The X-Files - Season 3

Season 3 of The X-Files premiered on September 22, 1995 with "The Blessing Way"; part one of the series' first two-part opener, and middle episode of a three-part story arc, continuing directly from the previous season's finale "Anasazi" and concluding with the following episode "Paper Clip". This arc, and others shown in Season 3, would feature new aspects to the show's background mythology - Most notable would be the reveal of the alien 'black oil' virus (which would play a central role for the background mythology in several additional episodes and the 1998 feature film) as well as the consortium of powerful figures behind the 'government' side of the combined government/alien conspiracy (among others), that would eventually come to be known simply as the 'Syndicate'. Several characters involved in the Syndicate were introduced, including 'The Well-Manicured Man' (John Neville) and 'The First Elder' (Don S. Williams). Several other characters were further explored, including Mulder's informant Mr. 'X' (Steven Williams). Also of note, the name of one of the mythology episodes, "Piper Maru", shared the first and middle name of Gillian Anderson's daughter, the child Anderson gave birth to during the previous season. "Piper Maru" would also be used as the name of an icebreaking ship in 2004's Alien vs. Predator, as a minor homage to the show.
In addition to expansion of the alien conspiracy mythology, Season 3 would feature numerous highly-regarded and critically acclaimed 'Monster-of-the-Week' stand-alone episodes - Several of which widely considered some of the best in the series, such as "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", "Pusher", and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space". Many of these episodes featured deeper and darker elements, while others added certain levels of humor (some of it self-deprecating) to the show. Some of these episodes would be penned by writers (some new to the show in S3) who, despite the success, would leave the series - Most notable being Glen Morgan's brother Darin Morgan, who felt unable to keep up with the pace of a scripted weekly television program (Darin Morgan would however return two decades later to write and direct episodes for the 10th and 11th seasons). The third season of The X-Files, like the previous two seasons, was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia and would conclude in May 1996 with 24 episodes.
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=Pistols=
==Smith & Wesson 5906==
Having changed sidearms in both Season 1 and Season 2, both FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) begin carrying yet a different sidearm, in this case the Smith & Wesson 5906 (marking the first and only time in the show both characters are issued the same weapon), which they use for almost all of Season 3. FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) also has a S&W 5906 as his carry weapon in Season 3. Other FBI agents and police officers are occasionally seen with S&W 5906s as well. An assassin also wields a 5906 in "Avatar" (S3E21). Part of Smith & Wesson's 'Third Generation' semiautos, the 5906 is chambered to fire 9x19mm Luger (Parabellum) ammunition, has fully ambidextrous safety levers, a one piece rear wraparound grip and construction is all stainless steel. The S&W 5906s used in the show by Mulder, Scully, and Skinner (and reused by other characters) are later models with the rounded trigger guards, and also feature adjustable rear sights and blue-steel (black) triggers and hammers. Given the considerable number of good showings of the pistols throughout the season, they were likely featured in the show as promotional 'hero guns'.
Skinner's 5906 is first (and most notably) seen at the conclusion of the first part of the two-part season opener "The Blessing Way" (S3E01), as well as the following second part episode "Paper Clip" (S3E02). Mulder and Scully carry their Smith & Wesson 5906s starting in "D.P.O." (S3E03) and continue to carry them for the rest of the season. In "Nisei" (S3E09), and most particularly "731" (S3E10), a continuity error is present as Mulder's 5906 changes back and forth several times from his regular version to a older model with squared trigger-guard, all stainless components and (interestingly) the sights removed - These older model S&W 5906s would also be seen used elsewhere in the season (see 'Special' subsection below). In "Syzygy" (S3E13), Scully and Mulder's 5906s had accidental discharges due to uncontrolled telekinetic powers (as did several other firearms). 
NOTE: Several users have previously suggested that these pistols might be the Smith & Wesson 1076 in 10mm, which was briefly used by the FBI. This is incorrect; the 1076 has a single-stack frame, while the pistols in the show have double-stack frames. The show's guns are not the .40-caliber Smith & Wesson 4006, because the 4006's frame features checkering on the grip, missing on the show's Smith & Wessons (the 5906 frame has vertical grooves on the grip). Thus, the show's pistols can only be the model S&W 5906. The S&W 1076 can be easily distinguished from the 5906, as the 1076 is hammerless, has no manual safety and a frame mounted de-cocking lever. Both the 1000 and the 4000-series pistols also feature straight backstraps, not curved like the 5900s. This is a TV show, not real life, and movie/television armorers have always tended to use 9mm pistols rather than larger calibers, because 9mm blanks are more reliable to cycle in pistols than larger calibers.
