Frank Castle, a.k.a. Punisher, began as a Marvel Comics character whose popularity grew in three live-action and two animated films. But it was in the two-season Netflix series, which began in 2017, that the Punisher hit his stride. The guns of the Punisher are plentiful as he wages a one-man war using a variety of weapons.

In the original comic book stories and films, Frank Castle, family man, morphs into the Punisher after the mob guns down his family. The Netflix series, however, reveals that the killings are payback for the Marine Corps veteran’s insubordination during a black ops mission that he found morally objectionable.

Ironically, Castle is now seeking revenge on the same institution that trained him to be a highly-skilled killer– the massive military-industrial complex. The world puts his skills as a marksman and in guerilla warfare to the test–both violently and entertainingly–throughout the series.

Guns Of The Punisher

Here are the guns that the main characters used in some of the most memorable scenes in the Netflix production:

Kimber Warrior .45 ACP

Frank Castle returned from Afghanistan with his Kimber Warrior

During his service in Afghanistan, Frank Castle (played by Jon Bernthal, of The Walking Dead fame) carried a Kimber Warrior as his sidearm and used it in several episodes of both the first and second seasons. In one episode of season two, Frank teaches the teenage grifter Amy Bendix how to disarm someone. He teaches her how to disarm him of his own Kimber Warrior. 

The Warrior is an M1911-style semi-automatic pistol. Designed and manufactured by Kimber Manufacturing in New York, the single-action .45-caliber has a reputation for significant recoil, high-velocity rounds, and penetrative power—all attested to by the surprisingly large holes it puts in a target.

The Kimber Warrior comes in at 3 pounds, 9.6 ounces, which prompted one reviewer of the all-steel weapon to proclaim that it “would make a fine club if you ran out of ammo.”

SIG-Sauer P226R

The DHS Agents Prefer the SIG-Sauer P226R Pistol

The SIG-Sauer P226R, which was later shortened to P226, is a semi-automatic Swiss-German pistol developed jointly by Swiss Arms and J.P Sauer & Son. The P226R is fitted with a Picatinny rail on the underside of the barrel. It’s a full-sized, service-type pistol that chambers 9x19mm Parabellum rounds with a total capacity of fifteen. The gun became iconic when the Navy Seals began using it in the 1980s.

In the Punisher series, several agents from the Department of Homeland Security, most notably agents Dinah Madani and Sam Stein, carry the legendary weapon, as does NYPD Detective Sgt. Brett Mahoney.

Heckler & Koch MP5 A3

The ANVIL contractors use the Heckler & Koch MP5 A3

In the Netflix series, the Heckler & Koch MP5A3 is the primary weapon of the employees of ANVIL, a private military contractor that resembles the real-life private security firm Blackwater. Former Marine Billy Russo runs ANVIL. Russo was friends and worked with Frank on a covert ops team in Afghanistan. 

The MP5A3 is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, which was developed in the 1960s by the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variations of the MP5, including some semi-automatic options. The A3 designates the weapon has a retractable buttstock and is part of the “SEF” trigger group. 

Forty nations and a ton of military, law enforcement, intelligence, and security organizations adopted the MP5. It’s one of the most popular submachine guns in the world.

Heckler & Koch G36C

The Punisher is armed with another Heckler & Koch weapon–the G36C

Frank is seen armed with a Heckler & Koch G36C assault rifle near the end of season one.  In one of the close-up shots, it seems as though Frank is loading rounds with expended primers!

Nonetheless, the real-life German-made G36C fires 5.56×45mm NATO rounds at a rate of 750 per minute and is the most compact member of the G36 family. Designed in the 1990s by Heckler & Koch, the G36 was placed into service with the Federal Armed Forces of Germany (Bundeswehr) in 1997. Germany introduced the G36C, with a much shorter barrel at 9 inches, in 2001. You can equip the rifle with either a 30-round box magazine or a 100-round drum.

FN M249 SAW

The FN M249 SAW proves to be a formidable and versatile weapon

Frank and his fellow U.S. Marine operatives in Afghanistan used the FN M249 SAW in Afghanistan. The machine gun has been a foundational weapon in the U.S. military since 1986. It’s still in service in more than 30 countries today. Frank also uses the M249 to take down several ANVIL contractors later in the series.

He equipped another 5.56 x 45mm NATO-caliber weapon, the SAW, with a 200-round ammo drum. And the polymer buttstock has a hydraulic buffer allowing the gunner to sustain a high rate of fire with accuracy. They designed it for militaries to use on the front lines to provide support, the M249 also has the maneuverability to take on any objective.

Remington 870 MCS

The Remington 870 MCS Shotgun is a flexible, multifunctional system

And speaking of versatility, the 870 Modular Combat Shotgun (MCS) is a complete system. It  offers multiple barrels, magazine tube extensions, and stock options. You can install all of them on the ground, without tools. Shooters can alter the gun from a short, pistol-gripped 10-inch barreled shotgun to a longer-barreled version with a buttstock. Additionally, this innovative weapon gives soldiers the option to construct it for a specific mission.

DHS agent Madani employs the Remington 12-gauge, pump-action 870 MCS, with an 18″ barrel and plus-3 magazine tube extension, in an episode during the first season of The Punisher.

Accuracy International AWSM F Rifle

Frank uses an Accuracy International AWSM F Rifle to “punish” a cartel member

The Accuracy International AWSM F bolt-action sniper rifle. That rifle appears in the first episode of the series when Frank uses it to eliminate a cartel leader. It also shows up two more times in season one.

The AWSM (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum) typically signifies AWM rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. The F-suffix designates a folding-stock version. Produced by the British firearms manufacturer Accuracy International, the rifle has a detachable box magazine that holds five rounds.  

The Punisher Is Loaded With Guns

Frank Castle uses a variety of weapons as he unleashes his one-man war. In the first season alone, the guns of the Punisher are no fewer than:

• 14 handguns
• 13 rifles (including two sniper rifles)
• Four submachine guns
• Four shotguns 
• One machinegun

Castle is a war veteran who is highly-skilled in guerrilla warfare, hand-to-hand combat, and, of course, marksmanship. Not surprisingly, much like the comic, the Punisher has plenty of violence. We don’t recommend it for the squeamish. But if you enjoy action and gunplay, Punisher will provide you with two season’s worth of entertainment.