Ammu-Nation
Ammu-Nation is a major chain of gun shops featured between Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. The chain primarily specialized in offering the player an assortment of firearms from pistols to grenades, as well as armor, in exchange for money. In the beginning of the game, Ammu-Nation stores tend to have only weak weapons in stock; more powerful weapons are unlocked as the player progresses through the storyline.
The name Ammu-Nation is a portmanteau of ammunition and nation, which implies the store is patriotic. The store opened in 1962.
The chain is absent in Grand Theft Auto IV, explained to have been shut down as a result of strict gun control laws passed by then mayor Julio Ochoa. As alternatives, players may either purchase weapon from illegally operating gun shops or out of the back of mobile gun cars. In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Ammu-Nation resurfaces but has shifted its operations online.
Description
GTA III
Weapons are bought by walking over a floating weapon pickup inside Ammu-Nation stores. When the player enters the store, the camera switches to a fixed position at the corner of the store until the player exits the store. The clerks carry Shotguns and will attack the player if the player is aggressive (i.e. the player shoots the clerk with any kind of firearm).
Ammu-Nation is featured in GTA III's official website in the Portland section of the website. It includes an audio advertisement and a pop-up to Ammu-Nation's website.
|
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Red Light District/Saint Mark's | ||
| Pistol | $250 | Pump-Action Pimp |
| Uzi | $800 | Cipriani's Chauffeur |
| Newport | ||
| Uzi | $800 | Last Requests |
| Grenades | $2,000 | Last Requests |
| AK-47 | $3,000 | Last Requests |
| Sniper Rifle | $10,000 | Last Requests |
| Body Armor | $3,000 | Last Requests |
GTA Vice City
Weapons are bought by standing in the pink marker inside Ammu-Nation stores. Each clerk at each store carries a different weapon which include the Mac (Ocean Beach), Uz-I (North Point Mall) and .357 (Downtown).
Ammu-Nation seems to have connections with Mr. Black and his contract killing company, since during a mission in GTA Vice City, protagonist Tommy Vercetti is hired to kill a business man, steal a briefcase he is carrying and deliver it to the owner of an Ammu-Nation local in Downtown.
|
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Beach | ||
| Pistol | $100 | |
| Mac | $300 | |
| Chrome Shotgun | $500 | Mall Shootout |
| Kruger | $1000 | Guardian Angels |
| Body Armor | $200 | Jury Fury |
| North Point Mall | ||
| Pistol | $100 | |
| Grenades | $300 | |
| Uz-I | $400 | |
| Stubby Shotgun | $600 | The Chase |
| Sniper Rifle | $1,500 | Phnom Penh '86 |
| Body Armor | $200 | Jury Fury |
| Downtown | ||
| .357 | $2,000 | Rub Out |
| MP | $3,000 | Rub Out |
| S.P.A.S. 12 | $4,000 | Bar Brawl |
| M4 | $5,000 | Rub Out |
| .308 Sniper | $6,000 | Shakedown |
| Body Armor | $200 | Jury Fury |
GTA San Andreas
Weapons are bought by standing on the red marker inside Ammu-Nation stores. A menu to choose the weapon is displayed. The player can preview the weapon by selecting the weapon without buying it and the clerk will bring up the weapon to display. Ammu-Nations only open up after the mission Doberman. All clerks wield dual Pistols and will open fire if the player shoots inside the store or aims their gun at him.
There are a total of four different Ammu-Nation interiors, of which three feature shooting ranges. There is also an unused interior which features two floors and can only be entered using certain cheats or with cheat devices. The store is otherwise functional if entered properly.
|
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Pistol | $200 | |
| Silenced Pistol | $600 | |
| Shotgun | $600 | |
| Sawn-off Shotgun | $800 | |
| Tec 9 | $300 | |
| Micro SMG | $500 | |
| SMG | $2,000 | |
| Grenades | $300 | |
| Rifle | $1,000 | Body Harvest |
| Satchel Charges | $2,000 | Against All Odds |
| Sniper Rifle | $5,000 | Pier 69 |
| AK-47 | $3,500 | Lure |
| M4 | $4,500 | Yay Ka-Boom-Boom |
| Desert Eagle | $1,200 | You've Had Your Chips |
| Combat Shotgun | $1,000 | You've Had Your Chips |
| Body Armor | $200 |
GTA Advance
Weapons are bought by standing on the marker in front of Ammu-Nation stores. The game pauses and a menu appears to let the player purchase weapons. The store itself cannot be entered so no clerk appears in this game.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bat | $100 |
| Katana | $5,000 |
| Pistol | $250 |
| Shotgun | $1,000 |
| Uzi | $800 |
| Assault Rifle | $3,000 |
| Flamethrower | $5,000 |
| Molotov Cocktails | $2,000 |
| Grenades | $3,000 |
| Minigun | $15,000 |
| Rocket Launcher | $10,000 |
| Body Armor | $3,000 |
GTA Liberty City Stories
Ammu-Nation stores in GTA Liberty City Stories distinctively combines design traits from both GTA III's and GTA Vice City's Ammu-Nation. Just like in GTA III, the same fixed camera view returns which makes the players unable to use first person view weapons like Sniper Rifle or Rocket Launcher; however, the game requires the player stand on the yellow marker in front of the counter to purchase weapons, and utilizes GTA Vice City's weapon selection system. Clerks carry shotguns and will attack the player if aimed at or the player fires a weapon inside the store.
