Léon: The Professional

Léon: The Professional is a 1994 action thriller starring Jean Reno as the title character, an Italian hitman living in New York who is forced to take in his young next-door neighbor Mathilda (Natalie Portman) after her family is killed by a rogue DEA agent (Gary Oldman). The film was directed by Luc Besson and was originally released in the US under the title The Professional, but has since been released on video under the title Leon: The Professional.
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=Pistols=
==Beretta 92FS (Custom Compensator)==
The signature pistols of Léon (Jean Reno) are Beretta 92FSs fitted with compensators and, in some scenes, sound-suppressors. A compensator reduces the rising of the barrel during rapid fire by redirecting propellant gases. The combination of a suppressor and compensator might be considered nonsensical - A suppressor is supposed to re-route and slow the release of pressurized gases from the muzzle in order to reduce the muzzle blast, while a recoil compensator functions by changing the vector at which the gases are released in order to reduce recoil. The problem is solved when it is revealed that one of Léon's suppressors has extended threads which clearly reach past the compensator ports when fitted. We briefly see Mathilda (Natalie Portman) assembling Léon's Beretta 92FS pistols, although we never see her use them. One of Léon's Berettas features a two-toned finish with a stainless Inox frame.
==Custom Springfield Armory M1911-A1==
Mathilda's (Natalie Portman) pistol is a Springfield Armory M1911-A1 fitted with a compensator and loaded with simunition paintball rounds. She uses it to shoot a drug dealer during her first "hit", fitting it with a suppressor that cancels out the compensator like with Léon's Berettas. She brings it with her when she goes to the DEA building planning to kill Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). It is assumed she has it loaded with live ammunition, since simunition would prove useless for killing. Stansfield's 1st man Willi Blood (Willi One Blood) refers to it as "Another Nine-Milley", slang for 9mm.
==SIG-Sauer P226==
A SIG-Sauer P226 is used by Stansfield's 3rd man Benny (Keith A. Glascoe) as his duty weapon. It has some sort of laser-aiming module mounted under the barrel.
==Beretta 93R==
During Léon's (Jean Reno) opening hit, a pair of the Fatman's (Frank Senger) bodyguards are armed with Beretta 93R machine pistols.
==Star 30M==
The Fatman's Chief Bodyguard (Eric Challier) keeps a Star 30M as his sidearm.
==Smith & Wesson 3917==
A two-tone Smith & Wesson automatic is seen in the hands of Jordan (Randolph Scott), Stansfield's 4th man. The pistol is a compact single-stack 3rd Generation variant featuring a stainless frame (visually similar to the satin silver aluminum alloy frame of the Smith & Wesson 3913) and a blued slide (as seen on the Smith & Wesson 3914). Though atypical, it happens to have a factory model designation - Smith & Wesson 3917 (the '39' indicating 9x19mm single-stack, '1' indicating compact, and most notably '7' indicating arrangement of blued carbon steel slide and stainless steel frame).
==Beretta 92FS Inox==
Léon keeps a Beretta 92FS Inox in his case along with his other equipment.
==Benelli B76==
A Benelli B76 pistol with target grips is seen among Léon's gun collection.
==SIG-Sauer P226 (Two-tone)==
Léon dual-wields a two-tone SIG-Sauer P226 pistol fitted with suppressor along with one of his Beretta 92FSs during a confrontation with Malky (Peter Appel).
==Llama M-87==
Mathilda takes along a Llama M-87 with extended controls (magazine release and safety lever) and a compensator when she goes to kill Stansfield. The Llama M-87 is a competition version of the Llama M-82.
==Smith & Wesson 659==
The Smith & Wesson 659 is briefly seen in the security cache.
==Glock 17==
A Glock 17 is holstered on the NYPD ESU uniform Léon steals.
==Springfield Armory M1911-A2 SASS==
Léon's (Jean Reno) case is packed with an M1911A1 pistol with a nickel finish and combat hammer fitted with a Springfield Armory M1911-A2 SASS upper conversion kit. This conversion turns the M1911 into a single-shot pistol in a variety of calibers.
