Weapons


 * "You won't last long here, not without help, not without guns... a hell of a lot of guns." — Helena Pierce, Borderlands debut trailer

According to Gearbox, there are over 17 million 500 thousand different variations of weapons, as of release. The game uses a procedural process to generate its various guns in certain classes, such as handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and more, but with many variations of firing speed, reload speed, damage type and more.

Thankfully, there is an easy way to determine the basics of a weapon without having to pick it up and open an inventory screen. When you approach a weapon on the ground, a small holographic window appears above it that displays information such as weapon type (shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, etc.), damage type (static, incendiary, caustic, etc.), monetary value, as well as the weapon's rarity using a color coding system.

If a human enemy is carrying a special weapon that they drop upon their death, they will wield it against the player. Otherwise they use a default weapon for their enemy type.

The different types of weapons are:
 * Alien Rifles
 * Combat Rifles
 * Pistols
 * Revolvers
 * Rocket Launchers
 * Shotguns
 * Sniper Rifles
 * Sub-Machine Guns
 * Rare Items (Above Purple!)

Flavor Text
Found in the stats boxes of guns are sometimes cryptic or humorous messages. These lines indicate a certain effect on the gun. The messages can be found in the borderlands game files, and are listed below by type of weapon, and then alphabetically.

Alien Rifles
Note that flavor text for Alien Rifles is marked differently and applies to the entire class of alien weapon. Many of these descriptions may never be found on weapons in-game because another file has marked them as inactive.


 * 010011110100110101000111, Eridian Cannon (Binary is the ASCII encoding for "OMG".)
 * Anybody need a light?, Eridian Fire Storm (Possible reference to Starcraft's Terran Firebat saying "Need a light?")
 * Getting near this thing makes your hair stand on end., Eridian Shock Rifle
 * Hold on...it does what?, Eridian Elemental Rifle
 * I feel like I'm gonna break this thing., Eridian Lightning Rifle (Reference to "The Noisy Cricket" from Men in Black.)
 * Lightning never strikes the same place twice, but it can strike freaking everywhere!, Eridian Thunder Storm
 * No face shall go unmelted., Eridian Acid Storm
 * Pew Pew Pew!, Eridian Blaster

Combat Rifles

 * 2 more bullets makes all the difference, Dahl Raven: Five round bursts instead of three.
 * A watchful eye, The Sentinel: Increased zoom.
 * Dragon Fire!, S&S Draco: Unknown.
 * Guns of the Revolution will never fall silent!, Vladof Revolution: Extended magazine.
 * Hold your ground... Forever., Tediotore Guardian: Ammo regeneration.
 * Ogre SMASH!, Atlas Ogre: Unknown.
 * The destructor has come, Hyperion Destroyer: Entire magazine is fired in one burst. (Reference to Ghost Busters' character "Gozer the Gozerien.")
 * TORGUE! Bastard Guns for Bastard People!, Torgue Bastard: Increased damage.
 * War is in your blood, The Meat Grinder: Speeds up fire rate after killing someone.

Pistols

 * 12 bullets invade your skull, Hyperion Invader: Entire magazine is fired in one burst.
 * A gift from Papa Krom, Krom's Sidearm: Fires three round bursts.
 * Ammo is no longer an issue., Tediore Protector: Ammo regeneration.
 * Big Tony Says "Hi", S&S Thanatos: Extended magazine.
 * Bring the HEAT!, Maliwan Firehawk: Incendiary rounds. (Fire damage.)
 * Don't drop it... might lose a toe., The Clipper: +100% melee damage.
 * Double Whammy., S&S Gemini: Fires a two round spread with a two round burst (please confirm, does this fire four bullets, costing two rounds of ammunition every shot?) 1 trigger pull shoots back to back shots of 2 bullets each taking up 1 ammo total (Reference to "Judge Dread")
 * Feel the Sting, Dahl Hornet: Fires 2 bullets with each shot.
 * Never stop shooting!, Vladof Rebel: Extended magazine.
 * Omnia vincit amor, Lady Finger: +100% critical damage.
 * Pain Heals., Atlas Troll: Shooting friendly players heals them.
 * Slice Slice, Hyperion Reaper: +300% Melee Damage
 * Sometimes, I forget to reload., The Dove: Unlimited magazine (no reload.)
 * Vengeance is yours, Vladof Vengeance: [Chance to] ignore shields.
 * Your move, Creep., Torgue Violator: Fires a three round spread (costs 1 round of ammunition.)

