The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

The Hunt for Red October is the 1990 feature film adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Tom Clancy and was the first to feature Clancy's signature character, CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Directed by John McTiernan and set during the time of the Cold War, the military thriller follows Ryan (Alec Baldwin) as he attempts to ascertain the true intentions of Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), who has disappeared with a top secret Soviet stealth submarine designated Red October. Three more direct Jack Ryan feature film adaptations would follow: Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears as well as Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the 2014 feature film based on the character. In addition, a series adaptation that premiered on Amazon Prime in 2018.

The following weapons were used in the film The Hunt for Red October:

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Handguns

Colt Mk IV Series 70

The Colt MK IV Series 70 pistol chambered in 9x19mm appears several times towards the end of the film. Seen first in the hands of Commander Bart Mancuso (Scott Glenn) and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Ronald "Jonsey" Jones (Courtney Vance). CDR Mancuso later gives his Colt to the C.O. of the Red October, Captain 1st Rank Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) to defend himself with, and issues one to Dr. Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) as well, who uses it in a confrontation with the GRU sleeper agent Igor Loginov (Tomas Arana). It is interesting to note that although the Colt Mancuso gives Ryan is in the classic M1916 leather holster Mancuso's is in the M12 Universal Military holster which was not available at the time the movie was set. Also, in the original Tom Clancy novel, Ryan uses a Browning Hi-Power.

Colt Mk IV Series 70 - 9x19mm

CDR Mancuso chambers his Colt on board the U.S. Navy DSRV submersible Mystic en-route to the Red October

CDR Mancuso (Scott Glenn) with his Colt drawn aboard the Red October

Sonar Technician 2nd Class Ronald "Jonsey" Jones (Courtney Vance) draws his Colt aboard the Red October as the GRU agent opens fire. This battle takes place in an imaginary room containing the submarine's SLBMs: on a real Typhoon-class submarine, the missile tubes are surrounded by a ballast tank, not a pressure hull.

Capt. 1st Rank Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) holds onto the Colt as he's wounded by the GRU sleeper agent

Dr. Jack Ryan draws his Colt as he corners the GRU sleeper agent.

Closeup of Dr. Ryan's Colt when confronting the sleeper agent. In this shot, you can see that the bore is too small to be .45 ACP, confirming that it is a 9mm

Makarov PM

The Makarov PM pistol is wielded by Cook's Assistant Igor Loginov (Tomas Arana). He uses the pistol to fire on Cpt. 2nd Rank Vasily Borodin (Sam Neill) as well as on Captain 1st Rank Marko Ramius (Sean Connery).

Makarov PM - 9x18mm Makarov

Igor Loginov (Tomas Arana) opens fire with his Makarov PM.

Shotguns

Remington 870

During the battle with the Konovalov, sailors aboard the American frigate Reuben James (in reality the USS Wadsworth; the Reuben James had not been commissioned at the time the movie was filmed) can be seen holding Remington 870 Shotguns while guarding the rescued crew of the Red October.

Remington 870 Police Magnum - 12 Gauge

A U.S. Navy Sailor (left, green vest) wields a Remington 870 shotgun as the Red October crew witnesses the destruction of Konovalov.

The U.S. Navy Sailor on the left wields the shotgun aboard the USS Reuben James.

Mossberg 500

As Ryan visits the Patuxent River Navy Shipyard, a U.S. military guard is seen with a Mossberg 500 Shotgun slung over his shoulder.

Mossberg 500 - 12 Gauge

A guard at the Patuxent River Navy Shipyard has a Mossberg 500 slung over his back as Ryan arrives.

Rifles

M14 Rifle

Near the end of the film, an M14 rifle can be seen very briefly in the hands of a U.S. Navy sailor on board the American frigate Reuben James when the Konovalov appears.

M14 rifle 7.62x51mm NATO

The U.S. Navy Sailor on the right wields an M14 rifle aboard the USS Reuben James.

Norinco Type 56

A Soviet Naval Infantryman in the Red October's conn can be seen armed with a Norinco Type 56 rifle (note the hooded front sight) standing in for a Russian AK-47 rifle.

Norinco Type 56 - 7.62x39mm

A Soviet Naval Infantryman (left) shoulders a Norinco Type 56 rifle as Ramius (Sean Connery) leaves the conn.

Other

Phalanx CIWS

The Phalanx CIWS (Close In Weapons System) is glimpsed aboard the USS Reuben James.

Phalanx CIWS 20mm

The CIWS is seen on the port (left) side of the Reuben James.

Trivia

Red October

Red October is a fictional variant of the massive Soviet Typhoon class ballistic missile submarine, the largest ever designed. In the book it was equipped with an impeller-based tunnel drive system, but in the movie this was changed to a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drive system, using two tunnels alongside the submarine's propellers.

Red October herself was a model, and featured an unavoidable error: while photographs of the Typhoon had circulated in the West, nobody outside the intelligence community knew what it looked like below the waterline. The common image (as seen in many model kits and the movie) had two large exposed propellers, eight torpedo tubes and a "beavertail" rudder. The real submarine had six torpedo tubes, and shrouded propellers with twin rudders directly behind them. In fact, some Soviet photographs were manipulated to remove the propeller cowls.

The shootout at the end of the movie takes place in a large room surrounding the ballistic missile tubes; this is also a somewhat unavoidable error, since at the time the submarine's unorthodox internal arrangement of seven separate pressure hulls was not widely known. In reality there is one pressure hull each side of the missiles, but the SLBMs themselves are surrounded by a ballast tank.

Studio model of the Red October.

Stern of a real Typhoon-class submarine, for comparison.