Honor Guard Ceremonial Rifle (Dress Marine Drill Prop)

A government-issue ceremonial rifle with a blued-steel barrel, varnished walnut stock, brass fittings and leather sling, maintained to mirror-image precision. In the scene a dress Marine shoulders and executes a sharp drill with the weapon, producing a sudden, blank-laden thump that physically startles Barry Haskel. Characters treat the rifle as both a visible emblem of state force and a tactile prop: it is shouldered, presented, and used to punctuate Leo's staging rather than to inflict real harm.

8 appearances

Purpose

Ceremonial drill rifle designed for honor guard drills and ritual salutes; in this material it is used practically to perform a drill and generate an audible blank/thump as a psychological/intimidation prop.

Significance

Acts as a theatrical instrument of institutional power, converting ritualized military pageantry into political leverage. The rifle's thunderous report and disciplined presentation amplify the White House's coercive choreography, turning ceremony into pressure that helps secure Barry Haskel's compliance and underscores the administration's readiness to stage forceful displays.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

8 moments

S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

No PR, Yes Dignity: Bartlet Denies a Pitch and Endorses an Honor Guard

The honor guard rifles are used in the three-volley salute at Arlington; their blank reports puncture the montage and trigger visceral reactions (Toby flinches, Mrs. Landingham flinches), underscoring how ritual sound can reopen grief.

Before: Held assembled by the military honor guard, cleaned and ceremonially loaded with blanks.

After: Shouldered and fired in salute; after the salute they are returned to ceremonial order, having fulfilled their ritual role.

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S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

An Honor in the Margins

The ceremonial rifles are handled by the honor guard to render a three-volley salute at Arlington; their reports puncture the montage and physically impact mourners who flinch, converting abstract honor into visceral sound.

Before: Held and shouldered by the honor guard in ceremonial readiness.

After: Fired the salute and returned to ceremonial carriage, marking the ritual's completion.

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S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

The Folded Flag — Honor for the Unseen

Honor guard rifles are used for the three-volley salute: their blank reports puncture the montage, eliciting physical flinches from Toby and Mrs. Landingham and converting abstract grief into sensory, ceremonial reality.

Before: Held ready by the honor guard prior to salute, maintained in ceremonial condition.

After: Reshouldered and returned to ceremonial order after the salute; remain as instruments of ritual precision.

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S1E21 · Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Staged Welcome — Leo Parks Barry in the Fold

The ceremonial Honor Guard rifle is shouldered by Rodney and used as a theatrical instrument: a short, precise drill that ends with a heavy thump to physically startle Barry and punctuate the staged intensity of the encounter.

Before: Shouldered by the dress Marine (Rodney) at Leo's office entrance, polished and ceremonially positioned.

After: Returned to drill position and exited with Rodney; remains undischarged and functionally unchanged.

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S1E21 · Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Outing, Pressure, and the White House Trap

The Honor Guard ceremonial rifle is shouldered by Rodney and used to perform a sharp drill that culminates in a loud thump; it functions as a physical punctuation to Leo's staging, deliberately designed to startle and unsettle Barry and convert nervousness into visible submission.

Before: In Leo's office doorway, shouldered by the dress Marine and held in ceremonial posture.

After: Rodney departs with the rifle; it is removed from the doorway and returned to military personnel custody after the drill.

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S1E21 · Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Oval Pressure Play — Polls as Leverage

The Honor Guard Ceremonial Rifle is shouldered by Rodney on Leo's command and drills to a final thump that startles Barry; it functions as a tactile and auditory instrument of stagecraft—translating institutional force into psychological pressure.

Before: Racked and positioned in Leo's office as part of ceremonial display, held by the dress Marine.

After: After the drill, returned to the Marine's ceremonial possession and removed from the immediate stage as Rodney exits.

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S1E21 · Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

36 Hours: Polling Pressure and C.J.'s Vindication

The honor guard's ceremonial rifle is used as an instrument of psychological theater in the Oval: a sharp drill and thump punctuate Leo's pressure on Barry Haskell, startling attendees and lending a performative edge to persuasion tactics.

Before: Held by a dress Marine prepared for ceremonial drill in the Oval antechamber.

After: Returned to ceremonial readiness after the drill; its brief use leaves an audible memory in the room but no physical damage.

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S1E21 · Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Containment: Bartlet's Quiet Trades and the White House in Crisis

The ceremonial rifle is used as a staged psychological prop: shouldered by a dress Marine while Leo times the drill to produce a loud, startling thud that punctuates his pressure campaign on the wavering FEC commissioner.

Before: Maintained in ceremonial condition, staged off-camera in the Oval for a planned drill.

After: Returned to ceremonial custody after performing the intended intimidation effect; remains intact and formally handled.

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