Red Scorpion

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The following weapons were used in the film Red Scorpion:

Red Scorpion (1989)

Rifles

AO-63 assault rifle (mocked up FN FAL)

The large assault rifle used prominently by Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) during the final assault is an FN FAL mocked up to resemble the experimental Russian Avtomat AO-63 assault rifle. The weapon is also seen being tested by Colonel Zayas (Carmen Argenziano) on the rifle range near the beginning of the film. The FN FAL used in the movie has been modified with twin barrels, a custom stock, the pistol grip from a Vektor SS-77 general purpose machine gun, an enlarged magazine/foregrip and a Lewis gun's drum magazine mounted on top. Upon closer inspection only the lower barrel can actually be seen firing; presumably this is because building a weapon that could fire from two barrels would be a far more difficult modification, and the discrepancy isn't that noticeable on-screen.

Although not related to the AO-63 but a Two barrel FN FAL does exist that was made by Winchester/Olin for US Army trials.

File:AO-63.jpg

Avtomat AO-63, 5.45x39mm.

The "AO-63" assault rifle as seen in the movie. The text on the box means "Made in USSR".

Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) with the "AO-63" seen vaguely in the opening title.

Colonel Zayas (Carmen Argenziano) being handed the AO-63 for testing.

The AO-63 inflicts damage all out of proportion to its size to targets that are apparently impervious to 5.56X45mm and 7.62X39mm ammunition.

Nikolai gets ready for the final battle. Note the image of AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher on the stand behind Nikolai.

Nikolai firing at the "Mil-24 Hind".

I am Spetsnaz! But I'm no longer one of you!.

FN FAL

Unmodified FN FAL rifles are used by guerilla fighters.

FN FAL 50.00 7.62x51mm NATO

Rebel guarding Nikoli armed with a FN FAL 7.62x51mm NATO

IMI Romat (fitted with grenade launcher)

An Israeli contract FAL fitted with a grenade launcher is seen being used by Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) and Kallunda Kintash (Al White).

Israeli FAL "Romat" with Wooden Furniture 7.62x51mm NATO

Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL

Kallunda Kintash (Al White) is armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL.

Kallunda Kintash (Al White) is armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL.

Kallunda Kintash (Al White) is armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL.

Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL.

Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL

Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) armed with an Israeli contract FN FAL

AK-47

Milled Receiver AK-47 design; 7.62x39mm.

Milled Receiver AK-47 design; 7.62x39mm.

AMD-65

An AMD-65 rifle is used by Rachenko to drunkenly shoot up a bar on the Soviet base so that he can be arrested and subsequently aid guerilla Kallunda Kintash (Al White) in his escape, thereby gaining the trust of the rebels and allowing him to assassinate their leader (in an incredibly convoluted plan that actually involves the deaths of several Russian soldiers). AMD-65s are also seen being used by various Russian soldiers/guerillas and by Dewey Ferguson (M. Emmet Walsh).

Hungarian AMD-65 - 7.62x39mm

Rachenko shoots up a bar with the AMD-65.

Kallunda restraining his distraught wife with a AMD-65 slung over his shoulder.

Vektor R4

Vektor R4 rifles are used by the Angolan troops.

Vektor R4 assault rifle of the South African forces

Soldiers marching with R4 Assault Rifles.

Soldiers getting in some target practice with R4 and AMD-63 Assault Rifles

Rebels opening up with R4 Assault Rifles.

Mosin-Nagant

Mosin-Nagant M44 carbines (without the bayonet) are seen in the hands of African guerillas.

Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine, chambered in 7.62x54R, with attached side-folding bayonet. Note the slightly longer barrel ahead of the front sight to accommodate locking in the bayonet, brass reinforcements around the sling holes and an integral bayonet attached to the barrel.

Nagant Rifle and PSSh41 resting by a woman.

Nagant Rifle in the hands of a rebel.

Nagant Rifle in the hands of Rebels surrounding Nikoli.

SKS M59/66

Several Rebels are seen with Yugoslavian M59/66 varients of the SKS. Interestingly enough they have their bayonetes removed.

Yugoslavian SKS M59/66 rifle with blade bayonet and grenade launcher attached to barrel, the variant most seen during the Balkan Wars - 7.62x39mm. The Yugoslavian M59 is nearly identical to the Russian SKS, it is the M59/66 which has the grenade launcher attachment at the end of the barrel.

M59/66 seen in the hands of a crouching Rebel.

M59/66 seen in the hands of a running Rebel.

Rebel member holding an SKS to the right of Kallunda's buddy.

Nagant Rifle in the hands of Rebels surrounding Nikoli.

Shotguns

Mossberg 500

Mossberg 500 shotguns with extended mag tubes are used by the Russian Military Policemen and Dewey Ferguson (M. Emmet Walsh) during the road chase. A Mossberg 500 is also used by Nikolai during the final assault, along with other members of the guerilla force.

Krasnov (Brion James) holding the Mossberg 500.

Kallunda holding the Mossberg 500 durring their escape. Note the way the sling mount is attached to the magazine tube.

