Guns of the Terminal List: We Go Through All of Them

Shows like the Terminal List often get such high praise because of the effort they make in getting things right. The Terminal List had to face double the trouble by not only adapting a book to a film but adapting a book written by a SEAL who is quite specific in his terminology, weaponry, tactics, and gear. If they didn’t take the time and put in the work, the audience this show attracts would notice. 

Luckily, they put in the time and the work, and they got it right. They got a lot right, in fact. Today we are looking at the guns and what they got right when it came to weaponry. Specifically the small arms of the hero, his allies, and of course, his enemies. Let’s dig into the Terminal List and see talk about the weaponry. 

We’ve broken it down into a few categories to make things easier to follow and easier to digest.

The Firearms of James Reece

Reece might be a SEAL, but his weapons aren’t pulled from the armory. Instead, they are taken from his home gun safe. He’s clearly a gun nerd, and his selections are believable. In fact, the only thing that is not believable about his gear and guns is that they are California legal!

Rifle – BCM Recce-14 SX4

BCM makes hard-use, duty-ready rifles that are for serious users, which makes it a great choice for Reece. The Recce-14 series utilize 14.5-inch government profile barrels with free-floated handguards. This particular model uses a 13-inch M-LOK rail, BCM stock, and pistol grip with a Magpul magazine. 

The parts and accessories utilized by Reece are fitting for a man who is familiar with firearms and their use. He uses an Aimpoint T-2 with a 3X Aimpoint magnifier, a Magpul MS4 sling, and one of the best weapon lights on the market, the Cloud Defensive OWL. Reece uses this rifle for most of the series and proves to be quite effective with it. 

It really speaks to the show’s attention to detail that Reece properly sets up his rifle, his optics, and his light. It’s all quality gear you’d expect to see on a SEAL’s rifle. 

The Other Rifle – Echols LX-1 

In the book, the Echols gets name-dropped, and it expectedly makes its way to the Terminal List series. Echols might not be a name that’s familiar to most average people. However, they are, without a doubt, one of the finest rifle makers in the country. They are a boutique firm that custom makes hand-fitted rifles for the most discerning of shooting. 

Reece uses an LX-1 in 300 Winchester Magnum as a sniper rifle a few times throughout the series. A rifle is only as good as its glass, and the presence of a Nightforce NXS scope confirms this is one helluva package. 

Handgun Glock 19 With Taran Tactical Outfit 

Reece turns to the Glock 19 when it comes to handguns. That’s pretty close to being the pumpkin spice latte of guns, but it’s no standard 19. It’s got the Taran Tactical Terminal package. The Terminal package includes a refined 3.5-pound trigger, a grip reduction, stippling on everything, and scallop cuts around the magazine release. 

It’s finished off with a carry magwell, an ISMI guide rod, and a flat coil spring that reduces recoil without affecting reliability. It’s a highly custom gun from one of the masters of custom guns. The Glock 19 is a compact 9mm that’s proven to be extremely effective and is currently in the crop of SEAL guns as the Mk 27. Reece uses it throughout the series and, at one point, even carries it in a Hill People gear rig. 

The Other Handgun Commemorative P226 Mk 25

We also see a SIG P226, specifically the Mk 25 variant. When the United States military adopted the M9 from Beretta, the SEALs went with SIG and the P226. This gun became the Mk 25 and eventually became synonymous with the SEAL teams. 

Reece owns one, and it’s a plot device. They seem to be team guns that commemorated their service as SEALs. Reece has his name and rank engraved on his, as do all the other SEALs in his platoon. 

Grenade Launcher – M79 

Reece employs an M79 grenade launcher near the end of the series. The M79 is a 40mm, single-shot grenade launcher first employed in Vietnam. While the M79 is fairly old in its design, it’s still a reliable option. SEALs employed the M79 long past its due date since it could be used separately from a rifle. 

While Reece uses a standard M79, the SEALs have famously chopped them into pistol grip-only launchers, commonly called Pirate Guns. 

Ben’s Blasters

Ben, Reece’s compatriot and ally throughout the series, mostly provides logistical support, but in a couple of episodes, he gears up and gets it done. 

Shotgun – Beretta 1301

Episode four is my favorite, and Ben brings a Beretta 1301 to the gunfight. It’s one of the most modern shotguns on the market. This semi-automatic 12 gauge uses Beretta’s BLINK system to make it one of the fastest cycling shotguns out there. Ben’s shotgun is decked out with all the modern goodies you need on a shotgun. 

