One of the most powerful weapons in the Grand Theft Auto series, the Minigun is based off various US minigun models, appearing in various forms in since its introduction. The Minigun is available for use in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Grand Theft Auto V.
Also, despite the player being unable to obtain one, Grand Theft Auto IV and its Episodes included a vehicle mounted version on the Annihilator and Buzzard helicopters.
Description
GTA III games
The Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas renditions are based on a man portable
version of the M134 Minigun, while the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories version is based off the M197 tri-barreled Gatling. It has an incredible rate of fire and can annihilate most vehicles in almost less than a second around a certain radius. In Vice City, the minigun was perfect for mowing down targets level with the player, however, it could not be aimed manually. Instead, it shoots upwards automatically to E.G. helicopters, similar to the Rhino. In GTA San Andreas, thanks to the new aiming system, the minigun could be pointed in any direction, making shooting higher targets much easier, but also dangerous if the helicopter would crash into the ground and explode dangerously close to the player. It is almost 100% accurate as there is no recoil, but it can't lock on to a target which isn't much of a problem due to the very high power of each individual round and the amount of ammo it carries. Once equipped with a minigun, it's possible to complete some mission objectives that usually require other weaponry, such as the gun emplacement in Up, Up and Away!. In San Andreas the gun can only be found at spawn points (or provided during missions) and cannot be purchased at Ammu-Nation. In San Andreas a mounted Minigun is used in several missions with unlimited ammunition. These missions include Air Raid, The Da Nang Thang, and Up, Up and Away!.
In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the player can both lock onto a target and shoot manually with the minigun.
Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars also features the minigun as an available weapon. In GTA Chinatown Wars, it is the most expensive weapon in the game, costing $10,000 from Ammu-Nation.
GTA IV games
For Grand Theft Auto IV, the minigun was planned to be the second heavy weapon, the first one being the rocket launcher, but it was dropped in the end, due to unknown reasons. By using the remaining data in-game, it appears to carry a 750-bullet load and to be able to kill any person (armored or not) with one shot, making it the most powerful weapon in the game. Miniguns are also mounted on Annihilator and Buzzard helicopters. Both fire normal 7.62Ć51 millimeter cartridges, but the Annihilator fires about 1,000 rounds per minute, which is unrealistically slow, by about 5,000 rounds per minute. This is probably to prevent helicopter pilots from being able to literally shred players and vehicles. In The Lost and Damned, the helicopters' top speed is increased and the minigun ammunition is replaced by highly explosive cartridges that tear pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, and even other helicopters and boats apart. On the Buzzard, which only appears on The Ballad of Gay Tony, there are 2 miniguns mounted, which do not overheat or need to reload and fire about 4-6,000 rounds per minute.
Grand Theft Auto V
The minigun is confirmed to appear in GTA V. The minigun is coloured military green and appears to be of a smaller model compared to previous games. It is similar in size to the model found in LCS and VCS.
Gallery
In-Game Model
HUD Icons
Locations
GTA Vice City
- Little Haiti - On the top floor of the remains of the drug processing plant west of the Little Haiti Well Stacked Pizza Co. after completion of Trojan Voodoo.
- Little Haiti - Available to buy from Phil's Place after completion of Boomshine Saigon ($10,000).
- Ocean Beach - Spawns inside the Ocean View Hotel after collecting 60 hidden packages.
- Downtown - Spawns on the roof of the Hyman Condo after collecting 60 hidden packages.
- Starfish Island - Spawns outside the Vercetti Estate after collecting 60 hidden packages.
GTA San Andreas
- Kincaid Bridge, San Fierro - On top of the southern arch of the bridge. It's not accessible until the desert and Las Venturas are unlocked, because a ghost wall is blocking the player to get the weapon. A jetpack, parachute or helicopter is also needed to get to the location.
- Roca Escalante, Las Venturas - On the bottom-most level of an underground parking lot, in front of an elevator. Caution must be exercised when approaching the parkade as the previously empty structure will usually suddenly spawn a large number of vehicles when entered.
- Rockshore East, Las Venturas - On top of some scaffolding in the building site, requires climbing and jumping skills or jetpack.
- Area 69, Bone County - Inside the base in a control room. The room is accessible during the mission, "Black Project", if entered outside the mission using blue hell glitches, the player gains 5 star wanted level.
- Tierra Robada, Las Venturas - Inside Mike Toreno's ranch after completing Vertical Bird.
- In addition, Carl uses mounted miniguns in the missions Air Raid, Da Nang Thang, and Up, Up and Away!, though only briefly in Da Nang Thang. If Carl is equipped with his own minigun he can use it in lieu of the mounted one in Up, Up and Away!
Note: the minigun uses the same weapon slot as the rocket launchers and flamethrower, and will therefore be replaced should any of those other weapons be equipped, such as during a mission.
GTA Liberty City Stories
- Bedford Point, Staunton Island - Can be bought at Phil Cassidy's Fully Cocked Gun Shop upon completing the mission More Deadly Than the Male. ($10,000)
GTA Vice City Stories
- Vice Point - Can be bought from the Ammu-Nation shop after completing the storyline mission, Farewell to Arms for $15,000 but the price decreases to $11,500 if the player completes Phil's Shooting Range challenge.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Can be purchased at Ammu-Nation, however it is unknown how much it will cost.