Mesrine: Killer Instinct is part 1 of a two-part 2008 French-Canadian "Mesrine" film series directed by Jean-François Richet and starring Vincent Cassel as the French criminal Jacques Mesrine. Based on Mesrine's autobiographical book "L'instinct de mort", Killer Instinct details Mesrine's rise in the Paris criminal underworld after serving in the army in Algeria, as well as his early exploits in Paris, and later in Quebec, Canada. Part 2 is known as Mesrine: Public Enemy Number 1.
Mesrine uses a M1911 pistol to execute a prisoner in Algeria. Later, he acquires a nickel-plated M1911 in France that he uses for much of the movie.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingColt Government ModelError creating thumbnail: File missingMesrine executes the prisoner, a turning point which convinces him that he could be a murderer not for the government, but for his own gain. Mesrine has an almost identical pistol upon his arrival back from in Paris, his new one seems to be nickle plated though, not blued like the one in this picture.Error creating thumbnail: File missingHis own pistol is turned against him by his new boss, Guido (played by Gérard Depardieu) who lifted it from him when they hugged for the first time. This is the pistol that Mesrine uses throughout most of the rest of the movie.
Paul (Gilles Lellouche) steals a 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun from an apartment that he and Mesrine rob in Paris. Mesrine's partner in Quebec, Jean-Paul Mercier (Roy Dupuis), also carries a double barreled shotgun when he is confronted by two park rangers in the forest.
During the shootout at the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul prison in Quebec, Mesrine throws an Uzi submachine gun into the prison yard in an attempt to enable the prisoners to escape.
Most of the prison guards seem to be armed with Winchester 1300 shotguns. Later, two park rangers who come upon Mesrine and his accomplices in the forest are also armed with 1300s.
Mesrine and his accomplice Jean-Paul Messier (Roy Dupuis) are armed with anachronistic PostBan AR15 HBAR rifles (most likely a Bushmaster XM15E2) when they attack the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul prison. Their rifles have multiple magazines taped together. What is unusual is that the filmmakers decided to use post ban AR-15 rifles (which was a cosmetic change forced on the gun industry in 1994 by the Clinton Administration, and has since been expired after 2004). The heavy barreled rifles have no flash hiders, muzzle threads or bayonet lugs. No military or police unit used these rifles. The use of these rifles is doubly anachronistic since the sequence takes place in the early 1970s.
I am still trying to confirm these weapons - if anyone has any ideas please write below!
I will be updating this section (when I get back from the set! lol) am also doing some screencapping as well. These are ARIZONA highway patrol but the scene takes place in Monument Valley National park in Utah (but the park does cross the Arizona Border). But the real Mesrine was caught in ARKANSAS! I suppose there is no difference to French Filmmakers! hahaha There are tons of 'mistakes' in this film! ;) And a lot of the guns are anachronistic to the period. MPM
Mesrine uses a French 12 Gauge slide-action Manufrance Rapid shotgun during the casino robbery. This hunting shotgun usually had an extended magazine. Its action is similar to that of the Remington 870 but it has an aluminum receiver. Sold in the USA during the 1970-s as La Salle Riot Gun.
The woman's shotgun is NOT the same as Mesrines'. The bolt, ejector hole shape and receiver pins are different. MPM