Revolvers

 * Give Sick, Maliwan Defiler: High corrosive damage. (Some reports of daze or stun, please confirm.)
 * Unending Firepower, Tediore Equalizer: Ammo regeneration
 * May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't., Atlas Patton: [Chance to] ignore shields. (Please confirm.)
 * Fools! They called me maaaad!, Madjack: Bullets zig-zag and ricochet.
 * A beast of many forms - Fire, Lightning, and Poison, Atlas Chimera: Alternates between fire, shock, and corrosive elemental effects.
 * It's a helluva thing..., Jakobs Unforgiven: Knocks back target several feet.
 * Long and Strong, Dahl Anaconda: Some dispute on properties. (Some say high damage and/or with a scope.)

Rocket Launchers

 * Airburst Rockets, Hyperion Nidhogg: See Death rains from above, this flavor text may be defunct. (Please confirm.)
 * Beware the Horde!, Vladof Mongol: Rockets will split every so often, at 50 yard increments. (If fired over very long distances, the rocket will split, and those rockets will split, and so on.)
 * Death rains from above, Hyperion Nidhogg: Rockets have an MIRV effect and split into multiple rockets that hit the ground after a certain distance.
 * It rises!, Leviathan: Rockets are affected by gravity (will arc in their path.)
 * Gonna cook someone today, The Roaster: High fire damage, and explosion looks like a (very small) nuclear explosion. (Please confirm elemental damage.)
 * Monster Kill!, Torgue Redemption: Single click fires entire magazine. (Seems to cram all the shots into one rocket)(This may be a reference to the Unreal rocket launchers, typically capable of firing many rockets at once or in sequence.)
 * The Unstoppable Force, Maliwan Rhino: Rocket will explode in flight, potentially multiple times, before reaching the target and detonating.

Grenade Launchers (Questionable)
The Borderlands localization files contain information on grenade launchers and some flavor text that may accompany them. However, no evidence is found that this file is used by the released game and no normal grenade launchers have been found. The nearest weapon might be the Leviathan, but it has entries for flavor text in both the rocket launcher and grenade launcher categories, and this casts some doubt on there being any true grenade launcher in the game.


 * Artillery Strike!, Dahl Onslaught: Unknown
 * I feel a storm coming, S&S Rainmaker: Unknown
 * It Rises!, Leviathan: See the above entry for It Rises!
 * Mister Jakobs sends his regards, Jakobs Terror: Unknown
 * Stubbed, The Big Toe: Unknown (game files says it is Nine Toes'.)

Shotguns

 * Ahhh... Fresh meat!, Hyperion Butcher: Fires entire magazine in one burst. (May be a reference to Diablo 2's The Butcher.)
 * Beyond Groovy, Boom Stick: Fires entire magazine in one click as a burst, and each round is a rocket. (Reference to Army of Darkness.)
 * Bring out your Dead, Maliwan Plague: High corrosive damage. (Reference to Monty Python's skits regarding the bubonic plague.)
 * Cross their heart, hope they die., S&S Crux: Spread pattern is that of a X.
 * Drop the Hammer!, Vladof Hammer: Spread pattern is in the shape of a hammer.
 * Five heads of Death, Atlas Hydra: Spread pattern appears as a line.
 * Have a nice day!, Torgue Fire: Spread appears to make smiley face patterns. (Please confirm.)
 * Holy crap! It shoots rockets!, Shoots Rockets. (Still only consumes shotgun ammo)
 * I can do this all day..., Tediore Defender: Ammo regeneration.
 * It's a painful thing, The Blister: High corrosive damage.
 * One Bad Dog!, Dahl Bulldog: Extended magazine.
 * Ride the Wave, Dude!, T.K's Wave: Bullets fire out and bounce off the floor making a wave motion.
 * Sniper Rifles are for Chumps., Jakobs Striker: High accuracy.
 * The Legend Lives, Sledge's Shotgun: Knocks back target several feet.

