Apr
14
NRA in Anime
By: Emily Churchill
Whether it is in a certain anime or a Clint Eastwood film everyone loves a shoot-out. With all the fantasy magic and swords bigger than its wielder, one would think that anime guns wouldn’t be realistic. Well, while this may be true in some cases, in others you couldn’t be more wrong. Truthfully real life guns (or very close to real) are popping up everywhere in anime, you just have to know where to look. There are many examples, but today we’ll cover some from three of the most revered anime for weapon reality: Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, and Trigun.
We’ll start with Spike Spiegel. He has been related to Clint Eastwood in “Man with no name” for his cool and almost startling calm attitude in the face of danger. He even wears a poncho and a hat in the first episode, just like Clint in his movie.
A while later we will cover one of the most intriguing camouflage designs I’ve ever come across, and then the most interesting, carried by a amusing young man by the name of Nicholas D. Wolfwood.
The Character
Anime: Cowboy Bebop
Name: Spike Spiegel.
Occupation: Bounty Hunter.
The Gun
Name: IMI Jericho M941
Type: Semi-Auto, Double Action
Caliber: 9mm Para
Weight unloaded: 920g
Length overall: 192mm
Barrel length: 96mm
Capacity: 16 (9mm)
Everyone loves the main character from Cowboy Bebop, Spike Spiegel (Or at least, I think they should.). Where would our favorite Bounty Hunter be without his trusty Jericho? Although Spike’s gun has been modified slightly to suit his needs, the best example we can give you is the IMI Jericho 941.
The IMI Jericho 941 was manufactured in Israel and is marketed in the U.S. under the names of “Uzi Eagle” and “Baby Desert Eagle”. Used by Israeli police and defense forces, it is reported to be a very reliable and accurate handgun. Although it is no longer in production you can still find it in certain gun shows and websites. For the cosplayers out there wishing to look just like Spike on for the next con, (without those pesky con organizers calling the cops on you.) there is always the Hudson Airsoft Jericho 941. Although you should always check with the rules of the convention you are attending, just to be safe.
From studying the show, we can see that Spike uses 9mm bullets, giving him 16 rounds per magazine. His fellow bounty hunter and partner, Jet, uses the same type for his Walther P99, which we will cover next in this article. Because the Jericho is reported as a very reliable and accurate, it almost never jams. Which is probably why Spike loves it so much for the fast paced, high action shootouts he always seems to find himself in.
The Character
Anime: Cowboy Bebop
Name: Jet Black
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
The Gun
Name: Walther P99
Type: Semi-Auto, Double Action
Caliber: 9mm Para
Weight unloaded: 720g
Length overall: 180mm
Barrel length: 102mm
Capacity: 16 rounds (9mm)
If there is one person Spike can count on in a Bounty hunt gone wrong its Jet Black. And
If Jet has to come and intervene in a shoot out he’ll need a reliable gun to help. His choice weapon is the Walther P99. Walther’s are a favorite among police, so it’s no wonder the former cop turned bounty hunter still likes to use this handy little pistol.
The Walther P99 was presented in 1996 and was designed to be a new, modern style police and self-defense handgun that incorporated all the latest developments. It’s said to be an accurate and very useful gun in combat by those who have fired it. A U.S. licensed version of the P99 was manufactured by Smith & Wesson under the name Smith & Wesson model #99. These guns have U.S. made slides. The frame and mechanism are made in Germany.
As I mentioned previously, both Spike and Jet use the same type of bullets in there handguns. The type is the 9mm Para. The most logical reason for them using the same ammunition is locational and economical. They hardly have enough money for food, so it stands to reason they should spend as less as possible on ammunition, and without having to make as many gun store trips. Besides, when you in a gun fight and your partner runs out of ammo, what use is he?
The Character
Anime: Cowboy Bebop “Black Dog Serenade” Episode 16
Name: Fad
Occupation: ISSP police officer.
The Gun
Name: Smith and Wesson (S&W) M29
Type: Revolver, Double action.
Caliber: 44. Magnum
Weight unloaded: Unknown
Length overall: Unknown
Barrel length: 102 mm
Capacity: 6 rounds
Once known as the most powerful handgun in the world, the Smith and Wesson Model 29 was made famous by Clint Eastwood in the movie Dirty Harry and its sequels. Developed in the 1955, the gun is available in three sizes, the 4 inch; 6 inch and 8-3/8 inch. Other sizes are sold through the S&W custom site or from other retailers.
While the gun is a little outdated, and no longer the most powerful handgun in the world, as Jet pointed out, back in its prime it was a favorite of police officers and casual collectors alike. Fad seems to be a fan of the older models, and his character suits this, the entire episode was vaguely reminiscent of an old 50’s cop movie.
Originally only available in blued or nickel-plated versions, in 1969 S&W came out with a stainless steel version, called the M629. This is the only M29 variation still in production today.
