The Real FG-42’s Only Movie Appearance

One of the rarest and most sought after guns in the world is the FG-42, a rifle used exclusively by elite German paratroopers in World War 2.  This beautiful weapon, a unique ‘battle rifle’, is not well known.  Combining the stopping power of a machine gun with the accuracy of a traditional Kar-98, it was the father of the M-60 and considered one of the most advanced weapons of WW2. It had a unique muzzle brake that reduced recoil and flash, but increased gun report exponentially.

Only 5,000 were produced, but now only 30 are confirmed to be in private ownership.  A modern replica will cost thousands, even though it was not select fire like the original.  An original will cost you much more than that.  Try $299,000.

So since it’s rare and all, for this baby to appear in a movie, forget about it.  If it ever happens from now on, it will only be a replica.  All shiny and laminated (although the originals actually were laminated too.).  It has appeared though, in the movie The Eagle Has Landed in 1976.  Essentially a cameo since the gun is not used.  The screens are below.  Now the weapon may have been more freely available then, but the script of the movie had the troopers undercover, so they were using Allied weapons.

This is supposedly the only time a real 300 hundred thousand dollar FG-42 rifle has or ever will appear in a movie, as opposed to a select fire replica.  The unit behind them by the way is a Stug III, which isn’t exactly growing on trees itself.  Another real piece of hardware.