Sniper Rifles

 * A hunter lives among the stars..., S&S Orion: Each shot ricochets and has a chance of causing shock damage on each hit.
 * BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!, Hyperion Executioner: Five round burst when scoped.
 * Careful... you might put someone's eye out., Rider: Unknown. (Reference to A Christmas Story and the Red Ryder BB Gun.)
 * For the Motherland., Vladof Surkov: [Chance to] ignore shields.
 * I have you in my eye, sir., Atlas Cyclops: Increased zoom.
 * I LIKE IT!, Torgue Cobra: High explosive damage. (Reference to the "Cobra Assault Cannon" from Robocop, and comment of one of its users, Emil Antonowsky)
 * Makes their brain hurt, Jakobs Skullmasher: Each shot is shot-gun like spread.
 * Pele demands a sacrifice!, Maliwan Volcano: Shots have a significant chance to cause a large splash damage fiery explosion.
 * Sniper Killer... Qu'est que c'est, Dahl Penetrator: Fully Automatic. (Reference to The Talking Heads' song Psycho Killer, with the line, "Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?")
 * The cutting edge, Reaver's Edge: [Chance to] ignore shields, potentially with increased zoom.
 * Thwack!, Nailer: Higher critical damage.
 * Trick Shot, S&S Orion: Unknown. The localization files say it is an S&S "Delete" so this may have been removed and replaced by A hunter lives among the stars....
 * Why don't you go shoot yourself an elephant?, Whitting's Elephant Gun: Increased damage, potentially with no scope.

Submachine Guns

 * Hallelujah, Tediore Savior: Ammo regeneration.
 * I spy with my little eye..., The Spy: Increased zoom.
 * Smack 'em, Hyperion Bitch: Unknown.
 * Tear it up, Torgue Gasher: Fires 3 round bursts.
 * The lead wind blows, Bone Shredder: Fires 2 round spreads (costing 2 ammo.)
 * The ultimate close quarters feline., Dahl Wildcat: Extended magazine, potentially with reduced accuracy.
 * We don't need no water..., Maliwan HellFire: High fire damage. (possible reference to the Bloodhound Gang song "The Roof is on Fire")''

Rarity


Borderlands uses a classification system for gear that follows the standard color-coding system for RPGs. A common (white) gun would be average, money will glow (yellow) when dropped or found, an uncommon (green) would be slightly above average, a rare (blue) would be a premium gun, an epic (purple) would be a very strong gun, and legendary (orange) guns are the best of the best. The rarity of each gun is indicated by color as stated on the page of each gun. (See Category:Weapons)

White &lt; Green &lt; Blue &lt; Purple &lt; Yellow &lt; Orange &lt; Dark Orange

The rarity of a gun influences how good it will be, but you will find that some guns are exceptions to the color code. For example, you might find a rare (blue)gun that has drastically less damage than a common gun that has the rocket ammo effect.

Note: There is also some debate as to whether or not "Pearlescent" is an actual rarity. These are white weapons that sit above orange weapons in the rarity order (see image right). Many believe that these weapons are actually just glitched Oranges. Currently this is neither confirmed or denied by Gearbox. You can follow an ongoing discussion regarding this here: http://gbxforums.gearboxsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=82042

Elemental Effects
The elemental effects include fire, electrical, explosive, and corrosive. The damage of the elemental effect is a multiplier indicated by the elemental plaque and a "xN" in the weapon description, where N is a number from 1 to 5. The chance an elemental affect will occur depends on the difference between the level of the player and the level of the enemy. Occasionally a weapon description will include text reading "high elemental effect chance" or "very high elemental effect chance", which implies that the gun has a greater than normal chance of causing its elemental effect. Elemental attacks are added to the base damage of the weapon used and can have secondary benefits.

