Latest revision as of 03:40, 2 September 2021

Blood Diamond (2006)

The following weapons were used in the film Blood Diamond:

Handguns

Glock 26

At the beginning of the film, Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) carries a sub-compact Glock variant, which is most likely a Glock 26 and hands it over when stopped by Commander Rambo (Ato Essandoh). The Glock is loaded with what appears to be an extended magazine. Archer later has the pistol confiscated when he is arrested for smuggling diamonds into Liberia.

Glock 26 - 9x19mm

The Glock 26 is seen holstered in the back of Archer's waistband. Note the extended magazine.

Archer draws his Glock 26 during a confrontation with Commander Rambo (Ato Essandoh).

Archer hands his unloaded Glock 26 to Commander Rambo (Ato Essandoh).

Heckler & Koch USP Compact

A Heckler & Koch USP Compact is used by Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) throughout the film. He purchases this weapon from his friend, M'Ed (Ntare Mwine), at a bar for a couple hundred dollars after having his Glock 26 confiscated while smuggling diamonds. Archer claims that he wants "the best [he] can get ahold of" and M'Ed says he will find him "something special". Once he gets the USP Compact, Archer uses it to kill several R.U.F. rebels and a few of Col. Coetzee's men. Near the end of the film, Archer gives the pistol to Solomon when he tells Solomon that he will stay and hold off Col. Coetzee's men so Solomon can make his escape.

The film takes place in 1999, and the USP Compact had just been introduced in late 1996, so at the time the pistol would have been relatively new and maybe even rare. The USP series is also globally renown for its reliability, so it was definitely what Archer was looking for. Several close-ups of Archer's USP Compact reveal that it has an exposed hammer (the Compact, unlike the full-size USP, does not have a spurred hammer as standard), which suggests the gun might be the P10 variant, or otherwise a specially modified weapon. The USP Compact is also seen on the cover of the film's home video release.

Heckler & Koch USP Compact - 9x19mm. This gun has an exposed hammer, just like the one seen in Blood Diamond.

Archer draws his Heckler & Koch USP Compact while riding near an R.U.F. checkpoint.

Archer pointing his USP Compact from the window of the car.

Archer pointing his USP Compact at Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou). Note the exposed hammer, which is not standard on the Compact, but is available on the P10 German service variant, and can be installed if the user so desires.

Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) points his Heckler & Koch USP Compact at Colonel Coetzee.

Archer hands his USP Compact to Solomon.

Heckler & Koch USP

Full-size Heckler & Koch USPs are carried by South African mercenaries, most notably Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo). Coetzee's USP is later picked up by Dia Vandy (Kagiso Kuypers), the son of Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou).

Heckler & Koch USP - 9x19mm

Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo) threatens to use his H&K USP to kill Dia, in order to coerce Solomon into finding the pink diamond.

Dia Vandy (Kagiso Kuypers) picks up Colonel Coetzee's H&K USP as he contemplates using the gun to kill his own father and Archer while still brainwashed by the R.U.F..

Smith & Wesson Model 629

Commander Rambo (Ato Essandoh) of the R.U.F. wields a variant of the Smith & Wesson Model 629 revolver when he confronts Archer and demands his weapon. There is a slight possibility the revolver could be a Smith & Wesson Model 686, however the barrel looks about 5" which would likely make it the 629 model.

Smith & Wesson Model 629 revolver with custom grip - .44 Magnum

Commander Rambo (Ato Essandoh) points a Smith & Wesson Model 629 at Archer while he unloads his Glock 26. There is a slight possibility the revolver could be a Smith & Wesson Model 686, however the barrel looks about 5" which would likely make it the 629 model.

Close-up of the revolver.

Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873

A Kamajor guerrilla points a French Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873 11mm revolver at Solomon and Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) while thinking they are R.U.F.. Note the revolver may be a Model 1874 which is the same gun with a fluted cylinder.

Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873 revolver - 11x17.8mmR

A Kamajor guerrilla points his Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873 at Solomon.

Solomon and Maddy being held at gunpoint by a Kamajor guerrilla wielding a Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873.

Sideview of the same revolver.

Browning Hi-Power

R.U.F. Captain Poison (David Harewood) carries a Browning Hi-Power which he frequently uses to kill slaves at the mine whom he sees trying to steal diamonds.

Browning Hi-Power - 9x19mm

Captain Poison (David Harewood) shoots a slave with his Browning Hi-Power for trying to steal a diamond.

Captain Poison points his Browning Hi-Power at Solomon.

Submachine Guns

IMI Uzi

Near the end of the film, some of the mercenaries carry IMI Uzi submachine guns, though they are hard to see.