===Special===
==SIG-Sauer P228==
FBI Special Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) carries the SIG-Sauer P228 that she carries in Season 2 as her sidearm in the first part of the two-part season opener "The Blessing Way" (S3E01). It is briefly seen when she is disarmed of it by a black ops soldier near the beginning of the episode. The P228 is seen again later in the episode when she surrenders it to the FBI when she is suspended. Afterward Scully carries a different weapon as her sidearm and she is not seen with it for the remainder of the season. Mr. 'X' (Steven Williams) is also seen with a SIG P228 in "Wetwired" (S3E23), where he uses it to assassinate other Syndicate operatives and plants it at the scene, as well as very briefly in the next episode "Talitha Cumi" (S3E24) in a continuity error.
==SIG-Sauer P226==
Although Mulder and Scully trade their SIG-Sauer pistols for Smith & Wesson 5906s in Season 3, there are still some appearances of the SIG-Sauer P226 throughout the season. Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) uses a SIG P226 in "Piper Maru" (S3E15) (which Mulder briefly wields as well), while Mr. 'X' (Steven Williams) carries one in "731" (S3E10) and "Talitha Cumi" (S3E24). Black-ops soldiers are seen with SIGs holstered in "Nisei" (S3E09), and a SWAT team leader is seen wielding one briefly in "Pusher" (S3E17).
==Manurhin PPK==
At the conclusion of the season's opening episode "The Blessing Way" (S3E01), as well as near the beginning of the continuing episode "Paper Clip" (S3E02), Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is seen reusing the Manurhin PPK she used during most of the first season - She uses it when the FBI suspends her and confiscates her (then) issued SIG-Sauer P228 service pistol. 
==Walther PPK==
In Season 3, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) can be seen carrying a Walther PPK as a back-up pistol to his main sidearm, kept in an ankle holster. The weapon is notably seen in the episodes "Nisei" (S3E09) and "731" (S3E10).
==Beretta 92FS==
Beretta 92FS pistols are seen numerous times throughout the series, carried and used by police officers and government agents, as well as soldiers and military personnel as a Beretta M9 substitute.
==Glock 17==
Glock 17 pistols are seen used by police and government officers throughout the series. In Season 3, a Glock 17 is seen pulled on Asst. Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) by a Syndicate operative in "Paper Clip" (S3E02). 
==M1911A1==
Standard M1911A1 pistols are seen occasionally throughout the series. A blued variant is notably brandished by a distraught US Navy submarine crewman during a flashback sequence in "Piper Maru" (S3E15).
==Jericho 941 R==
Syndicate operative/assassin Luis Cardinal AKA 'The Hispanic Man' (Lenno Britos) often uses Jericho 941 R pistols as his preferred weapon. He uses an all blue-steel model to (inadvertently) kill Agent Scully's (Gillian Anderson) sister Melissa (Melinda McGraw) near the conclusion of the season opener "The Blessing Way" (S3E01). He later uses another Jericho 941 (this one nickel-plated with black controls) in "Piper Maru" (S3E15) and "Apocrypha" (S3E16), in the former case using it in an attempt to kill Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi).
==Taurus PT92AFS (Nickel)==
In "The Walk" (S3E07), US Army Major General Thomas Callahan (Thomas Kopache) uses a nickel-plated Taurus PT92AFS in the climax of the episode.
==Jennings J-25 (Polished Nickel / Stainless)==
A Jennings J-25 pocket pistol with high-polish nickel (or stainless) finish is taken up by Jose Chung (Charles Nelson Reilly) near the conclusion of "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" (S3E20).
==Unknown Smith & Wesson Automatic==
An unknown large blue-steel Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol is seen wielded by an FBI agent in "Oubliette" (S3E08).
=Revolvers=
==Taurus Model 66==
Various Taurus Model 66 revolvers appear occasionally throughout the earlier seasons of the series. A 4" barreled stainless steel variant is notably used near the conclsuion of the episode "Pusher" (S3E17) by both mind-controlling killer Robert Patrick Modell (Robert Wisden) and Fox Mulder to play a game of Russian Roulette. Another blue-steel variant is used by a hostage-taker at the beginning of the season finale "Talitha Cumi" (S3E24).
==Ruger Speed Six Snub==
Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) arms himself with a snubnose Ruger Speed Six in "The Blessing Way" (S3E01), taking the revolver out from a box of some of his father's items (however in a flashback sequence in Season 2, the gun in his father's box was a Smith & Wesson revolver). He wields the Ruger during a brief standoff between himself, Scully, and Asst. Director Skinner near the beginning of "Paper Clip" (S3E02). What also appear to be Speed Six snub revolvers are used by Danielle Manley (April Grace) to kill her lover in "The List" (S3E05) and by scientist Dr. Eckerle (Raye Birk) near the conclusion of "War of the Coprophages" (S3E12).