Each element has a specific benefit to use against differing enemies:


 * Fire has a benefit against fleshy enemies and causes the enemy to burn for a length of time.


 * Shock has a benefit against shields. It depletes them more readily but is less effective against flesh and armor than a normal weapon of the same type.


 * Explosive weapons have a chance for the round to explode in enemies, dealing much more damage and leading to an incredibly messy death on a critical hit.


 * Corrosive has a benefit against armored enemies, slowly draining health and making them weaker to other attacks as the ongoing damage progresses.

Each element also has its own specific death animation, most of which leave no trace of the target behind:


 * Fire slowly incinerates the enemy. A fair bit of screaming is involved.


 * Shock makes lighting arc up and down their body, eventually leading to their head exploding.


 * Explosive leaves you with a loud bang and giblets. Fun against low level enemies.


 * Corrosive is similar to fire, only it's acid doing the job.

Manufacturer Grade
In the land of Borderlands there are multiple manufacturers that make the guns that you shoot enemies with. Each company will usually have particular attributes associated with it. Probably the easiest way to learn these different attributes is to listen to Marcus when you use a vending machine, as he will comment on the manufacturers and their attributes. appearance note: the appearances listed here are accurate with most of the guns made by the manufacturers, but there will always be exceptions.

List of manufacturers:


 * Atlas - All around good accuracy, fire rate, power, and low recoil for the level of the weapon. Rare at lower levels.


 * Dahl - These weapons will most likely have less recoil than most guns, and decent power. Appearance:generally green and compact weapons.


 * Eridians - Alien weaponry, generally high damage, unlimited ammunition. Appearance: almost organic looking


 * Hyperion - These weapons often feature long range scopes and always boast high accuracy.


 * Jakobs - These weapons will typically have high damage, even without additional effects.


 * Maliwan - Weapons made by this corporation will always do elemental damage. Appearance: usually high tech looking, with tubes of the element on the gun.


 * S&S Munitions - This company makes guns with extended magazines and often tech/elemental powers. appearance: yellow colored, similar in appearance to Vladof.


 * Tediore - This company makes guns that are lightweight and will reload faster. Expect to see a lot of these early on. appearance: grey, rough looking.


 * Torgue - Torgue guns are excellent all-rounders, and are generally good quality weapons. Appearance: modern looking weapons that are generally grey


 * Vladof - Fires quicker than most other average guns, and often have extended magazines. Appearance: red or orange colored, doesn't have many additions to the gun


 * Gearbox - Certain easter egg weapons in the game have the manufacturer name Gearbox instead of, say S&S or Jakobs. An example is shown here.

See Manufacturers for more info

Guaranteed Weapons
These weapons and modifications have a 100% chance to drop off a specific enemy or be contained in a specific location.
 * See Guaranteed Drops

Weaponry List
Please see the Weapons category page to see all weapons added to the wiki thus far.


 * Note that due to the sheer amount of guns (Around 11.5 million) it is EXTREMELY unlikely that this Wiki will ever contain pages on every single firearm in the game. At this moment (October 31, 2009) 126 weapons have been recorded onto this wiki, which is equal to approximately .001095652% of all of them. Indeed, it's probable that there may even be weapons that nobody in the entire world will ever find.

Weapon Components


This illustration of a combat rifle identifies the different components that go into assembling a single weapon. Each manufacturer has a number of proprietary options for its components (Excluding "Shoulder" and "Trigger").


 * Stock: Higher quality stocks provide more stability and accuracy. Smaller stocks and stockless weapons achieve faster reloads and equip speed.


 * Body: Affects the weapon's firing rate and damage rating.


 * Barrel: The type of Barrel used affects the weapon damage ratings and accuracy.


 * Magazine: Better magazines yield increases in magazine size, reload speed, and equip speed.


 * Scope: A scoped weapon offers carious degrees of zoom, dependent on the quality of the scope.


 * Materials: Higher quality materials yield different looks and stronger manufacturer bonuses.


 * Accessory: Provide a range of benefits from Elemental Effects to damage and stability bonuses, and much, much more.