The AR-15 is a highly recognized rifle and has been featured in several movies going as far back as 1964 in the film Seven Days in May featuring actor Andrew Duggan as CCOL William “Mutt” Henderson This film is a thriller/drama adapted from a novel of the same name and is basically a highly dramatized story about a rogue United States General attempting to overthrow the president of the United States. Beyond that, Seven Days in May could quite possibly be the very first on-screen depiction of the AR-15/M-16 line of rifles. Originally designed by Eugene Stoner in the 1950s, the rifle was adopted by the US military in the 1960s and has since become popular in America as probably the most common armament of the law-abiding US Citizen.
The AR-15 has appeared in numerous movies since its introduction as a US service weapon including popular films like James Bond: Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Soylent Green (1973), Zardoz (1974), Apocalypse Now (1979), Commando (1985) Die Hard (1988), and of course more modern hit movies like the very popular Matrix trilogy of films. The AR-15 is so ubiquitous in film and television that you could probably write an entire encyclopedia of its various appearances as either itself or some theorized or made-up firearm designed specifically for its film or movie.
One recent example of this is the 2021 film The Tomorrow War in which nearly the entirety of the “good guys” in the film uses one of the oddest styles of dressed-up AR-15s I think I’ve ever seen on screen. The build features a very specific build that many people have attempted to replicate purely for aesthetics because from my standpoint the furniture and the way the rifle is set up just don’t make any sense - just take a look at the aftermarket parts list for this SBR from the film:
“Fitted with HERA Arms CQR furniture,10.3" Geissele URG-I Upper with MK16 Rail, Bravo Company BCM4 Lower, BCM Gunfighter Mod 1 SOPMOD Stock, Trijicon MRO red dot sights on Geissele super precision mounts, a Streamlight Protac weapon lights, Magpul PMAGs, MS3 strap slings, Insight AN/PEQ-15, and Rugged Micro 30 7.62 Suppressor”
In movies, the AR-15 is shown to be a reliable and efficient weapon capable of taking down enemies with ease but to be honest it’s largely dependent on the plot and who is holding the rifle. Dramatized modern war films that feature the rifle like Black Hawk Down, 13 Hours, and Zero Dark Thirty, all provide a way more realistic depiction of how the rifle is actually used - i.e. not constantly fired in full-auto like in action movies. One notable exception to this is perhaps in the highly popular bank-heist film Heat in which one of the robbers delivers full-auto covering fire with a Colt Model 733, then executes what some have said is the picture-perfect reload for the rifle, and then gets back to covering his fellow robbers.
The AR-15 is a popular rifle that has featured prominently in movies for many years. While its depictions in movies will vary depending on the film, by in large it is featured more often than you think since the AR-15 platform has so many slight variations and adaptations, and as we’ve seen it can even be dressed up enough to look like something completely different to fit a more futuristic or sci-fi setting. What are some of your favorite depictions of AR-15 rifles in television or film? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you!