=Revolvers=
==Smith & Wesson Model 629 "Classic Hunter" Custom==
Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) keeps a Smith & Wesson Model 629 revolver with a 3" barrel and unfluted cylinder as his duty sidearm. Stansfield's Smith & Wesson Model 629 appears to be customized or at least a rare, non-catalogued special production run. The standard and/or limited production, short-barreled 629s usually have slightly shorter ejector rods (while the gun in the film's ends at the barrel). The muzzle is nicely crowned, too. It's done in a manner uncommon on factory-standard Smith & Wesson revolvers (and limited production runs), which means it was likely a customized and shortened Smith & Wesson Model 629 "Classic Hunter". Unlike the standard model 629, the "Classic Hunter" variation was a special production run made in limited quantities in the late 1980s/early 1990s. It could be had in carbon blue steel and in stainless steel, came with an unfluted cylinder (standard production 629s feature fluted cylinders), and had either in 6-inch and 8 3/8-inch barrel length with the full underlug. Since the 629 "Classic Hunter" Stansfield packs isn't in factory configuration, we can assume it has been further customized and shortened, perhaps to make it more concealable and lighter to carry all-day like an oversized snub nose.
There is a particular Model 629 variant; the S&W product code is Production Code 103650 and only 3200 were produced in 1989 - It had a Round Butt, 6-round UNFLUTED cylinder, Stainless Finish, and 3" Full Lug Barrel. Reference page 260 of the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. The one Stansfield is carrying certainly looks like a custom shortened barrel Classic Hunter as previously noted rather than this production model although the latter is very similar.
==Ruger SP101==
Léon (Jean Reno) has a long-barreled Ruger SP101 in his case among his collection of weapons. He gives it to Mathilda (Natalie Portman) when telling her to leave and be a "cleaner" on her own, resulting in her walking to the window and emptying the gun (although she fires six shots when the revolver only holds five). Later in the film Mathilda tries to see if Léon really cares about her, so she loads three chambers, leaves two empty, and plays the very difficult version of Russian Roulette. Léon tells her he could hear that there was a bullet in the chamber (not likely), but she continues and nearly kills herself before he knocks the gun away.
thumb|none|300px|Ruger SP101, long-barrel version - .357 Magnum
==Smith & Wesson Model 586==
Léon (Jean Reno) is seen using a Smith & Wesson Model 586 revolver with a custom ported barrel in several scenes.
==Smith & Wesson Model 686==
One of the Fatman's henchmen is seen armed with a stainless Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver.
=Submachine Guns=
==Kimel AP-9==
Stansfield's 1st man, Willi Blood (Willi One Blood), is armed with a Kimel AP-9 during the apartment raid. After hearing the shotgun blasts, he proceeds to fire all around the apartment until his weapon runs dry.
==IMI Micro Uzi==
Several of the Fatman's (Frank Senger) guards are armed with IMI Micro Uzis. At one point he ineffectively wields one himself.
thumb|none|325px|IMI Micro Uzi - 9x19mm
==IMI Mini Uzi==
The Fatman (Frank Senger) arms himself with a pair of IMI Mini Uzis after emptying his IMI Micro Uzi. He is held at knifepoint by Léon (Jean Reno) before he can use them. NYPD ESU officers near the end of the film are also seen armed with them.
==Scarab Skorpion==
A suppressed Armitage International Scarab Skorpion is used by Stansfield's 2nd man, Neal (Don Creech), during the apartment raid. It can be noted by its big size, straight magazine, and wide distance between this and the trigger, unlike the original Sa vz. 61 Skorpion.
==Spectre M4==
A Spectre M4 is seen among the weapons in Léon's gun case. In the extended cut version, we see Léon cocking the weapon, as Léon recognizes the image based on the sound of a weapon cocking in a drug dealer's apartment, which is not actually a Spectre M4 itself.
=Shotguns=
==Ithaca 37==
Two Ithaca 37 shotguns are first seen in the film at the Fatman's security cache. Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) notably uses an Ithaca 37 with a tactical flashlight mounted on the pump forend and fitted with a pistol grip while raiding Mathilda's (Natalie Portman) apartment. Malky (Peter Appel) also uses an Ithaca 37 with an extended magazine tube.
==Remington 870==
Mathilda's father (Michael Badalucco) pulls a Remington 870 Slug Gun shotgun on Stansfield (Gary Oldman) and shoots him in the shoulder during the attack on his apartment, as well as killing another henchman with a shot to the back. We also see a Remington 870 on the gun rack in the Fatman's house, and an NYPD ESU officer is seen wielding one with synthetic furniture, a police folder pistol grip (minus the stock), extended magazine tube, and a long barrel during the final shootout.
=Rifles=
==SGW Multimatch AR-15==
Léon requests a rifle from Tony (Danny Aiello) to train Mathilda (Natalie Portman) on her long-range sniping exercise. Tony had one of his workers go into the freezer and pull out an SGW Multimatch AR-15 rifle. Mathilda uses the rifle (loaded with simunition paintball rounds) in her practice "hit" on the jogging politician (Denis Bellocq) in Central Park. The rifle is the old model SGW Multimatch before SGW turned into what is now known as Olympic Arms. With a 16" medium heavyweight barrel, shaved gas block, carbine length free floating aluminum handguard tube, and a Bell & Carlson AR-15 Thumbhole stock. It has blued 20-round magazines (the kind available in the early 1990s), a Harris Bipod, and a dummy short 'suppressor' for the end of the threaded barrel. The scope is a Burris with a 40mm objective lense, and sits on Weaver's tall see-through scope mount rings.