This includes an Inforce light, an Aridus side saddle, Magpul furniture, and more. He uses it expertly, and it’s clear the actor trained hard with the weapon. In fact, we loved this gun so much that it got its own article. 

Check out our full Build Breakdown on this shotgun!

Sniper Rifle – Barrett M82A1

Near the end of the series, Reece launches a one-man assault against an army of mercenaries guarding the main bad guy. He goes in with his HK, and Ben provides covering fire with the Barrett M82A1. This .50 BMG is semi-auto, magazine-fed, and throws almost 700 grains of lead at bad guys. 

You don’t want to be on the other end of it. The M82A1 is used by the United States military as the Special Applications Scoped Rifle. It’s a freakin’ cannon and will chew through most basic cover and any standard body armor. 

Handgun – Glock 19X

In the same episode, we see Ben rocking and rolling with a Beretta 1301. We see that he carries a Glock 19X as his sidearm of choice. The Glock 19X was the weapon submitted for the latest military handgun trials but ultimately lost to the P320. The Glock 19X features the compact slide of the Glock 19 with the full-sized frame of the Glock 17. 

The Support Team 

Katie Buranek – Glock 43X

The Glock 43X comes from the gun safe of Reece but is given to his reporter and occasional ally, Katie Buranek. The Glock 43X is an interesting gun and a great piece for concealed carry. It’s the short Glock 43 slide mated with a longer frame to accommodate 10-round magazines. It’s a concealed carry weapon and is one well-suited for someone without a ton of firearm experience. The longer grip helps increase control, and the smaller frame makes it more comfortable to carry. 

Boozer – Kimber Warrior 

A big plot point is Boozer’s suicide. He uses a 9mm, but his preferred caliber is 45 ACP. His favorite gun is the Kimber Warrior. The Kimber Warrior is a 1911 design that features some modern touches. This includes a rail, G10 grips, tritium sights, and a few modern touches. While the gun is Boozer’s, Reece does use it in his quest for revenge. 

The SEAL Team 

At the beginning of the show, we see Reece’s platoon conduct an operation as well as a flashback to an earlier mission in Iraq. These guns are only briefly used but deserve to be mentioned. 

HK 416

The main rifle of the SEALs in the opening mission is the HK 416. This weapon uses an AR-like layout but is a short-stroke gas piston gun instead of a direct impingement system. The SEALs use short 10.4-inch barrels paired with a suppressor to form a light and handy carbine. The optic of choice is the Vortex AMG UH-1, and the rail appears to be a Geiselle design. The HK 416 was the rifle carried by SEAL Team Six when they got Osama bin Laden and has been a mainstay of elite special forces since. 

This same rifle is used by Reece in the last episode when he storms the beaches. 

M4A1

In the 2007 flashback to Iraq, the SEALs are using M4A1s which are period appropriate. The rifles wear EOTech sights as well as AN PEQ 15s and various vertical grips. A Knight’s Armament rail holds it all together, which again is appropriate for the era. Liz uses an M4A1 outfitted with an ACOG as well. The M4A1 in the Block 1 and Block 2 configurations defined Special Operations rifles at the time.  

Remington 700

When Reece flashes back to his days behind a sniper rifle, it’s a Remington 700 in an M40 configuration. Across the top is a Nightforce scope, and it’s a rifle we only see for a moment or two, but they nailed it in terms of realism in their choice of gun and optic for a SEAL sniper team. 

M249 Paratrooper 

In the first episode raid, the SEAL team carries mostly rifles, but one SEAL is rocking an M249 in a shortened paratrooper configuration. It’s an old-school paratrooper model with a wire-type stock. The more modern ones utilize an M4-style stock. The SAW Paratrooper also utilizes a shorter 16.3-inch barrel. The SAW looks to be using an Aimpoint COMP M4 across the top. 

Mk 48 Mod 0 

In the 2007 Iraq flashback, we see Ben when he was still a SEAL using a Mk 48 Mod 0. This is a 7.62x51mm machine gun that is roughly the same size as the M249 SAW. It’s much lighter than your standard medium machine gun and was designed to provide 7.62 firepower for small teams who can’t support the weight of an M240. 

The Bad Guys 

We can’t forget about the baddies! The Terminal List has plenty, and they generally act as fodder for Reece to cut his way through. 

