The Guns of Die Hard
The guns of the original Die Hard trilogy (1988–1995) — McClane's Beretta, Hans Gruber's hard-chromed HK P7, Karl's Steyr AUG and the terrorists' MP5s, the Die Hard 2 Glocks behind the infamous 'plastic gun' myth, and Simon Gruber's Makarov from Vengeance — each real gun mapped to a current production model you can build. Researched from public sources; not affiliated with the films.
One cop, one tower, one very bad Christmas Eve — the guns of the movie that defined the action genre.
Updated
Quick answers
- What gun does John McClane use in Die Hard?
- A Beretta 92F — his NYPD sidearm through the series; he also picks up a MAC-10 in the first film.
- What pistol does Hans Gruber use?
- A Heckler & Koch P7M13.
Pistols
- Beretta 92FDie Hard · John McClane (Bruce Willis)
McClane's sidearm — the 9mm he tapes to his back for the rooftop showdown. The definitive Die Hard gun.
Build it: Beretta 92X Performance Defensive RDO → — the optics-ready 92X is the current production 92
- Heckler & Koch P7M13Die Hard · Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
Gruber's hard-chromed squeeze-cocker 9mm — as sleek as the man holding it.
Build it: HK VP9 → — the P7 is long discontinued — a current HK pistol is the build
- Glock 17Die Hard 2 · Col. Stuart's mercenaries
The Glock 17s the Die Hard 2 mercenaries carry — the origin of the film's infamous (and entirely false) 'undetectable plastic gun' myth.
Build it: Glock 17 Gen5 MOS → — the Gen5 MOS is the current optics-ready 17
- Smith & Wesson Model 15Die Hard · Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson)
Powell's LAPD service revolver — the gun he finally draws in the parking lot at the end.
Build it: S&W Model 686 Plus → — the current S&W 686 is the production .357 service revolver
- Makarov PMDie Hard with a Vengeance · Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons)
Simon Gruber's compact Soviet 9×18 sidearm — the villain's gun, with no clean current-production equivalent in our catalog.
No current US-market equivalent.
Rifles & carbines
- Steyr AUGDie Hard · Karl (Alexander Godunov)
The bullpup the relentless Karl carries through Nakatomi Plaza.
On screen: the AUG's integral 1.5× optic.
Build it: Steyr AUG A3 M1 → — the AUG A3 is the production bullpup
- Heckler & Koch HK94 (MP5A3)Die Hard · Gruber's crew
The MP5-style HK94s the terrorists run — including the one McClane takes off a body and turns back on them.
Build it: HK SP5K → — the SP5K is HK's civilian MP5
- MAC-10Die Hard with a Vengeance · John McClane (Bruce Willis)
The compact SMG McClane takes off a dead mercenary on the cargo ship.
Build it: MasterPiece Arms MPA10 Defender → — MasterPiece Arms makes the current semi-auto MAC — the MPA Defender
Build the loadout. Mind the broken glass.
Loadout Match is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original Die Hard trilogy (1988–1995) or their rights holders. Firearm identifications are editorial commentary researched from public sources (IMFDB — Die Hard, IMFDB — Die Hard 2, IMFDB — Die Hard with a Vengeance); all trademarks belong to their respective owners. We use no images or dialogue from the source, and the Build‑it links go to comparable current‑production firearms — not screen‑exact replicas.