Vitaly Orlov (Jared Leto) carries a Beretta 92SB pistol throughout the film. During the altercation with the narco-guerrilla in Colombia, he pulls this weapon to defend his brother Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage). The same prop also appears as one of the guns Yuri displays for sale to André Baptiste Sr. (Eamonn Walker).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingBeretta 92SB - 9x19mmError creating thumbnail: File missingVitaly Orlov (Jared Leto) draws his Beretta 92SB when Lebanese soldiers execute Palestinian guerrillas. Note rounded trigger guard and the hollow threaded guide rod to allow the attachment of a compensator. It is not missing the guide rod as sometimes claimed.Error creating thumbnail: File missingVitaly draws his Beretta 92SB when he hears an Afghan Mujahideen fighter fires his Type 56-1.Error creating thumbnail: File missingVitaly points his Beretta 92SB at the Colombian narco-guerrilla. He had better put his finger on the trigger if he wants the reflex to shoot the man if the man shoots him.
Smith & Wesson Model 686
While Yuri is negotiating with André Baptiste Sr. (Eamonn Walker), the warlord examines a Smith & Wesson Model 686, which he then uses to kill one of the men in the room, after which Yuri comments that he'll have to purchase the weapon given it's now "used". Later on, André captures Yuri's primary gun-running competitor Simeon Weisz (Ian Holm) as a "present" for Yuri and gives Yuri the opportunity to kill him with the revolver. When Yuri is reluctant to do the deed himself, the warlord puts the gun in Yuri's hand and presses Yuri's finger on the trigger to fire the gun, killing Weisz.
In one scene, Yuri sells four Glock 17 pistols along with a large shipment of other weapons to a Colombian narco-guerrilla (possibly a member of FARC). When a dispute arises regarding payment for the weapons (the drug lord wants to give him cocaine instead of money), Yuri ends up getting shot by one of the pistols, violating the most important of his three rules: "Don't get shot with your own merchandise".
A notable mistake is that two of the Glock 17s in this scene (including the one used by the drug lord to shoot Yuri) are clearly 3rd Generation models (they have frame rails for mounting accessories, plus thumb reliefs and finger grooves in the grip), which were introduced in the late-1990s, but the scene takes place in the late-1980s. Two other Glocks are both 2nd Generation models, which would have been correct for the time period.
The Russian mobster who is attacked in the restaurant single-handedly takes out two hitters with his Star Model B pistol. A similar Star Model B (possibly the same prop) is among the weapons Yuri has on display for sale to André Baptiste Sr.. This is the same Star Model B used in Flight of the Phoenix.
Yuri's very first arms sale is a batch of Uzi Pistol machine pistols, which are sold to local Russian mobsters. As the scene takes place before Yuri's sales in Lebanon (which took place in 1982), the Uzi Pistols are anachronistic, since they were introduced in 1984.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingIMI Uzi Pistol with 25-round magazine - 9x19mmError creating thumbnail: File missingA couple of Uzi Pistols along with a suppressor and ammo hidden in a video camera case, about to be sold to the mobsters.Error creating thumbnail: File missingOne of the mobsters points a Uzi Pistol at Yuri right after Yuri said it is so quiet that they could unload a mag into him and never wake the guy next door. Yuri should have also told the mobster to put the suppressor on first before threatening to try it on him.Error creating thumbnail: File missingVitaly Orlov examines one of Yuri's Uzi Pistols.
Heckler & Koch MP5K
Interpol Agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) carries a Heckler & Koch MP5K with a 15-round magazine and a Navy trigger group.
Throughout the film, the Interpol agents are seen carrying Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns, both the MP5A2 and MP5A3, many of which have Navy trigger groups. In one scene where Interpol agents confront Yuri as he is about to ship an Mi-24 attack helicopter to Burkina Faso, one of the agents shoves an MP5 in his face threateningly. He coolly replies: "Oh, the new MP5... would you like a silencer for that?" A couple of MP5s were also seen in Yuri's weapons container.
In one scene, Yuri and Vitaly sell full-size Uzi submachine guns to Somali Islamic resistance fighters (one of them tests the weapon by firing it at a cardboard cutout of Ronald Reagan). Yuri notes the irony of this transaction: "I sold Israeli-made Uzis to Muslims".
Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is seen examining a Type III pattern AK-47 rifle of Russian manufacture during one of the film's most memorable scenes, the weapon's simplicity and near-indestructibility being highly praised by him. The film starts out following the journey of an AK-47 7.62x39mm round from the ammunition factory in Russia to its final destination in an African country, where it is fired at and kills a child soldier.
