Harsh Times

Harsh Times is a 2005 crime film that marked the feature film directorial debut of David Ayer (the writer of Training Day). The film stars Christian Bale as a U.S. Army Ranger who returns from the War in Afghanistan to his Los Angeles, California neighborhood with the intention on becoming a Los Angeles police officer. When the plan doesn't work out the way he hoped, he finds that circumstances cause his life to begin to spiral out of control. The film co-starred Eva Longoria and Freddy Rodriguez.
The following guns were used in the movie Harsh Times:
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=Handguns=
==Smith & Wesson 5904 (late model)==
Throughout the movie, Jim uses a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol which changes models repeatedly, depending on the scene. When he uses the S&W to rob Flaco (Noel Gugliemi) and his crew, it is a newer-model Smith & Wesson 5904 with a rounded trigger guard and the Novak-type sights. However, at the end of the film, it clearly has the standard iron type sights and right side-only safety, which would make it a Smith & Wesson 915. Also, when Jim points the gun at Mike, it seems to have the squared trigger guard of the older-model 5904. In other words, at least three different guns are used to represent Jim's pistol.
thumb|none|300px|Late Model Smith & Wesson 5904 - 9x19mm
==Smith & Wesson 5904 (early model)==
When Jim gets angry and points the gun at Mike, his late-model 5904 changes into an early model 5904, noted by its squared, contoured trigger guard. The early model 5904 pistols had the "finger-step" trigger guard, but S&W changed it to the rounded trigger guard for 'ease of production'. 
thumb|none|300px|Early Model Smith & Wesson 5904 - 9x19mm
==Smith & Wesson 915==
At the end of the film, when Jim draws the S&W on Flaco again, and later when Mike uses it, instead of a 5904 like he usually carries, it is shown to be a Smith & Wesson 915. This model is similar to the 5904, but the decocker is not ambidextrous and the sights are standard iron sights rather than the Novak type. It is unclear if this is supposed to be one of Jim's other guns or a stand-in gun that was seen in a continuity error. This is likely caused by the fact that this movie had at least three different armorers (according to IMDB), all of whom likely worked on different scenes and brought different guns to the set during filming.
==Ruger KP94==
When Jim and Mike rob Flaco and his crew, they take a brown paper lunch bag containing a Ruger KP94 pistol and a BB pistol. After this, Jim and Mike spend much of the film driving around and trying to sell the gun to various gang members, cops, and other such characters for $300. Jim even refers to the gun as a "Ruger P94" repeatedly throughout the film whenever he's trying to sell it to people. He also says it's a "good fuckin' gun" when he first takes it out of the bag. Other characters through the film, likewise, praise the Ruger as a good gun, including Darrel (Terry Crews), who calls it a "nice little machine".
==Beretta 92FS==
Early in the film, in his military flashback dreams, Jim kills a Taliban militant with a Beretta 92FS, standing in for the Army-issue M9 pistol. The Beretta 92FS is also used by the cops who pull Jim and Mike over while they're driving around with open alcohol containers and guns in their car. Very accurate, as at the time the 92FS was the standard-issue sidearm of the LAPD. 
==Heckler & Koch USP Tactical==
Early in the film, while Jim and Mike are leaving a Korean-owned convenience store after buying beers and cigarettes, they see a gang member run by shooting at another gang member. The owner of the convenience store comes out with a Heckler & Koch USP Tactical after hearing the disturbance. (It should be noted that the USP Tactical would be banned in California, where the movie takes place, because the threaded barrel would classify the gun as an "assault weapon" under California's gun laws). 
==Colt Python==
When Jim confronts Flaco at the end of the film, Flaco draws a 4" Colt Python on him.
=Rifles=
==M4A1 carbine==
When Jim Davis (Christian Bale) is having military flashbacks to his days as a U.S. Army Ranger in Afghanistan, many of the Rangers in the flashbacks are armed with M4A1 carbines. All the M4A1s are fitted with RIS fore-grips, Aimpoint M68 scopes, AN/PEQ-2 IR designators, and tactical flashlights.
==Colt Model 933==
During Jim's military flashback, Jim is armed with a Colt Model 933 fitted with forward hand grip, Aimpoint CompM2 red dot sight, AN/PEQ-2 IR designator, and tactical flashlight. He uses it with great effect to clear out an Afghan trench by himself. It is worth noting that the M933 has not been used by USSOCOM; its appearance here is likely intended as a stand-in for either the M4A1 or Mk 18 Mod 0. 
==Norinco Type 56==
The Taliban fighters who get killed by Jim and his fellow Rangers are armed with AK-type assault rifles. Based on the wood pistol grip, these AKs are likely the Chinese Norinco Type 56, the most common AK variant seen in movies and TV shows (and the most common AK-type rifle used by the Taliban in real life).
=Shotguns=
==SWD/Cobray Street Sweeper==
At the end of the film, when Jim and Mike flee the scene where Flaco is shot, another drug dealer comes out of the house nearby and fires at their car with an SWD/Cobray Street Sweeper cylinder shotgun. A noticeable goof is that the foley editor added the sounds of a pump-action shotgun being cocked every time the weapon is fired, even though the Street Sweeper is a semi-automatic shotgun.
=Machine Guns=
==RPK==
An RPK-type light machine gun with what appears to be a drum magazine is visible in the scene where Jim and his fellow Rangers are engaging Taliban militants, but it is not seen clearly enough to be sure. This is likely a Chinese RPK copy with a 21-inch barrel. 
==M249 SAW==
Another weapon which Jim sees in his Afghanistan flashbacks is the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW).
=Launchers=
==Type 69 RPG==
A Type 69 RPG (the Chinese copy of the RPG-7) is visible in the scene where Jim is fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is not seen clearly, but the weapon seems to have the thicker heat shield of the Type 69.
Category:Movie
Category:Crime
Category:David Ayer