==Rossi Model 971 Snub==
What appears to be a snubnose Rossi Model 971 revolver is used by San Francisco police detective Glen Chao (B.D. Wong) near the conclusion of "Hell Money" (S3E19).
=Submachine Guns=
==Heckler & Koch MP5A3==
Numerous Heckler & Koch MP5A3s are seen throughout the series. These are wielded by police tactical officers and government agents, as well as military and black-ops personnel. Almost all MP5A3s seen in Season 3 are fitted with the H&K proprietary flash-hider. Starting in "Nisei" (S3E09), the MP5A3s are fitted with Surefire 628 tactical forearms, and some are also fitted with laser sights, notably the MP5s wielded by FBI tactical agents in "Pusher" (S3E17).
==Heckler & Koch MP5K (Mocked up Kimel AP-9)==
What appear to be Heckler & Koch MP5Ks are seen used by government agents and military/black-ops personnel. In reality, these are not real MP5Ks; but rather mock-ups built on the bolt carrier and magazine well of a Kimel AP-9, because the armorers in British Columbia did not have genuine MP5Ks during the 1990s. The same guns have also appeared in the film Crying Freeman and the series M.A.N.T.I.S. and The Outer Limits. These weapons were used in several episodes, notably by black-ops soldiers in "Nisei" (S3E09).
==Ruger MP9==
The Ruger MP9 appears frequently in the hands of black ops soldiers and operatives in Season 3.
thumb|none|325px|Ruger MP9 - 9x19mm
==Micro Uzi==
Some syndicate/black ops mercenaries are seen with Micro Uzis in Season 3. Micro Uzis are also carried by the French secret service agents in "Piper Maru" (S3E15). These weapons all appear to have side-folding stocks and the 'bent' trigger guards.
thumb|none|325px|IMI Micro Uzi with bent trigger guard - 9x19mm
==Calico M955A==
Calico M955As are seen throughout the earlier era show in the hands of military personnel and covert/black ops agents. It is notably seen wielded by black ops units in "Paper Clip" (S3E02) and "Apocrypha" (S3E16).
==Heckler & Koch MP5A2==
A fixed-stock Heckler & Koch MP5A2 is briefly seen used by a black ops soldier in "The Blessing Way" (S3E01) and another is seen in the hands of a Syndicate operative in "Apocrypha" (S3E16).
thumb|none|400px|Heckler & Koch MP5A2 with early "slimline" handguard - 9x19mm
==MAC-10==
MAC-10s are seen wielded by black ops soldiers in "Apocrypha" (S3E16).
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=Rifles / Carbines=
==Colt Model 715 / Olympic Arms K4B==
Due to the series' filming in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for the first five seasons, most of the M16-type rifles seen throughout this period were Colt Model 715s, or, more likely, the Olympic Arms K4B equivalent, which seems to be favored by the Canadian armorers. These weapons generally appeared in the hands of US military personnel as an M16A2 stand-in, notably soldiers guarding what appears to be a salvaged spacecraft in "Nisei" (S3E09) and soldiers forming a death squad in "731" (S3E10). In "Pusher" (S3E17), several FBI tactical agents also wield these rifles.
==Colt AR-15 SP1 (Mocked Up as M16A2)==
Throughout the show, especially in earlier seasons, US military personnel are armed with Colt AR-15 SP1 rifles fitted with M16A1-style flash hiders as well as M16A2-style hand guards, standing in for the M16A2 service rifles that the soldiers should be using in real life. You can tell because the receivers of the guns don't have the "fencing" around the magazine release, plus they lack the A2-style rear sights, shell deflectors, and forward assists. These are not seen fired, but they can be full auto conversions since armorers in both Canada and the US picked up many SP1 conversions during the 1970s and 1980s.
==XM177 (Mock-ups)==
XM177-style carbines are introduced in Season 3, first seen briefly used by some of the black ops soldiers in "731" (S3E10), but most notably used by many of the FBI SWAT agents throughout "Pusher" (S3E17). All of them seem to be mocked up from other various AR-15 carbines (some have SP1 upper receivers, others have A1-style, and still others have the A1E1 style), as per the norm with XM177s in the vast majority of films and television.
thumb|none|600px|An XM177 mockup seen just briefly in the hands of one of the black ops soldiers in "731" (S3E10).