N.B. In his narration, Yuri refers to the rifle as the "Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947, more commonly known as the AK-47 or Kalashnikov." When it was adopted by the Soviet Army, the rifle was simply designated "AK" for Avtomat Kalashnikova (Автомат Калашникова). The name "AK-47" was applied by Western countries, but was not used officially by the Soviet military. However, the name became so common worldwide that some Russian sources and films can be found using it (see Kalashnikov).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingAK-47 - 7.62x39mmError creating thumbnail: File missingYuri cycles the action on the AK-47.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA close-up of the magazine well of the AK-47 Yuri is examining as he loads the weapon with a magazine full of dummy rounds. Note the АВ-ОД Cyrillic markings on the selector establish that the gun is of Russian manufacture.Error creating thumbnail: File missing"An elegantly simple 9-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it, and they do". Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) examines a Soviet-built Type III AK-47 while describing the Kalashnikov's legendary reputation for viewers.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSeveral AK-47s are seen piled up in Yuri's plane.
AKM
Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is seen loading and handing out an AKM to an African civilian when his plane lands on the dirt road. AKMs also appear numerous times during Yuri's sales. A Russian mobster is seen using one with the stock removed to appear like an AKMS, although close inspection reveals it lacks the stock and hinges.
The gold-plated AK-47/AKM derivative carried by André Baptiste Jr. (Sammi Rotibi) is not, as has been written previously, an AKS-74U or AKMSU or any such factory-manufactured weapon. It is a custom-made Kalashnikov that was built specially for the film, using a variety of parts taken from real AK-pattern weapons. Martin Edge, an armorer at Hire Arms, which supplied the guns for all scenes filmed in South Africa, has sent IMFDB an email with the following details:
"The weapon started out as a Saiga hunting rifle with synthetic stock and furniture... Here are the rest of the details:
-The folding stock is, as you mentioned from East Germany, this was purchased in East Germany at an arms fair and fitted to the weapon -The top cover is held on by means of a Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rear top cover spring clip -A pistol grip was installed and the trigger moved forward, the trigger guard is from a Vektor R4 -The barrel and gas tube were shortened and the front sight is fitted to the barrel by means a flat on the barrel and a key on the front sight, the handguard is held in position by the flash-hider -The muzzle brake/flash-hider was turned down from a piece of bar
The weapon was originally supplied to the production with the black synthetic furniture, but was rejected in favour of the wooden furniture. The weapon was actually built by Bruce Wenztel, the owner of Hire Arms, which is Johannesburg based movie weapons props house in South Africa. I was not one of the armourers on the movie as I was not working for the company that the time of the production. The armourer was Lance Peters who handled the weapons on set on the companies behalf. Hire Arms imported some weapons and supplied the others. I spend most of my time building specialized weapons for future productions and spend very little time on set. The company has 400 feature movies under its belt and seems to be going from strength to strength. I am attaching various other pictures, please feel free to upload as you like.
You also mention the magazine in your copy, and it is an early type and was chosen because of its surface area for ease of plating. Brass plating was suggested as an alternative to gold but was rejected by the production in favour of 18crt gold plating, which cost a small fortune".
As mentioned in Martin's email, he sent us a number of photos of the gold-plated AK. IMFDB is extremely grateful to him for this exclusive info!
As in many Hollywood films, one of the most common AK derivatives seen in the film is the Type 56-1, the Chinese copy of the AKS-47/AKMS, with its distinctive hooded front sight. In fact, AKs of this type are seen being used by the ex-USSR soldiers in Ukraine during the early-1990s (which is highly inaccurate, because Soviet troops would never use Chinese-made weapons and the 7.62x39mm AKs had been phased out of Russian service at the time of the scene, anyway). Many of the Type 56-1s seen in the film have been visually modified to pass for AKMS rifles - they have been fitted with the ribbed receiver cover (Chinese AKs normally have smooth) and the wider handguard.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingType 56-1 rifle with underfolding stock - 7.62x39mmError creating thumbnail: File missingA Russian mobster fires his Type 56-1 during a hit in a restaurant. Note that the folding stock has been removed.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAn Afghan Mujahideen fighter fires a Type 56-1. Note that in real life, the CIA in cooperation with China and Pakistan supplied many Type 56 rifles to the Mujahideen to fight the Soviet troops in Afghanistan. This particular Chinese Type 56 has the ribbed top cover of an AKM - the Chinese AKs have smooth top covers.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA Soviet soldier in Ukraine erroneously holding a Type 56-1. It was mocked up to resemble an AKMS by installing a laminated hand bulge AKM front wood grip and an AKM style ribbed dust cover.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe Soviet mechanic Vladimir working on the Hind (played by Nicolas Cage's son Weston Cage) points his Type 56-1 at the Interpol agents.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAfrican civilians clear out a crate filled with Type 56-1s in Yuri's plane.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe R.U.F. rebel commander fires a Type 56-1 at Vitaly Orlov (Jared Leto) after he blows up a truck full of weapons intended for the rebels. This looks to be the same rifle used previously by the Afghan Mujahideen fighter, since the cleaning rod is too short and goes too far into the receiver, an unusual look for an AK.