Ammu-Nation is featured in GTA Liberty City Stories's official website in an e-mail under the name "Y2K is Coming!"
|
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Red Light District/Saint Mark's | ||
| Pistol | $240 | Snuff |
| Micro SMG | $600 | Don in 60 Seconds |
| Newport | ||
| Grenades | $360 | Driving Mr. Leone |
| Micro SMG | $600 | Driving Mr. Leone |
| AK-47 | $4,200 | Driving Mr. Leone |
| Sniper Rifle | $6,000 | Driving Mr. Leone |
| Body Armor | $240 | Driving Mr. Leone |
GTA Vice City Stories
The Ammu-Nation stores in GTA Vice City Stories functions exactly the same as in GTA Vice City. But all clerks inside the stores carry Shotguns similar to GTA III and Liberty City Stories. The cost inside the parenthesis is the discounted price of the weapons after completing Phil's Shooting Range.
|
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | ||
| Pistol | $240 ($180) | Soldier |
| Scorpion | $360 ($270) | Soldier |
| Grenades | $360 ($270) | Soldier |
| Micro SMG | $600 ($450) | Soldier |
| Shotgun | $1,000 ($750) | Soldier |
| Body Armor | $240 ($180) | Soldier |
| Ocean Beach | ||
| SMG | $2,500 ($1,875) | From Zero to Hero |
| AK | $4,200 ($3,150) | From Zero to Hero |
| Spaz-12 | $4,000 ($3,000) | From Zero to Hero |
| Sniper Rifle | $6,000 ($4,500) | From Zero to Hero |
| Rocket Launcher | $9,000 ($6,750) | Turn On, Tune In, Bug Out |
| Body Armor | $240 ($180) | From Zero to Hero |
| Vice Point Mall (North Point Mall) | ||
| Grenades | $360 ($270) | From Zero to Hero |
| Equalizer | $2,000 ($1,500) | From Zero to Hero |
| Assault Rifle | $5,400 ($4,050) | From Zero to Hero |
| Laser Sniper | $8,000 ($6,000) | From Zero to Hero |
| Minigun | $15,000 ($11,250) | Farewell to Arms |
| Body Armor | $240 ($180) | From Zero to Hero |
GTA Chinatown Wars
In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, there are no stores, but weapons can be purchased on the Ammu-nation website via the PDA that will be delivered to the nearest safehouse.
Ammu-Nation scratch cards can also be purchased at various stores, and the player can win body armor or various weapons.
Shooting ranges
Shooting ranges can be found in some Ammu-Nations throughout the GTA III series. These places test your skill in handling your weapons.
Commercials
Ammu-Nation radio commercials make it clear that the store is run with with a right-wing paranoia philosophy, describing itself as the "store leading the fight against communism". The store also seems to promote the purchase of its products for illegal purposes, even suggesting they be used to kill one's mother-in-law if she is "being a bitch". There's also one in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City that mentions an anti-aircraft gun 'actually used when we whooped Australia's ass!'
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, there's an Ammu-Nation radio commercial about Saturday Safety Fun With Guns with Derek the Dodo.
Trivia
- Inside of the Ammu-Nation in Downtown Vice City in GTA Vice City, a poster of Ronald Reagan can be seen shooting a gun at Mikhail Gorbachev. However, the poster is hidden behind a wall and not narmally seen during gameplay. To see it, the player has to stand on the counter, aiming a rocket launcher out towards the street, then spin the camera around so they can see through the wall.
- Ammu-Nation was very successful. This was proved in GTA San Andreas, as it owns a talk radio station.
- In the Ammu-Nation stores' target ranges in GTA San Andreas, there are targets that look like CJ with 2 tec-9's in both hands.
- In GTA Vice City and San Andreas, there are 2D textures on the wall of Ammu-Nation which depict unusable weapons, such as the AUG A1, FAMAS F1, Galil SAR, M1921 Thompson, Barrett M95, M4A1 SOPMOD, M1903 Springfield and the AKS-74U. As such, most of the weapons on the shelf were not manufactured during the game's timeline including the Barrett and M4A1, and also, most of the weapons would be unusual to find in a US Gun store, as most of them are European or Middle-Eastern manufactured, such as the Galil or FAMAS.
- The clerk in GTA III and GTA Vice City is Sam Houser himself.
See also
- Illegal gun shops in GTA IV.
External links