Space: Above and Beyond

thumb|right|300px|Space: Above and Beyond (1995-1996)
Space: Above and Beyond was a science fiction television series set during an interstellar war between humans and a mysterious alien race only known as the "Chigs". The series was seen through the eyes of young aviators who are part of the "Wild Cards", a space fighter squadron in the US Marine Corps. The pilot episode was filmed in Australia with locations in Queensland (e.g Warner Bros. Movie World Studios and the Bond University campus on the Gold Coast) and New South Wales (e.g. RAAF Williamtown air base for the USMC air base and Stockton, NSW for the Mars scenes) being used for the production. After the pilot episode was made, production was relocated to Southern California for the remainder of the series. The majority of the human weapons seen in the series were either readily identifiable firearms or were visually modified to resemble futuristic weapons. The series, which aired in the US on the FOX network from 1995 to 1996, was created by James Wong and Glen Morgan, a writing duo just coming off the series The X-Files and would later co-create the Final Destination movie series. 
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=Rifles=
==M590 Assault Rifle (Modified Ruger Mini-14)==
The Primary weapon of the USMC in the future (mid/late 21st century) is the fictional 'M590 Assault Rifle'. The real firearm was a Ruger Mini-14 hidden in a custom fabricated shell. In the show, the Marines only fired the weapon in semiautomatic, so the rifles inside were most likely Mini-14s only, and not AC556s. This prop rifle would later be reused in The X-Files - specifically the Season 7 episode "First Person Shooter" - as one of the many weapons available to game players in the virtual reality game of the episode's name, and also appeared in the videogame Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun as GDI's M16 Mk 2 Pulse Rifle.
thumb|none|450px|Artists rendition of the M590 Assault Rifle
thumb|none|450px|The Marines aboard an APC with their M590s
thumb|none|450px|Lt. Nathan West (Morgan Weisser), Captain Shane Vansen (Kristen Cloke), and Lt. Cooper Hawkes (Rodney Rowland), pose with their M590 Assault Rifles
thumb|none|450px|Another promo shot of West, Vansen and Hawkes with their M590 Assault Rifles
==Steyr AUG==
The Steyr AUG was used by various characters throughout the series.
thumb|none|600px|Lt. Col. T.C. McQueen (James Morrison) captures a Steyr AUG from a slain Silicate Soldier in Season 1, Episode 9: "Choice or Chance"
==Heckler & Koch SR9T Sniper Rifle==
A Faux SR9 is used by Cooper Hawkes on a solo covert ops mission. The butt of the rifle gives away the fact its a "Faux" SR9.
thumb|400px|none|Heckler & Koch SR9(T). This is a 'faux' SR9(T) movie gun converted from an HK91, with an SG/1 style butt stock (instead of the correct MSG90 style) and PSG trigger pack - 7.62x51mm
=Handguns=
==M70 Pistol (modified Glock 17L)==
The primary sidearm of the Space Marines is the fictional M70 Pistol, which was in reality a Glock 17L with an extended threaded barrel with an AR15 birdcage flash hider attached, along with some other clever additions to mask the gun's identity. The first appearance was orange instead of OD Green with a light inside the flash hider, it was used as a training gun attached to a VR video game/training simulator used by Hawkes in episode 2.
thumb|none|450px|A VR version of the M70 being used by Hawkes
thumb|none|450px|Lt. Vanessa Damphousse (Lanei Chapman) holds her M70 Pistol
==Desert Eagle==
Lt. Colonel T.C. McQueen (James Morrison) is seen in several episodes carrying a Desert Eagle pistol (caliber unknown). It also appears to have been intended to be the original sidearm since Cooper Hawkes can be seen with a Desert Eagle handgun in the Pilot episode when he pointed it at the head of a captured Chig pilot, and one of the other Marines in the third episode was carrying one.
thumb|400px|none|Desert Eagle MK VII - .357 Magnum. The most commonly seen Desert Eagle pistol in films before 1999.
thumb|none|500px|Lt. Hawkes holds a Desert Eagle Pistol to a Chig's head
thumb|none|500px|Silicate Elroy-El (Doug Hutchison) holds a Desert Eagle Pistol
thumb|none|500px|Marine carries a Desert Eagle
thumb|none|500px|T.C. McQueen carries a Desert Eagle
==Sphinx AT 2000==
In the episode, "Choice or Chance", Silicate pleasure model Feliciti OH (Ashlyn Gere) uses a two toned Sphinx AT 2000 pistol.
thumb|none|600px|Silicate Feliciti OH (Ashlyn Gere) offers her Sphinx AT 2000 Pistol to shoot Vansen in "Choice or Chance".
=Submachine Guns=
==Heckler & Koch MP5SD==
The Heckler & Koch MP5SD was used by the Marines in a night time covert ops mission. The MP5SD3 was also used by the Silicates on numerous occasions.
==MAC-10==
The MAC-10 was used by Silicates at the mining facility (Season 1, Episode 4)
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==Heckler & Koch MP5K==
The Heckler & Koch MP5K was used by various characters.
thumb|none|600px|The MP5K was used by Silicate soldiers in Season 1, Episode 9: "Choice or Chance". On the left, a Silicate guard in the prison facility carries an MP5K and has a second one tucked in his waist band.
thumb|none|600px|In Season 1, Episode 9: "Choice or Chance" all of the 'wildcards' use and carry MP5Ks. On the left, Lt. Cooper Hawkes (Rodney Rowland) fires an MP5K on semi auto only at pursuing Silicate Guards. On the right Lt. Shane Vansen (Kristen Cloke) carries an MP5K during her escape. Using full auto weapons on Semi auto fire only (to conserve ammunition) when you have only one loaded magazine, is a nice bit of realism that is rarely seen in movies or television.
==Heckler & Koch MP5A3==
A Heckler & Koch MP5A3 is seen in the Pilot episode in the hands of the Security personnel when they searched the Telus colony spacecraft before the launch.
thumb|none|400px|Heckler & Koch MP5A3 9mm
=Futuristic Weapons=
==Rocket Launcher==
A rocket launcher, that vaguely resembles a Armbrust ATW, was seen in several episodes. It first appeared in episode 3 when a pissed Vansen shot down a Silicate ship that was trying to escape.
thumb|none|450px|Vansen with a Rocket Launcher
thumb|none|450px|Preparing to fire
==Chig Battle Axe/Rifle combo==
Fictional 'firearm' developed entirely from fibreglass and is not based on a live firearm - fired electronically initiated 9mm blank ammunition.
thumb|none|450px|Chig Warrior (Kristian Sorensen) with his fictional weapon
Category:Television
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:War