Custom Nickel Type 56-1
In Yuri's gun container, a nickel-plated Type 56-1 with ivory furniture and a Romanian-style foregrip is seen. This weapon was originally built by Weapons Specialists for the film Belly, and also appeared in several other films and TV shows.
In one of Yuri's first major sales, he procures hundreds of surplus M16A2 rifles left in Lebanon by American peacekeepers, which he sells to the leader of the Lebanese Maronite militia (probably the real-life Phalange) in a joint deal with a corrupt American military officer named Lieutenant Colonel Southern (a reference to Lt. Col. Oliver North, who in real life helped sell American-made weaponry "under the table" to proxy forces). While the M16A2 was introduced in the time era, it was not adopted or fielded until some time later, so the pile should be M16A1s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingM16A2 - 5.56x45mm NATOError creating thumbnail: File missingA pile of American M16A2s left over in Lebanon (some AKs and Heckler & Koch G3s are also visible in the pile).Error creating thumbnail: File missingA close-up of one of the M16s in the pile. The weapon is actually an AR-15A2/HBAR as can be seen clearly marked on the receiver. It is part of the batch of over 1500 rubber molded firearms made for the film, the bolt catch was missing from the replica which was used in the molding process. While the M16A2 was technically available at the time this sequence takes place, the civilian AR-15A2/HBAR shown here was not, and thus is itself an anachronism.
Model 311
One Model 311 is found in the surplus M16A2 rifles left in Lebanon by American peacekeepers. It appears to have an M16A2 handguard.
A Lebanese soldier is seen using a Vektor R5 to execute Palestinian guerrillas. It is noted as being a Vektor R5 and not a Galil SAR by the bulge on the end of the gas tube just behind the front sight, which prevents the handguard retaining clip from moving unless the rifle is disassembled.
Two Lebanese soldiers are seen using M16A1s with A2 handguards to execute Palestinian guerrillas. One is also seen in Yuri Orlov's weapons container, another one is seen with a fascist soldier in Borneo.
One of the narco-guerrilla's henchmen is seen holding a CAR-15 with a 10" barrel when Yuri sells Glock pistols to the narco-guerrilla. One is also seen in Yuri's gun container.
In Ukraine, a Soviet stockpile of weaponry consists of thousands of "Kalashnikovs", which are in fact Sa vz. 58 assault rifles standing in. According to director Andrew Niccol in the DVD commentary, the guns were real guns rented from a real arms dealer, as it was cheaper for the production to rent 3,000 real guns than to rent 3,000 blank converted props.
A Henry US Survival take-down rifle with a stainless steel finish, a matching Aimpoint CompM2 reflex sight, and a wire stock is seen in Yuri's weapons container.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingHenry US Survival with Aimpoint CompM2 reflex sight - .22 LR. The weapon seen here belongs to Weapons Specialists, Ltd., the New York-based prop house which supplied the weapons for the New York scenes of Lord of War, so this gun is probably the exact same one seen in the film.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA Henry US Survival circled in red.
Karabiner 98k
A Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle can be seen in the hands of an Afghan Mujahideen fighter during the montage where Yuri describes the growth of his business. This rifle has a straight bolt unlike a genuine 98k but has the indentation in the stock under the bolt indicating it is built off of several Mauser variants.
A Smith & Wesson 3000 shotgun with a side-folding stock is seen in Yuri's weapons container. At least one S&W 3000 shotgun is seen being carried by an Interpol agent in Sierra Leone.
While doing business with André Baptiste Sr., André Baptiste Jr. requests that Yuri get him what he calls "the gun of Rambo", an M60 machine gun (The Rambo in which Jr. refers is "Part One", which is the first film, First Blood). Upon receiving the gun, he is seen firing it at random civilians while driving in the truck to do business with the R.U.F. in Sierra Leone. An M60 is also seen on the Coast Guard boat when Jack Valentine is about to board the Kristol/Kono.
Another frequently-seen weapon in the film is the RPG-7. In one scene, Yuri gives away a whole plane full of weapons, including RPG-7s, to African civilians to avoid being caught with them by Interpol agents. Interestingly, the flight scene shows that the launchers are armed, having live rockets loaded... never a safe way to fly.
Near the end of the film, Vitaly uses RGD-5 hand grenades to try to destroy two trucks of weapons his brother is selling to the R.U.F. in exchange for conflict diamonds, but only manages to destroy one truck.
NATO had to be notified during the filming of the line of tanks when Yuri visits the Ukrainian base, otherwise they would have appeared to be part of a war mobilization from satellite images.
