Tears of the Sun

Tears of the Sun is a 2003 American action film starring Bruce Willis as Lieutenant A.K. Waters, a US Navy SEAL commander who leads his team into Nigeria during a coup to extract Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci), an American doctor. When she goes with the team to the extraction site along with 80 refugees from her village, Lena discovers that the SEALs' mission is only to take her. After a change of heart, Waters and his SEAL team then become determined to get the doctor and the refugees to the Cameroon border before the rebel militants can find them. The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua and retired Navy SEAL Harry Humphries served as the chief military technical advisor.
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=Pistols=
==Heckler & Koch Mark 23==
The pistol designed especially for US SOCOM, the Heckler & Koch Mark 23 is seen used by several Navy SEALs, including LT A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis), Ellis 'Zee' Pettigrew (Eamonn Walker), James 'Red' Atkins (Cole Hauser), Jason 'Flea' Mabry (Chad Smith), Kelly Lake (Johnny Messner), and Michael 'Slo' Slowenski (Nick Chinlund). In reality, however, the Mark 23 was not well received by anyone in the Special Operations community due to its size and weight, and there have been few, if any, documented cases of it seeing use in real combat operations.
thumb|none|450px|Heckler & Koch Mk 23 Mod 0 with (real) Knights Armament suppressor - .45 ACP
==SIG-Sauer P226==
Another real-life favored handgun of the Navy SEALs, the SIG-Sauer P226 is seen in the hands of Danny 'Doc' Kelley (Paul Francis) and Demetrius 'Silk' Owens (Charles Ingram).
==Colt M1911A1==
The Colt M1911A1 appears in the hands of two senior officers of the Nigerian rebel militants including Terwase (Peter Mensah).
==Beretta 92FS==
A Beretta 92FS is seen in the hand of a rebel sergeant.
==Walther PPK/S==
In a scene added to the extended director's cut, LT Waters leaves the priest running the hospital a Walther PPK/S, telling him he may wish to use it on himself rather than be captured by the rebels. It cannot be a PP because its slide is much too short. Judging by the length of the grip, it cannot be a PPK either.
=Rifles / Carbines=
==M4A1==
LT Waters (Bruce Willis), Flea (Chad Smith), and Lake (Johnny Messner) use M4A1 Carbines as their primary weapons. Team corpsman Doc (Paul Francis) and radioman Zee (Eamonn Walker) also have accessorized M4 carbines (with M203 grenade launchers mounted). Flea has a Combat Military Optics LTD Marksman Series Model 100 scope on the carry handle, a cheek pad on the stock, a suppressor, and a custom paintjob of green and black. Flea and Lake have suppressors on their carbines. Both Lake and LT Waters have Aimpoint CompM2 red dot sights fitted on their weapons. When the team first arrives in Africa, their M4A1s are fitted with PVS-14 night-vision scopes which are removed once morning arrives. LT Waters' also has a D-LAP laser sight, essentially a more compact PEQ-2A. It is worth noting that they use the correct, modern flash hiders rather than the A1 style used on so many movie M4A1s and M16A2s.
==Springfield M1A==
A Springfield M1A with an aftermarket scope mount is carried and used throughout the film by Silk (Charles Ingram). It is covered in heavy custom camo and mounts a Leupold & Stevens Mark 4 LR/T 10x40 M1 rifle scope. It is noted as being of an M1A and not an M25 Sniper Rifle by the notch which would normally contain the fire-selector switch. M21/25 rifles are fitted with a selector lock, preventing the selective fire mechanism from working in anything other than semi-automatic. When the civilian M1A action is put into a military M14 stock, there is a great big empty notch in the stock where the selector lock should be.
==AKM==
The most commonly used assault rifle on the African continent, AKM rifles are seen in the hands of rebel militants and refugees.
==AK-47==
The predecessor to the AKM, the AK-47, or more simply "AK", is seen. They can be noted by their milled receivers and lack of slanted muzzle brakes. Some may be Norinco Type 56 rifles. Carried and used by rebel militants, refugees and Doc (Paul Francis), who took it from a dead militant. He is never seen using it, but after the village raid, he most likely gave it to a refugee, as they acquired a lot of them then.
==AKMSU==
A few rebel soldiers are seen wielding the AKMSU.
==M16A2==
A few of the Marines disembarking the helicopter at the beginning of the film are carrying M16A2 rifles, as well as a few Marines at the end of the film.