'Simunition' is a trademark for training ammunition produced by General Dynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systems Canada Inc. of Québec, Canada. Simunition encompasses many types of training rounds, the best-known being the FX Marking Cartridge, or paintball round. Simunition rounds are designed to be used by police and military for training purposes. Most simunition cartridges require slight modification to the weapon to ensure that normal service rounds cannot be fired during training and to simulate full recoil with reduced-pressure/reduced-velocity rounds for more realistic training. In this case for a 5.56 simunition round to work all it would take is a bolt swap to allow this rifle to function with simunition rounds. It's very unlikely the prop weapon itself actually fired the simunition in the film although it is very possible that it could in real life.
Note that in real life, simunition is used only for CQB training, as paintball rounds can't reach the velocity to hit a target at great distance; simunition has a maximum range of only 200 yards. (In the case of the film, even though the politician was made to look very far the reticle image shows the politician was closer than 150 yards, within range - though making such a shot with simunition would still be rather unlikely.)
==Heckler & Koch HK91 (Mocked up as SR9)==
A Heckler & Koch HK91 is used by an NYPD ESU officer to stand in for the SR9.
thumb|450px|none|Heckler & Koch HK91A2 - 7.62x51mm NATO
==Heckler & Koch HK33A3==
Heckler & Koch HK33A3s are used by several members of the NYPD ESU team that Stansfield (Gary Oldman) sends to Léon's (Jean Reno) apartment.
==Heckler & Koch HK33A2==
The Heckler & Koch HK33A2 is briefly seen in the security cache, and in the hands of an NYPD ESU officer.
==SIG SG 543==
Several NYPD ESU officers that attack Léon's apartment are armed with SIG SG 543s.
==SIG SG 540==
A large amount of NYPD ESU officers who assault Léon's apartment carry SIG SG 540 rifles.
==SIG SG 551==
An NYPD ESU officer is armed with a SIG SG 551 during the second assault on Léon's apartment.
==Beretta SC-70/223==
Several NYPD ESU officers can be seen armed with Beretta SC-70/223s, distinguished from the AR-70/.223 model by their folding stocks.
==Ruger Mini-14 GB-F==
The Ruger Mini-14 GB-F is seen in the hands of NYPD ESU officers who arrive at Léon's apartment during the final shootout.
==IMI Galil AR==
One of the ESU officers in the first team that enters Léon's apartment is armed with a Galil AR. Strangely enough, this rifle has a wooden handguard instead of the usual polymer, which is rare since they were only made of wood for a short time before being changed.
==Armi-Jager AP-15 with Fake Grenade Launcher==
The Armi-Jager AP-15 is seen in the hands of a few ESU officers after the big fight. This could presumably be the same fake grenade launcher in Besson's Nikita.
==Armi-Jager AP-74==
The Armi-Jager AP-74 is wielded as a stand-in for the M16A1 by ESU officers.
==Colt M16A1 with A2 handguard==
One of NYPD ESU officers is seen with an M16A1 with A2 handguard.
=Machine Guns=
==MAS AA-52==
A heavily modified French MAS AA-52 GPMG with the carry handle removed, a tripod, a Russian PSO-1 scope and a variety of other tactical "junk" fitted is utilized by the NYPD ESU team to launch a grenade into Léon's apartment towards the end of the film. A belt-fed machine gun is an absurd weapon for a police tactical team to be equipped with (especially if its sole purpose is just to launch an explosive rifle grenade, another absurd item for a police unit to have), and appears to have been used purely for visual effect. Note that the rifle grenade is not an explosive/fragmentation grenade, but rather a parachute flare.
=Miscellaneous=
==Suppressors==
Léon has several suppressors.
==Léon's Grenades==
==M67 Hand Grenade==
Several M67 hand grenades are seen on the tactical vests of NYPD ESU officers.
==M18 Smoke Grenade==
NYPD ESU officers use M18 smoke grenades during the end of the assault on the apartment. They are likely meant to stand in for tear gas grenades, however, for actor safety, standard smoke grenades were probably used.
Category:Movie
Category:Action
Category:Action Movie
Category:Thriller
Category:Crime
Category:French Produced/Filmed
Category:Luc Besson