Branded to Kill (殺しの烙印, Koroshi no rakuin) is a 1967 Japanese crime thriller directed by Seijun Suzuki. The plot depicts Goro Hanada (Jô Shishido), the Japanese yakuza Number Three Killer with a fetish for the smell of boiling rice. In his attempts to climb to the very top in the bloody business Hanada meets and falls in love with a mysterious woman named Misako, who recruits him for a mission that Hanada fails. Due to this, he becomes a target for the Number One Killer.
This low budget, surrealistic and absurdist movie originally was a commercial and critical disappointment for the studio. But over time Branded to Kill was recognized as a cult classic and made influence for notable filmmakers, among which are Jim Jarmusch, John Woo, Chan-wook Park and Quentin Tarantino.
The following weapons were used in the film Branded to Kill:
Note!! Most, if not all guns in the movie turn out to be not real weapons but rather replicas, likely flashpaper guns. These guns are named by the models they are based on (when possible), with mentioning the features that allow to tell they are not real.
Handguns
Custom Mauser C96
Goro Hanada uses a flashpaper replica of custom Mauser C96 pistol, modified for using twenty-round detachable magazine, like Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer. The main non-standard feature of this gun is the lack of any kind of safety. Other oddities are the large ring hammer that is positioned lower than on standard early C96s with this feature, smooth slide rails that are common for "Prewar Commercial" version, and no markings on the frame. In action Hanada's Mauser fires in full auto mode despite it lacks the selector switch of Schnellfeuer model.
A hammerless pistol, resembling Colt Model 1903 (but with shorter barrel and more angular shapes) or pistols of the Ruby family, is seen in numerous scenes. A single prop is reused, while these are different guns according to the story. Misako Nakajo (Annu Mari) holds a pistol during the failed assassination. Further same looking pistol is seen in hands of Mami Hanada (Mariko Ogawa). After she drops the gun and runs away, Hamada picks up the gun and uses it as his main gun until the final.
Number One Killer (Koji Nanbara) is armed with an FN Model 1910. Unlike most other guns in the movie, this one looks quite authentic (at least Hanada opens the slide and extracts the magazine). The FN 1910 isn't used in action.
Gihei Kasuga (Hiroshi Minami) carries a snub nose revolver. His gun is based on Smith & Wesson Model 10 Snub Nose but differs in details, such as the shape of the front sight, the simplified details of the cylinder and seemingly too thin walls of the barrel.
Hanada uses a Stirling Model 20 .22 semi auto rifle with sniper scope for two assassinations. Later same rifle (according to the plot, this is a different weapon) is used by Misako. After Misako's abduction, Hanada takes her rifle and uses it, fitted with the sniper scope, for the shootout on the breakwater and during the confrontation with Number One Killer.