IMI Uzi with buttstock collapsed - 9x19mm

A mercenary just left of the door holds an Uzi.

A mercenary in the center holds his Uzi.

A mercenary points an IMI Uzi at a rebel.

Sterling L2A1

Several Sierra Leone Army soldiers can be seen carrying Sterling L2A1 submachine guns during the scene where Archer is arrested for smuggling diamonds. Some guards at the prison in Freetown also hold Sterling L2A1s.

Sterling L2A1 submachine gun - 9x19mm

A Sierra Leone Army officer inspects Archer's goats for diamonds with his Sterling L2A1 slung over his back.

Guards at the prison in Freetown hold their Sterling L2A1s.

Rifles

Colt CAR-15 variant

South African mercenaries carry an unusual Colt CAR-15 variation that does not appear to be a factory-standard gun. These rifles have the receivers of M16A2s (which would normally suggest Colt Model 725s), but they also have 10-inch barrels with GAU-5/XM177-style flash-hiders. They were most likely custom-assembled for the film from the parts of various AR-model rifles. It should be noted that similar rifles can be seen in Black Hawk Down, and Bapty & Co. supplied the weapons for both this film and that one.

Besides their unusual combination of features, the mercenaries' CAR-15s also feature camouflage paint and accessories such as Surefire 660 weaponlights and Aimpoint CompM2 red dot sights. Near the end of the film, Archer uses one after killing its owner, buying time for Solomon and Dia to escape before succumbing to his wound.

A civilian AR-15 modified to look like an XM177 - 5.56x45mm. Note that this is NOT the model seen in the film, which has an M16A2-style receiver. However, it's similar.

Col. Coetzee's men with their CAR-15s.

A close-up of one of Col. Coetzee's men holds his CAR-15, showing his finger on the trigger and the selector on automatic/burst.

Archer covers Solomon's escape using a CAR-15 taken from one of Col. Coetzee's men.

Note how the Surefire weaponlight is switched on.

Archer reloading the CAR-15.

Norinco Type 56-1

The vast majority of the Revolutionary United Front (R.U.F.) rebels and Sierra Leone Army soldiers are seen using Norinco Type 56-1 assault rifles (Chinese AKS-47/AKMS clones), which can be recognized by their folding stocks and hooded front sights. Archer briefly uses one to execute an R.U.F. rebel who tries to flee him on the bridge. Dia can be seen using one while participating in his first massacre as an R.U.F. member (he is also forced to use one to kill a prisoner while undergoing indoctrination).

Norinco Type 56-1 - 7.62x39mm

An R.U.F. rebel stands guard over slaves at the mine with his Chinese Type 56-1 assault rifle.

A crate full of Chinese Type 56-1 assault rifles about to be issued to newly recruited R.U.F. members.

Dia taking part in a massacre with other R.U.F. child soldiers, all are armed with Chinese Type 56-1 rifles.

Sierra Leone Army soldiers preparing to confront the R.U.F.. The muzzle of one soldier's Type 56-1 is clearly visible, showing the hooded front sight (a defining characteristic of Chinese AKs) in detail.

R.U.F. rebels firing their Type 56-1 rifles at the mercenaries' "Superhind" helicopter when their stronghold is attacked.

AK-47

There are also some original Russian-made AK-47s (as opposed to AKM copies or Chinese Type 56s, which are far more common in most Hollywood films) seen in the hands of R.U.F. rebels throughout the film. Most of them are the Type III milled receiver variation, but a close-up of one of the AKs reveals that it has the stock mounting bracket of the slightly older Type II variant. The child soldier who tries to kill Benjamin Kapanay (Basil Wallace) uses one, and Archer also wields a Type III AK-47, which he uses to kill a few of the rebels during the mercenaries' assault on the mine.

AK-47 Type II - 7.62x39mm

AK-47 Type III - 7.62x39mm

At the R.U.F.'s camp, a rebel stands guard with an AK-47. Note the mounting bracket for the stock, which suggests that this is the Type II variation (manufactured in the early 1950s) - the others seen in the film are Type IIIs, which have a different design.

An R.U.F. child soldier shoots at Benjamin Kapanay with a Type III AK-47. The other child soldier has a Type 56.

Archer running with an AK-47 taken from one of the rebels during the attack on the mine.

Heckler & Koch G3

Many of the R.U.F. rebels and Sierra Leone Army soldiers are seen carrying older-specification Heckler & Koch G3s with wooden handguards and stocks though without seeing the rear sight. This is quite true to real life, the G3 was standard-issue to the Sierra Leone Army for many years (though they later began purchasing Type 56 rifles from the People's Republic of China), and many fell into the hands of the R.U.F. during the civil war.

