Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman) makes a deal with the Mangalores that involves selling them his company's new Zorg ZF-1 pod weapons system. The ZF-1 contains a machine gun, rocket launcher, poison arrow launcher, net launcher, flamethrower (Zorg's favorite), and the "all-new Ice Cube System" that sprays liquid nitrogen. Simon Atherton, the armorer who designed and built the weapons used in The Fifth Element, has said in an interview for a science-fiction magazine that firing versions of the ZF-1 were built around 5.45x39mm AKS-74U carbines. It is also possible to see the AKS-74U magazine on the weapon in some scenes. In scenes where the ZF-1 is not fired, inert models are used instead; the firing ZF-1s can be distinguished by an ejection port on the right side of the upper body shell.
The handgun used by Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) and Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) throughout the film appears to be a visually modified Vektor CP1 pistol.
The Vektor CP1 pistol also appears to be the basis for the Mangalore handgun. Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) also is seen using this handgun when "negotiating" with the lead Mangalore, Aknot.
The ZF-140 assault gun the mugger (Mathieu Kassovitz) pointed at Korben Dallas is a dressed up Polish WZ.83 Pallad D Grenade Launcher. Two AK mags were mounted at an angle and the underfolding stock was covered by a rubber motorcycle fork gaiter.
The heavy machine gun used by the Mangalores onboard the Fhloston Paradise space liner is a Browning M2 heavy machine gun. The Browning M2 used in the film has a shortened barrel and was fitted with rockets, flexible metal hoses and a ballistic shield to make the weapon look more futuristic.
The NYPD is seen using a futuristic handgun of some sort as their main weapon. It's also used by the crew of the Fhloston Paradise space liner during the assault by the Mangalores. It is never seen being fired and is likely just a fabricated prop.
A Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer machine pistol is used by Billy Masterson (Luke Perry) in Egypt in 1914. While it looks appropriate for the time period, the Schnellfeuer was produced in the early 1930s and is thus an anachronism. That said however, it is the only real weapon in the film not buried in Hollywood embellishments to pass for a futuristic or alien weapon.
A visually modified Norinco Type 56-1 rifle is seen in the hands of a Fhloston Paradise space liner crew member when Korbin Dallas (Bruce Willis) and Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker) are heading to the ship's control room.