The Character
Anime: Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Name: Togusa
Occupation: Police Officer for Section Nine.
The Gun
Name: Mataba 207
Type: Revolver
Caliber: 9mm Para.
Weight Loaded: 1360g
Length Overall: Unknown
Barrel Length: Unknown
Capacity: Six rounds. (9mm)
The Mataba 207, developed in the 1990’s, is Togusa’s weapon of choice. A gun revered for its accuracy, the M207’s hexagonal barrel is lined up with the bottom chamber to further insure this. A special feature of this revolver is a removable cylinder. While accurate, its downside is its timing. As a revolver it is not nearly as quick as some of the automatics out there, and with only a six bullet chamber it could be rather troublesome in a fast paced fight. In fact some would wonder why Togusa decided to use this gun in the first place.
The reason, as Togusa himself explains in “Trial” (episode 36 in which he goes to trial for shooting a man off duty while protecting a girl) the gun is very reliable and his personal favorite. He goes on to explain that although the gun only has six shots, usually a policeman doesn’t need many more to get the job done.
Togusa has never really shown himself to be a trigger happy character per say. In episode #35, he hesitates to shoot a young girl while she threatens to trigger a bomb located in her cybernetic body. This could be seen as his parental side, for he is the family man of section nine, with two children and a wife at home.
The Character
Anime: Ghost in the Shell
Name: Major Motoko Kusanagi
Occupation: Police officer for the Section 9 public security team.
The Gun
Name: C. (Czech Republic) Zastaba M100
Type: Semi-Auto, Double Action Only
Caliber: 9×19 mm Luger/Para.
Overall length: 180 mm
Weight loaded: 680 g
Barrel length: 98 mm
Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
The CZ M100 was developed by the Czech Zbrojovka and was originally designed for law enforcement personnel. With a hexagonal barrel and a rigid polymer frame the M100 is a master craft weapon known well for its accuracy and reliability.
Used by Motoko in the first GiTS movie the gun is a light weight, and easy to shoot. The Polymer frame and steel slide lightens it considerably to insure this. This is probably why it’s a popular choice for the police. Although it is not as amazing as the next weapon, it is a little more compact.
The Character
Anime: Ghost in the Shell
Name: Various members of the Section 9.
Occupation: Law enforcement.
The Gun
Name: Steyr TMP camouflaged by a briefcase.
Type: Full Auto, SMG
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Weight Unloaded: 1.3 kg.
Length Overall: 280mm
Barrel Length: Unknown
Capacity: 20-30 rounds.
As one of the most interesting camouflaged weapons in GiTS (of the realistic ones anyway) I couldn’t help but cover this nifty little piece. With a whopping capacity of 20-30 rounds and a length not much longer than your standard pistol, the TMP is said to be remarkably compact and easy to handle.
The TMP is known for its compact and light design; it resembles a pistol in every way other than a small handle at the front to help stabilize. A switch on the handle of the briefcase drops the case itself, revealing a Styer TMP with two attached 15 round clips of ammunition.
The case itself is armored to SP 10 for use as a sort of last ditch effort shield. Although the Styer TMP was used, many other SMG’s can be used for this type of concealment.
The Character
Anime: Trigun
Name: Nicholas D. Wolfwood
Occupation: Priest
(It should be noted that all information on this gun is pure speculation gathered from hours of research and just for fun.)
The Weapon
Type: The Cross Punisher, consisting of a Rocket Launcher, Machine gun and eight 9mm handguns. These handguns appear to be S&W 9mm semi auto, but without specific description they could be another make or model. Based on the assumption they are the S&W M29, these are the following specs.
Name: S&W 410S
Type: Semi Auto
Caliber: 9mm
Weight Unloaded: 807g
Length Overall: 190mm
Barrel Length: 101
Capacity: 11+1 rounds
If you were to see a lanky young Priest walking down the street carrying a cross almost larger than him wrapped in cloth you might think he’s a bit odd, but you wouldn’t even know the half of it. For under that cloth is an awesome weapon chocked full of mercy!
While the Cross Punisher is not a real life gun, it is a combination of three types of real life kinds of guns. A Rocket launcher located to on the top, four 9mm handguns on each arm of the cross and a machine gun on the bottom. Although you won’t find this inventive weapon in a gun show, if you could it would be a hot seller.
The handguns, first seen in episode ten, “Quick Draw” are used two at a time by Wolfwood. With an all metal frame and custom bone handles they deliver the reliability and performance you expect from all S&W guns. As a man who regularly finds himself in trouble, these must come in handy quite often.
The Machine gun is a notable addition with its inventive design. With a trigger in the center (which also serves as the trigger for the Rocket launcher and releases for other features) it fires from the bottom leg.
The Rocket launcher is the most interesting feature of the Cross. With a range of any normal bazooka, it also has a trigger located in the center. The Cross is balanced on Wolfwood’s shoulder under the arm of the cross to stabilize it while he aims and shoots.