==Colt AR-15A2 Custom==
In "Pusher" (S3E17), an FBI SWAT sniper carries a 24" barrel Colt AR-15A2 rifle fitted with a free-floating hand guard, bipod, and scope. This rifle has also appeared in other movies and TV shows filmed in British Columbia, including Dreamcatcher (where it was carried by Morgan Freeman) and several episodes of The Outer Limits.
==Remington 700PSS==
Another FBI sharpshooter is seen with a Remington 700PSS in the season finale "Talitha Cumi" (S3E24). This rifle is also briefly seen in the hands of a police sniper in "Pusher" (S3E17).
==M14==
An M14 Rifle is seen amongst the weapons wielded by the black ops soldiers in "731" (S3E10).
=Shotguns=
==Remington 870==
Remington 870s are wielded by police officers and and government agents throughout the series. 870s are also seen rarely in the hands of black ops soldiers. Both standard variants and variants with mounted forend weaponlights are seen.
===Remington 870 Shorty Custom===
Customized Remington 870s are seen wielded by several FBI agents conducting an entry and arrest near the beginning of "Grotesque" (S3E14). The shotguns feature short barrels and forends with Butler Creek tactical synthetic loop pump-grips, forend mounted weaponslights, pistol grips with full buttstocks, as well as heatshields over the barrels and door-breaching muzzle brakes. Though some of these features are not clearly seen, they match those of custom Remington 870s that have appeared in the films Timecop, Crying Freeman, and several other movies and TV shows filmed in British Columbia. One of these shotguns also previously appeared in the first season, lacking the weaponlight and full stock.
==Mossberg 500 Bullpup==
Black ops units and other government agents are seen with Mossberg 500 Bullpup shotguns throughout the series.
thumb|none|400px|Mossberg 500 Bullpup - 12 Gauge
==Over/Under Double Barreled Shotgun==
An Over & Under 12-Gauge Double Barrel Shotgun with dual triggers is used by a housewife to kill what she perceives to be her cheating husband in "Wetwired" (S3E23). The weapon appears to be similar to (if not the same as) an O/U shotgun used in Season 1. Another O/U shotgun is seen wielded by Owen Jarvis (Michael Berryman) in "Revelations" (S3E11).
==Ithaca 37 "Stakeout" (Custom)==
A custom Ithaca 37 "Stakeout" with a chrome finish on the magazine tube and an MP5K-style pump-grip is briefly glimpsed in the hands of FBI agents in "Grotesque" (S3E14) and "Pusher" (S3E17). This gun can also be seen in several episodes of the television series Supernatural, Human Target, Painkiller Jane, and several other TV shows filmed in British Columbia. Here the gun only has the mag tube chromed, while in the other appearances both barrel and tube are chromed (the additional chroming of the weapon likely occurred later).
==Franchi PA3/215==
A Franchi PA3/215 is wielded by a black ops soldier in "The Blessing Way" (S3E01). 
==Ithaca 37 'Featherlight'==
What appears to be an Ithaca 37 "Featherlight", the field-variant of the shotgun, is seen wielded by high-school principal Bob Spitz (Garry Davey) heading a mob in "Syzygy" (S3E13).
==USAS-12 CQ==
What appear to be USAS-12 Shotguns are seen wielded by some of the black ops soldiers guarding what appears to be a recovered UFO in "Nisei" (S3E09).
==Franchi SPAS-12==
What appears to be a Franchi SPAS-12 is very briefly seen in the hands of one of the black ops soldiers searching for Mulder in "Nisei" (S3E09).
==Sawed-Off Side-by-Side Shotgun==
A Sawed-Off Side-by-Side Double Barrel Shotgun with exposed hammers is seen wielded under a table by illicit salvage dealer Jeraldine Kallenchuk (Jo Bates) in "Piper Maru" (S3E15).
==Police Station Shotguns==
In "Syzygy" (S3E13), several various pump-action shotguns are seen on a rack in a police station. Near the conclusion of the episode, several of them unexpectedly and inexplicably discharge (this is due to uncontrolled telekinesis emanating from two teenagers detained at the station).
=Machine Guns=
==Browning M2HB==
A Browning M2HB heavy machine gun is seen mounted on an M35A2 truck at the beginning of "731" (S3E10).
=Trivia - Gun Cleaning Sequence=
In "War of the Coprophages" (S3E12), Scully is seen clearing her S&W 5906. A rarity in most films and TV shows, this is the first time in the series such an action is performed on-screen by one of the main actors (One of only two times, in fact - The second would occur in Season 8).
=See Also=
Category:Television
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:Mystery
Category:Detective