Trigun is a 26 episode anime series from Madhouse Studio based on the manga by Yasuhiro Nightow. Set on a desert planet populated by small settlements of human settlers, the story follows Vash the Stampede, an outlaw known as the "Humanoid Typhoon" with a 6,000,000,000$$ ("double dollar") bounty on his head. The series is notable for being one of the major anime titles in the U.S. in the 90's, where it gained far more popularity than in Japan.
Note:Many of the weapons in the series are based on real-world designs but have been modified to appear more futuristic. Most modifications are largely cosmetic and will simply be noted as "Futuristic" in the section header.
Vash the Stampede's primary weapon is a fictional silver-plated double-action, .45 Long Colt revolver. It possesses a 6 o' clock position barrel similar to a Mateba Autorevolver, a break-top mechanism similar to a Schofield Model 3.
The revolver's internal operation is somewhat unclear. The barrel mates up with the lowest chamber of the cylinder, but when fired, the hammer does not appear to be striking the round in that chamber. There may be an internal mechanism that redirects the force of the hammer down to the correct round. It appears to be styled in this way to keep the gun looking more conventional, instead of having the more unusual-looking hammers of the Mateba handguns. At the beginning of the series, the weapon has fallen into disrepair (Vash states that it is "three inches off from only ten yards") until episode 3 when the gunsmith Frank Marlon "changes the cylinder and hammer parts" and gives it a general tuneup.
Insurance agent Meryl Stryfe carries a multitude of BTJ DA38 derringers lining the inside of her coat. Unlike the real DA38, Meryl's pistols are chambered for .22 Magnum rounds.
At the end of episode 2, Mr. Cliff uses a fictional semi-auto pistol. While it doesn't appear to be based off of any particular weapon, the design is fairly believable and features a cut-away slide similar to many Beretta handguns.
Nicholas Wolfwood carries a pair fictional 1911-style handguns called the "Grader Single Hand 2043". According to markings on the weapon, it is a .45ACP handgun, manufactured by a "Grader Arms Co.", based out of July City. The most distinguishing feature about these weapons is the cocking lever; the front of the triggerguard is separate form the rest of the triggerguard and is attached directly to the slide. This allows the shooter to rack the slide with their shooting hand, allowing the pistol to be used completely one-handed.
A replica of the Grader Single Hand manufactured by the Japanese replica company Poseidon.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAn excerpt from the Trigun Artbook showcasing the Single Hand 2043.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe gun rack built into the Punisher loaded with several Grader Single Hand pistols.
Futuristic Single Action Army
A frequently seen weapon is a futuristic version of the Single Action Army revolver with two ejector rods that comes in three different barrel lengths.
A large portion of episode 3 centers around the history of a small town where gunsmith Frank Marlon had previously armed the population with custom-built revolvers referred to as "Frank Marlon Specials".
The gang leader in episode 3 uses a pair of lighter pistols modeled after the basic design of several Early Colt revolvers during his introduction. It is never shown if these are actual pistols with a lighter mechanism built in or just a pair of ostentatious cigarette lighters as he never uses them again.
One of the mercenaries in episode 4 uses a fictional pistol with a forward-mounted magazine similar to the TEC-9 and a bolt similar to the Armalite AR-7 rifle.
Several members of Descartes' gang use futuristic Micro Uzi submachine guns. The bolts on the submachine guns wrap around the top of the receiver as opposed to the real Micro Uzi's bolt, and the triggerguard has been altered.
Mr. Cliff carries six small submachine guns hidden in his coat. Each one is rigged up to a metal arm that raises them into position and fires them when he opens his jacket far enough. Despite their effectiveness as a surprise weapon, they are shown to have a very limited ammunition supply.
One of the mercenaries in episode 4 is armed with a submachine gun that uses components from various designs, most notably the magazine of a MG34 machine gun.
One of Descarte's henchmen uses a AKMS assault rifle. The weapon is modeled after the custom-built short-barreled AKMS rifles seen in American films, but has been heavily altered around the muzzle and receiver. A small number of these assault rifles appear throughout the rest of the series.
In episode 1, bounty hunter Ruth Loose (aka "The Constance Rifle") uses a fictional double--barreled lever-action rifle. The weapon feeds from two separate stick magazines, each one connected to a separate barrel. Operating the lever causes the barrels and magazines to rotate counter-clockwise, ejecting the spent round from the previously-fired barrel and chambering a round in the top-aligned barrel.
Several futuristic Winchester Model 1897 shotguns are seen throughout the show. The forward sling/bayonet mount has been altered from its real-world counterpart, and the receiver has some sort of vent-like structure over its front half.
The gang leader in episode 3 uses a fictional machine gun as his primary weapon. Racking the shotgun-style pump causes the barrel shroud to open up, revealing a large variety of alternate functions (none of which are actually used onscreen).
Error creating thumbnail: File missingModel 24 "Geballte Ladung" ("Bundled Charge"), a common improvised version of the Model 24 consisting of one complete grenade bundled together with six grenade heads, creating a more powerful charge.Error creating thumbnail: File missingRuth throws a Geballte Ladung at his pursuers.
Other Weapons
Milly's Stun-Gun
Insurance agent Milly Thompson carries with her a large Gatling-style concussion gun, usually concealed under her coat. It fires long projectiles which unfold into 4-armed crosses which have enough force to incapacitate people, or flip over trucks. Despite it's design and resemblance to a typical Gatling gun, Milly's Stun-Gun is semi-automatic.