Machine Guns

M1919A4 machine gun

A Browning M1919A4 machine gun (which would never be used by Russian forces) is seen mounted on a Soviet Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle vehicle.

M1919A4 M37 vehicle pintle mount - .30-06.

Vektor SS-77

A South African Vektor SS-77 machine gun is seen mounted on an armored vehicle during the road chase, and also on a motorcycle and sidecar being ridden by Cuban troops.

Vektor SS-77 - 7.62x51mm General Purpose Machine Gun

Cuban soldier fires a Vektor SS-77 from a motorbike sidecar.

Vector SS-77 mounted on a sidecar.

Vector SS-77 mounted on a sidecar.

Twin mounted Vector SS-77 in the turret of the Unknown armored vehicle.

RPK

RPKs are used by various Russian and Cuban troops. Lt. Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) takes one and uses it during the ambush at the oasis.

RPK light machine gun - 7.62x39mm

Cuban guarding Kallunda armed with a RPK.

Nikoli about to shoot a Cuban who he just disarmed.

Nikoli contemplating surrender to the Cubans.

African Rebel with a drum magazined RPK. Every other RPK seen uses a stick magazine.

Ango Sundata (Ruben Nthodi) about to drop his RPK and rescue a child durring the Soviet attack on the rebels.It speaks highly of the character that he would run into gunfire to save an innocent life.

Submachine Guns

PPSh41

Seen wielded by the African guerillas.

Soviet PPSh-41 Submachine Gun - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Rebel to the right of Nikoli is holding a PSSh-41.

Nagant Rifle and PSSh41 resting by a woman.

Handguns

Colt Combat Commander

Incongruously used by a Cuban soldier and General Vortek (T.P. McKenna). It is likely supposed to portray the Russian Tokarev TT-33, as Soviet officers would never use a handgun of American manufacture.

Colt Combat Commander - .45 ACP.

General Vortek (T.P. McKenna) pulls the handgun.

Other

M40 106mm Recoilless Rifle

Seen mounted on a Land Rover and used by Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) during the assault on the joint Soviet/Cuban military camp.

Dewey driving the M40 Recoilless Rifle into the Soviet Base.

Nikolai Rachenko(Dolph Lundgren) uses an M40 recoilless rifle.

Nikolai Rachenko(Dolph Lundgren) abandoning the M40 Recoilless Rifle. Note that the .50 caliber spotting rifle does not have a magazine.

M134 Minigun

An M134 minigun can be seen mounted in the nose of the Sikorsky S-62 "Hind gunship", it is a mockup.You can see where it is attached to the aircraft. Furthermore, during the attack in the rebel base you can see the entire mount rotate with an acetylene-powered muzzle blast, although it is never seen firing in close-up.

General Electric M134 - 7.62x51mm

Mk 40 grenade launcher

A MK 40 is seen underslung the barrel of the Israeli IMI Romat used by Nikolai Rachenko(Dolph Lundgren) and Kallunda Kintash (Al White).

Flamethrower

Custom flamethrowers are used by Soviet troops to 'cleanse' a tribal village in a scene in the extended cut.

Degtyaryov DT Machine Gun

DT machine gun is seen firing from the hull of a Soviet T-34/85 tank. While long out of Soviet service by the time it is plausible that the “Client State” was still using such an outdated armored vehicle.

DT machine gun - 7.62x54mm R.

DT machine gun firing from the Hull of the T-34/85. Note that the shot is reversed as the next image clearly shows the machinegun mounted on the opposite side of the tank. - 7.62x54mm R.

DT machine gun mounted on the left side of the T-34/85- 7.62x54mm R.

RPG-7l

An RPG-7 launcher is used during the escape of Kallunda Kintash (Al White).

RPG-7 40mm

Checoslovakian Soldier aims an RPG-7 at Nikoli, Kallunda , and Dewey. Somehow the launcher fires a projectile even though the user forgot to load a rocket.

RKG-3

A mockup of an RKG-3 anti-tank grenade is wielded by Colonel Zayas (Carmen Argenziano) before getting his arm blown off by Nikolai Rachenko.

RKG-3 anti-tank grenade

Closeup of the grenade.

Colonel Zayas (Carmen Argenziano) reaches for the mockup of the RKG-3 grenade, but to no avail. He appears to be trying to reinsert the arming pin, which really wouldn't help him very much.

Unknown Magnetic Grenade

At the end of the truck chase, Nikolai Rachenko(Dolph Lundgren) places a Magnetic Grenade onto the truck's fuel tank to destroy it.

Trivia

• Many of the "Soviet" vehicles were actually on loan from the S.A.D.F.(South African Defense Forces).
• The movie was funded by the anti-communist S.A.D.F., with the production run by co-producer and future Washington DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who later would gain notoriety for being implicated in a scandal involving the bribery of US government officials.
• Screenshots to be added
• The "Mil Mi-24 Hind" seen in the movie is mocked up from a Sikorsky S-62. The same modified helicopter can be seen in Braddock: Missing In Action 3 and Bulletproof (albeit less convincingly modified).