One day, while doomscrolling my seemingly endless options for movies thanks to streaming TV, I settled on the movie S.W.A.T. from 2003. S.W.A.T. is based on the 1970s TV series and is connected to the 8-season run starting in 2017. I hadn’t seen the film since it premiered, and after rewatching it, I realized it’s a total vibe of the era.
2003 was early GWOT (Global War on Terrorism), and the firearms of the era were advancing rapidly. Things like flat-top uppers weren’t common yet. Rails on pistols and weapon-mounted lights had gained steam, but it wasn’t the massive market we see today.
Firearms from the Movie S.W.A.T.
The film S.W.A.T. perfectly encapsulates this era of firearms, where people had the same needs we have, but were forced to make do with what they had, and they depended on a few select companies. Let’s look at the film S.W.A.T. and its awesome armory of weapons.
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Kimber Custom TLE II
The film tried to be accurate to the weapons and tactics used by LAPD S.W.A.T., and the Kimber Custom TLE II was the gun of choice for the LAPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team. In the film, it’s the sidearm wielded by the team. Their guns are fitted with Surefire 310R weaponlights.
These 1911s didn’t have rails, so the lights were mounted to the frame through a bolt. Surefire initially designed these lights at the behest of a police officer from Newport Beach. These lights weren’t all that powerful, and while big, they only cast 20 lumens of light with an effective range of about five yards.
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This gun meshed new with old to present an effective modern firearm for a special team of elite police officers.
SIG P220 Sport
I’ve left off the bad guy guns for the most part. They are an odd mix of different guns, but I want to mention the ‘villain’ gun. A turncoat former S.W.A.T. officer played by a young Jeremy Renner carries a SIG P220 Sport as he works against the team. I’m mentioning this gun because it’s so damn cool.
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The Sport series of SIG P series guns were popular in the early 2000s, especially in movies. The Sport models were named as such due to the frame-mounted compensator. It’s extremely distinct, and when mounted on a stainless steel pistol, the P220 Sport is a massive gun that works well as a stand-out villain gun. I’m still dreaming of getting my hands on a Sport series SIG.
MP5A2
2003 was an interesting time. We hadn’t quite moved totally away from the submachine gun for the short carbine. That train was coming, but hadn’t arrived on the tracks yet.
In S.W.A.T., several members of the team are toting MP5A2s. The MP5 series of submachine guns has a long history with police forces, including the LAPD. The MP5A2 features the fixed stock, which is really the most comfortable option with these guns.
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The MP5 series was famously easy to control, lightweight, and incredibly maneuverable. They could be easily used in and out of vehicles, in close-quarters environments, and in urban combat. The roller-delayed design ensured low recoil and high reliability.
The front of the gun features a Surefire integrated forend light. This replaces the entire forend with a purpose-built model with a light that extends just past the barrel. These were high speed for the era and represent an era before rails were stuck on everything, and attaching lights was as easy as turning a screwdriver.
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M4A1
The M4A1s used in the film are probably the most advanced weapons. The M4 series helped usher in a new era of CQB weapons. The lightweight, short design made them appropriate for the close-quarters work a S.W.A.T. team had to conduct. What made them better than an MP5 was the 5.56 round.
It’s much more capable than any pistol round and was a more reliable man-stopper. The cartridge could also pierce through hard barriers and certain types of body armor with greater effectiveness than a 9mm round. While they were well-suited for CQB, they also offered individual officers a longer effective range.
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The M4A1 in S.W.A.T. is dressed up to the gills. It features a Surefire M500AB integrated forend light. This system replaced your two-piece handguard on a carbine with a two-piece handguard with integrated light and controls. These are carry-handle uppers in the film, but the officers field Trijicon TA47 ACOGs, making them extremely modern.
Benelli M1 Super 90
I couldn’t end this article without mentioning the single shotgun used by the film’s S.W.A.T. team, used by L.L. Cool J. His gun of choice is the inertia-operated 12-gauge Benelli M1 Super 90. His gun uses the fancy tactical pistol grip stock and two side saddles for spare ammo. One sits on the left side of the receiver, and the other sits on the right side of the stock.
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The Benelli M1 Super 90 is an incredibly reliable shotgun, and in 2003, it would be a little out of date. By then, Benelli had its successor, the M2, and the M4 was the combat shotgun of choice for the United States military. Still, it’s a great shotgun and a dependable option.
Like most of the other guns in S.W.A.T., this one features an integrated forend that mounts a light. This is likely a 617, but I believe Surefire made a few of these. Sadly, I’m not an expert enough to tell from the few views we get of the gun and Surefire forend.
S.W.A.T. and Style
S.W.A.T. is a fun flick. It’s one of those early 2000s movies that feels overly stylized, but it’s still a lot of fun. The actors clearly went through a little training and weapon handling. They look good, and the plot is interesting and somewhat unique. It’s a fun flick, but the real highlight is that early 2000s vibe with the weapons and gear.
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