==FN FAL==
Actual footage of the violence in Africa shown in the beginning of the film shows several government soldiers carrying FN FAL rifles.
thumb|none|450px|FN FAL 50.63 Paratrooper with 18" barrel - 7.62x51mm NATO
==Norinco Type 56-1==
The Norinco Type 56 is used by several rebel soldiers. Some are full-stocked variants while others are under-folding stocked Type 56-1s.
thumb|none|450px|Norinco Type 56-1 (under-folding stock variant) - 7.62x39mm
==Karabiner 98k==
What appears to be a WWII-vintage Karabiner 98k is seen in the hands of at least two militants. They are never given explicit detail, sadly.
==SKS==
Several rebels and refugees are seen carrying SKS rifles.
==L1A1==
At the end of the film, one of the Cameroon border guards can be briefly seen armed with an L1A1 SLR instead of an AK variant.
thumb|none|600px|A Cameroon border guard behind Captain Bill Rhodes (Tom Skerritt) brandishes an L1A1 rifle.
==M16A1==
M16A1 rifles are held by Nigerian soldiers in the opening scene of the director's cut of the film.
thumb|600px|none|Nigerian soldiers with Vietnam-era M16A1 rifles.
thumb|600px|none|Nigerian soldiers standing guard with M16A1s.
thumb|600px|none|Nigerian soldiers standing guard over the President and his family.
=Machine Guns=
==M249 SAW Paratrooper==
Slo (Nick Chinlund), the team's designated heavy-gunner and tech-guy is seen with a paratrooper model of the M249 SAW throughout the film. Silk (Charles Ingram) later uses the weapon during the climax firefight.
==Mk 43 Mod 0==
Red (Cole Hauser), the team’s designated heavy-gunner is seen armed with a Mk 43 Mod 0 throughout the film. Doc (Paul Francis) wields the weapon when Red runs to set-up a Claymore. A Marine who accompanies Captain Bill Rhodes (Tom Skerritt) also wields an Mk 43.
==M60D==
The M60D machine gun is seen mounted on SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, but it is never fired.
==DShK==
A DShK heavy machine gun is seen on a mounted platform of a flatbed truck. It’s hard to determine if this is a genuine DShK or a Browning M2 mocked-up as a DShK.
==FN MAG 58==
Seen in the actual footage at the beginning of the film, a government soldier is seen with what looks to be a FN MAG 58.
==RPD==
A rebel is seen with an RPD light machine gun.
=Shotguns=
==Remington 870==
The team’s forward scout, Lake (Johnny Messner) carries a Remington 870 in addition to his M4A1. The shotgun is equipped with an extended magazine tube, a side saddle shell holder, and a "duckbill" muzzle attachment (designed to make the shot spray into a horizontal pattern). The team’s designated marksman, Flea (Chad Smith), takes the shotgun after Lake is shot, but the weapon was dropped and Flea switches back to his M4A1.
thumb|none|450px|Remington 870 with synthetic furniture and extended magazine tube - 12 Gauge
=Submachine Guns=
==Uzi==
A rebel soldier standing on a flatbed truck appears to be armed with a full size Uzi before he is taken out.
=Launchers=
==M203 Grenade Launcher==
The team's corpsman, Doc, and radioman, Zee, both carry M4A1 Carbines with M203 grenade launchers mounted.
==M72 LAW==
The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) is carried by Silk (Charles Ingram) and Slo (Nick Chinlund). The launchers are fired by Lake (Johnny Messner) and Flea (Chad Smith).
==Type 69 RPG==
The Chinese-replica Type 69 RPG is seen in the hands of several rebels throughout the film, fitted with the PGO-7 scope.
=Others=
==M67 Hand Grenade==
All of the SEALs carry and use M67 hand grenades throughout the mission.
==M18 Smoke Grenade==
The team use a yellow M18 smoke grenade to signal the landing zone for their extraction. It is later found by the pursuing rebel forces.
==M18A1 Claymore==
The team’s demolition man, Red (Cole Hauser), carries three M18A1 Claymores into the field with him. He uses two to ambush the rebels and later uses the last one to hold back enemy troops.
==M61 Vulcan==
At the climax of the film, a pair of F/A-18A Hornets are launched to provide close air support for the SEALs, armed with M61 Vulcans as secondary armament, though the Hornets engage the rebels with air-to-ground missiles instead of their guns.
thumb|none|600px|As an F/A-18A Hornet launches from the carrier USS John C. Stennis, the firing port for the M61 Vulcan is visible near the nose of the aircraft.
Category:Movie
Category:War
Category:Action
Category:Thriller
Category:Antoine Fuqua