Early-model Heckler & Koch G3 with wooden furniture - 7.62x51mm NATO

An R.U.F. rebel on the right holding an early-model H&K G3.

The same scene, different angle.

A soldier with the border watch carries a G3 with a wooden stock.

Sierra Leone Army soldiers fire their G3 rifles at the rebels.

M16A2

Several Sierra Leone Army soldiers can be seen with M16A2 assault rifles, and many of the South African mercenaries use them as well.

M16A2 - 5.56x45mm

Sierra Leone Army soldiers rounding up suspected militants, the barrel of an M16A2 is visible in the foreground.

Archer, Solomon, Maddy, and other reporters ducking gunfire as the press convoy comes under attack. An SLA soldier in the foreground has an M16A2.

South African mercenaries ambush the R.U.F., one of them clearly has an M16A2 with a 20-round magazine.

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk III

One of the Kamajor guerrillas that surprises Archer's group carries a Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk III with a rag wrapped around the rifle.

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk III* - .303 British

One of the Kamajor guerrillas points his Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk III at Archer, Maddy, and Solomon.

The Lee-Enfield is more clearly visible here.

A Kamajor guerrilla on the left holds a SMLE.

The barrel of the rifle can be seen here, behind Solomon.

Machine Guns

DShK

Throughout the film, DShK heavy machine guns are seen mounted on the R.U.F.'s "technical" vehicles.

DShK heavy machine gun - 12.7x108mm

An R.U.F. rebel mans a technical-mounted DShK heavy machine gun as Archer's plane lands.

Dia being captured and taken away from his family on an R.U.F. technical has a DShK.

An R.U.F. rebel opens fire with a technical-mounted DShK heavy machine gun.

An R.U.F. rebel with a DShK.

Browning M1919A4

Near the end of the film, a few of the mercenaries' Land Rovers have Browning M1919A4 machine guns mounted on them.

Browning M1919A4 on an M31C pedestal mount - .30-06 Springfield

The M1919A4 can be seen on the Land Rover in the background.

Browning M1919A6

One of the Kamajor guerrillas carries a Browning M1919A6. Although the full stock is never seen (only the grip), the muzzle booster on the weapon proves that it is an M1919A6. The bipod fitted on the M1919A6 was also (fittingly) fitted on the M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Browning M1919A6, post-WWII manufacture with conical muzzle booster - .30-06 Springfield

The M1919A6 being held by a Kamajor guerrilla in the background.

Browning M2

The Sierra Leone Army uses a number of .50-caliber Browning M2 heavy machine guns, which are mounted on many of Land Rovers throughout the film.

Browning M2 - .50 BMG

A Sierra Leone Army soldier fires a Browning M2 heavy machine gun at invading R.U.F. forces in Freetown.

A Browning M2 heavy machine gun opens fire as the press convoy is ambushed.

FN Minimi

Near the end of the film, a mercenary sitting on a Land Rover holds what appears to be an FN Minimi.

FN Minimi with 200-round ammo box - 5.56x45mm

A mercenary sitting on the Land Rover holds the Minimi.

PKM

A PKM machine gun can be seen mounted on the door of the mercenaries' Mil Mi-24 "Superhind" helicopter and is fired by one of them.

PKM with classic model of the flash-hider - 7.62x54mmR

One of the mercenaries firing a PKM from the door of the "Superhind" helicopter.

Sideview of the machine gun.

RPK

During the scene where Archer and Solomon are crossing the bridge, an RPK light machine gun can be seen leaning against a wall at the R.U.F. guard post.

RPK light machine gun - 7.62x39mm

An R.U.F. guard post, the RPK can be seen leaning against the wall of the building alongside the bridge.

Other

RPG-7

R.U.F. rebels regularly wield RPG-7s, particularly during the battle of Freetown. One rebel also fires one at Archer and Maddy's vehicle during the press convoy ambush, but misses.

RPG-7 - 40mm

An R.U.F. rebel prepares to fire his RPG-7 at a military roadblock in Freetown.

Another view of the same scene.

GIAT F2 20mm Cannon

The helicopter used in the assault appears to be the Mil Mi-24 "Superhind". The "Superhind" is a modified model of the original Mi-24 made by the South African company "Advanced Technologies and Engineering" (ATE). All the "Superhinds" carry the French GIAT F2 chin-mounted 20mm cannon.

GIAT F2, chin-mounted on Denel Rooivalk - 20x139mm

The helicopter used in the assault appears to be the Mil Mi-24 "Superhind", which is seen with forward-mounted 20mm cannon.

As the "Superhind" lands, the cannon is seen in the forward mount. The standard cannon for the "Superhind" is a French GIAT F2.

Difference between revisions of "Blood Diamond"