  Using a QCD inspired model developed by our group for particle production,
the Interacting Gluon Model (IGM), we have made a systematic analysis of all
available data on leading particle spectra. These data include diffractive
collisions and photoproduction at HERA. With a small number of parameters
(essentially only the non-perturbative gluon-gluon cross section and the
fraction of diffractive events) good agreement with data is found. We show that
the difference between pion and proton leading spectra is due to their
different gluon distributions. We predict a universality in the diffractive
leading particle spectra in the large momentum region, which turns out to be
independent of the incident energy and of the projectile type.