AKM – Sicarios and Terrorists 

If there was a ‘bad guy’ gun in film and media, it would be the AKM series of rifles. Internationally the AKM is widely produced by a number of companies and was produced in the many millions by the Soviet Union. This long-stroke gas-operated rifle fires an intermediate round known as the 7.62×39 and is a simple and reliable weapon. The weapon pops up in the hands of both the terrorists in the first episode and in the hands of the sicarios in episode 4. 

Read our article on 7 Best AK47 Rifles under $1000.

PKM – Terrorists 

The PKM is a medium machine gun designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov as a general-purpose machine gun. It fires the 7.62x54R round that’s been in service since 1891. It’s a belt-fed machine gun that’s essentially an AK rifle flipped upside down and is a belt-fed machine gun. It’s seen in use by the terrorists in the first episode. 

Fancy 1911s – Sicarios 

Mexico is a beautiful country with great people, excellent food, and beautiful landscapes…sadly Reece doesn’t get to spend much time exploring Mexico. Instead, he gets to deal with Mexican cartel members that murdered his family. A few of those sicarios carry blinged-out 1911s that are stainless or chrome finished with plenty of fancy engravings. It’s an old-school gun that puts the sicarios on their heels when faced with modern firearms and tactics. 

We have a full article on our Favorite 1911s

Horn – Noveske N4 CQB

Steve Horn is that guy. The guy who wants to be in the military wants to be an operator but never has the gall to do it. He has the money to buy the gear and guns and hire real operators and does just that. He even has a shoot house to train in. We see him training with a Noveske N4 CQB rifle. The N4 CQB rifles are ultra-short AR-15 type carbines designed for clearing rooms and close-quarters combat. Noveske makes some of the best rifles on the market, and they command a high price. It’s a fancy rifle for a guy who would never have the balls to use it. 

Holder – SIG P229R 

NCIS Agent Holder is a scummy gun for hire with a badge. He’s armed with a P229R, which is the actual firearm carried and issued to NCIS agents. It’s a very modern pistol in many ways, but it is also an all-metal weapon, which is rare these days. NCIS still carried the 40 S&W cartridge, which the P229 was designed for. 

Hartley – P365 

Spoilers, but Hartley isn’t the good guy she appears to be. She only uses a gun once, and it’s to take her own life. The gun is a P365 sitting in her drawer, but in an odd continuity error, it becomes a Glock 43X in one scene. The P365 notably has some custom grip work done to it that is easy to notice. 

The Cops

Reece isn’t seen as a hero in the world of the show but as a violent, unhinged SEAL. This means he’s being pursued by the police, including the FBI HRT and Special Agent Tony Layun. These men carry a variety of rifles worth noting. 

BCM Recce-14 

Tony Layun, played by JD Pardo, also carries a BCM Recce-14. Specifically, the KMR-A13, which means it has a keymod rail that’s 13 inches long. The Recce-14 is a professional’s choice of gun, and it’s easy to see why an FBI Agent would carry one while pursuing a violent and dangerous criminal. It roles with an Aimpoint T2 in a very slick and lightweight layout. 

Knights Armament SR-16 

FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team is on sight and aiming to take down Reece. HRT are some elite dudes, and they carry what is likely the best AR-15 fighting rifle out there, the SR-16 from Knight’s Armament. The SR-16 is an evolution of the Stoner platform and is ridiculously durable and well-made. The rifles seem to be outfitted with Aimpoint T-2s, PEQ-15s, and Magpul MS4 slings. 

Glock 17 

Tony Layun’s sidearm is a Glock 17. This is the full-sized, 9mm Glock pistol and the first Glock firearm. It’s a polymer frame striker-fired gun, and it really set the standard for handguns going forward. It’s tough to get a good look at the gun to tell its generation, but the FBI utilizes Gen 5 Glock 17s, making this a realistic and practical choice. 

That’s About All Folks 

These are the guns that get a starting or supporting role. We do see an M1 Garand, some M14s, and even a Benelli M4, but they are only seen and seemingly never used. We also have plenty of cops with holstered handguns, but again they aren’t used. 

For gun guys and gals, the Terminal List will always stand out in the gun world. The attention to detail, the weapons, the equipment, and the fact the actors look comfy using the guns. Guns are even used as a plot point several times in the series, like Boozer’s 1911 and Reece’s MK25. The little things, the attention to detail, and the variety of guns will cement the Terminal list among gun nuts for a very long time. 

Video of the Guns of the Terminal List

Clint of Classic Firearms goes through his top five guns that were used in the Terminal List.