in Russia.

AKM - 7.62x39mm

"Where's our brass band?"
Soviet troops armed with AKMs provide a rather chilly reception to the arriving American astronauts. Given the time period, AK-74 assault rifles would be a more appropriate choice.

A Soviet soldier holds an AKM in "Don't be Cruel" (S2E07).

AK-47

The Soviet cosmonauts who assault Jamestown in "Triage" (S2E09) and "The Grey" (S2E10) are armed with AK-type rifles. These rifles lack the ribbed dust cover and slanted muzzle brake of the AKM and are fitted with the side-folding wire stock seen on East German and Romanian AKs.

MPi-KMS-72 - 7.62x39mm

Soviet cosmonauts enter Jamestown through a blown-out window in "Triage" (S2E09).

A cosmonaut stalks a depressurized hallway in "The Grey" (S2E10).

The same cosmonaut raises his AK at a downed Marine.

The cosmonaut returns fire with his AK.

M16 hybrid

When the Soviet cosmonauts on the Moon begin encroaching on sites of valuable resources discovered by the Americans, the decision is made to bring firearms to the Moon to arm the Jamestown astronauts. They are provided hybrid M16 rifles, first seen in "The Weight" (S2E05). The rifles appear to consist of A1 uppers, A2 lowers, handguards, barrels and flash hiders, along with anachronistic modified collapsible LE-style M4 stocks - the earlier XM177 collapsible stock would be a bit more period correct.

M16A2 - 5.56x45mm NATO

M16A1 - 5.56x45mm NATO

M4A1 - 5.56x45mm NATO

An M16 is secured in a crate for transport to the Moon in "The Weight" (S2E05). This rifle appears to be fitted with a Colt 4x carry handle scope.

A full view of the above scene, depicting US Marines slated to head to Jamestown as a security detail handling M16s. The rifles are described as being painted with a special heat-resistant white paint to protect them from thermal damage on the lunar surface. They are also fitted with technically anachronistic collapsible LE-style M4 stocks - the earlier XM177 collapsible stock would be a bit more period correct.

A better view of the receiver and stock. The protrusion at the bottom of the stock is a modification to allow the rifle to be shouldered easier when the user is in a bulky space suit.

US Marine Vance Paulson (Connor Tillman) takes aim with an M16 during target practice in "Best-Laid Plans" (S2E06) and shortly after becomes the first human being to discharge a firearm on the Moon.

The Marines armed with M16s in "Don't be Cruel" (S2E07) when they arrive to reclaim Site 357 Bravo, a valuable lithium deposit that the Soviet cosmonauts of Zvezda claim jumped.

Marines armed with M16s investigate a disturbance in "And Here's to You" (S2E08).

Paulson holds his rifle in "The Grey" (S2E10).

M1 Garand

Honor guards fire a salute during a funeral in "The Grey" (S2E10). While the rifles they use are seen only very briefly and at a distance, based on the context and the fact they fire semi-automatically, it can be assumed they are M1 Garands.

M1 Garand - .30-06

US Marines fire a salute during a funeral with what are most likely M1 Garands. The letterboxing and very low quality of this image is intentional in order to give it the appearance of being recorded on VHS tape.

M203 Grenade Launcher

Some of the M16s sent to the Moon are equipped with M203 grenade launchers.

M16A2 with M203 grenade launcher - 5.56x45mm NATO / 40x46mm

The Marine at the far left is armed with an M16 with equipped M203.

The same Marine holds up his M203 equipped rifle in triumph after the reclamation of Site 357 Bravo.

Port Said Submachine Gun

In the beginning of "Every Little Thing" (S2E01), a montage of newspaper headlines depicts several alternate history events in For All Mankind's timeline. In one photograph, an assassin is seen with a Port Said submachine gun, an Egyptian licensed copy of the Carl Gustav M/45.

Port Said SMG - an Egyptian licensed copy of Carl Gustav M/45 Submachine Gun - 9x19mm

This is a real photograph of the assassination of Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt, on October 6, 1981. It depicts an Islamic fundamentalist Egyptian soldier firing a Port Said SMG into the reviewing stand containing Sadat during a military parade in Cairo. In the For All Mankind universe, Sadat survives this attack, but in real life, he was killed along with ten others.

The original, unobstructed, photo. While the photo used on the show is cropped, the full photo depicts other assassins armed with 7.62x39mm AK rifles, presumably Maadi AKM copies.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23

A Sukhoi Su-15 interceptor aircraft destroys a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 in "Don't be Cruel" (S2E07), a portrayal of the real-life Korean Air Lines Flight 007 shootdown that occurred on September 1, 1983. Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannons can be seen in gunpods affixed under the fuselage.

Grayzev-Shipunov GSh-23L - 23x115mm

An Su-15 tails KAL 007 in "Don't be Cruel" (S2E07).

Moments later, the aircraft fires a K-8 air-to-air missile that destroys KAL 007. Here, the muzzles of the GSh-23L cannons can be seen.