Red Heat is a 1988 action thriller that stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ivan Danko, a Soviet police officer from Moscow who travels to Chicago to bring back notorious Soviet-Georgian drug dealer Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross). When Viktor escapes custody, Danko partners with Chicago PD Detective Art Ridžić (James Belushi) as they attempt to track him down. The movie was directed by Walter Hill from a screenplay written by Hill and Troy Kennedy Martin. This film was done while the Soviet Union still existed, thus it was extremely difficult for any US movie armorer to get Soviet Bloc weapons, due to an ATF regulation (per Department of State directive) that no weapons from any Communist bloc country be sold within the United States (unless that country had signed a specific trade agreement, like China [Norinco], and Yugoslavia [Zastava], imported by Mitchell Arms); many AKMs (ARM/MISR) were imported from Egypt with no special agreement since Egypt was not a communist country, nor had ever been one.
Since the film depicted a Soviet policeman as a hero, the filmmakers actually secured permission from the Soviets to do some filming in Moscow and the soldiers marching in Red Square were real, as were their Parade SKS rifles. The other snowbound filming took place in Budapest, Hungary, which is why so many of the "Soviet" police (Russian: Militsia) were carrying FEG PA-63 Pistols (from Hungarian weapons armorers).
The following weapons were used in the film Red Heat:
The fictional Podbyrin 9.2mm Pistol, which is actually a modified Desert Eagle Mark I .357 Magnum to look more like a Soviet weapon, is the main weapon for Captain Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger) for much of the film, until he gets it taken away, due to his lack of a diplomatic license.
Director Walter Hill wanted a "P38 but bigger and meaner. A P38 on Steroids", so movie armorer Tim LaFrance built three guns he named "The Hollywood Eagle". He used the Desert Eagle .357 Mk I pistols as a base and had to modify the entire profile to resemble a large Walther P38. According to LaFrance, the most difficult part of the blank adaption conversion was the gas porting. It should also be noted that the Makarov PM, the most popular handgun in the Soviet Union, used a 9.2mm round, which is probably why the Podbyrin is said to be chambered in '9.2mm'.
The BTJ DA38, a.k.a "sleeve pistol" is used by Viktor "Rosta" Rostavili (Ed O'Ross). It was modified by Tim La France, who also modified the Desert Eagle, and made the sleeve device (a la Taxi Driver). The barrel of the derringer was cut off and a new one with a bore larger than a 12 gauge was machined, welded and blended into the original contours.
One of the weapons employed by Viktor 'Rosta' Rostavili are a pair of Heckler & Koch P9S pistols - one with a black slide, the other with a Stainless slide.
A Colt Combat Commander is held by one of the Cleanheads while outside Danko's hotel room.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingColt Combat Commander, two-tone finish (polished frame and parkerized slide/components) - .45 ACPError creating thumbnail: File missingOne of the Cleanheads sent after Danko has a two tone Colt Combat Commander. Two other Cleanheads have PT-92s and one holds a nickel plated Colt Government.
Beretta 92F
A Beretta 92F is used by Josip Barada (Tengiz Borisoff) dressed in drag as a female nurse, to shoot at Danko in the hospital corridor.
The FEG PA-63 is used by nearly all parties (other than Danko) during the shootout follwing the fight in the Druzba Cafe. This entire sequence was filmed in Budapest, Hungary, and used Hungarian Armorers.
Smith & Wesson Model 629 (2.5" barreled Mag-na-Ported)
Chicago Police Detective Art Ridžić (James Belushi) carries a snub revolver that resembles a 2.5" barreled Mag-na-Ported Smith & Wesson Model 629 with Pachmayr combat grips. It is possible that this is the same revolver used in the previous Walter Hill-directed film Extreme Prejudice.
One of the guns used by Danko is the Smith & Wesson Model 29. Though Ridžić gives Danko the revolver, he gives him no spare ammunition, so in typical "Hollywood" fashion, Danko regardless fires eighteen shots out of the six shot revolver without reloading.
A nickel Smith & Wesson Model 38 is carried by a hooker in her purse and used to save Danko's life, but later is discarded in the Hotel room. This was probably an attempt to disassociate herself with the killing, but to no avail, since she is questioned about shooting the Cleanhead by the CPD later. The hooker was played by actress Gretchen Palmer who would later become a familiar face on television.
A Remington 870 is seen in the hands of a Cleanhead during a Chicago Police raid on a Cleanheads' apartment. It appears to be a Remington 870 with the early 1980s style combat rig, extended magazine tube and sling loop, however this one has a pistol grip only. A very similar setup is used by Schwarzenegger as John Matrix in Commando.
A CAR-15 variant is seen in the hands of the Cleanheads during a brokered truce.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingColt Sporter I Carbine - converted into an XM177 Lookalike with a slipover Flash hider - 5.56x45mmError creating thumbnail: File missingThe man standing to the left behind the leader holds a CAR-15 variant. It looks to be a modified SP1 Sporter Carbine with slab side receiver.
AK-47
Seen in the hands of the Cleanheads during a brokered truce.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingA hard to identify AK-47 variant is held by a Cleanhead. It is most likely a Norinco Type 56 rifle, but it cannot be verified since the man is seen from a distance in the film and only briefly.
Submachine Guns
Heckler & Koch HK94
A full length Heckler & Koch HK94 is seen held by a Cleanhead. It has the ventilated barrel shroud and foregrip, as seen in Schwarzenegger's previous films Raw Deal and The Running Man.
_(frame_polished_and_Parkerized_components).jpg){kind=link}
