Seburo

Seburo is a fictional small arms manufacturer commonly found in many of the works of manga artist Masamune Shirow.

Fictional corporate history

Little is known about the company. Founded in October 2024, the company excelled in technology exploiting small caliber rounds packing the punch of much bigger caliber rounds. Seburo jumped into the forefront through reliable rapid fire and easily handled firearms.

Usage in Shirow works

Shirow frequently attributes the Seburo name to advanced, high-velocity, small-caliber weapons, similar in concept to firearms using 5.7x28mm SS190 and 4.6x30mm cartridges. Various models appear in works done by Shirow, usually identified by large SEBURO markings placed on either the gun's slide mechanism, body, or on other accessories like Ammo cans.

Going by the timelines of respective Shirow works, Seburo is noted or mentioned in Ghost in the Shell (set around the decade of 2030), Dominion (also set around the decade of 2020), and Appleseed (between 1988â€"2147).

Known weapons

This is a list of known Seburo Weaponry identified a/or labeled through books and other Shirow created printed sources.

Appleseed

• Bobson: A small-framed handgun. Deunan Knute owns a Seburo Bobson 100th Anniversary Model with a 23 rd. capacity magazine. It fires a 6x25mm cartridge but can also be re-chambered for a 4.2mm cartridge and a 5mm cartridge.
• Cento (100mm) Master: A bullpup looking weapon utilizing the magazine feeding system of the FN P90.
• Compact eXploder (CX): A bullpup pistol loosely based on the frame of a Walther PPK/S, with ammo feed similar to a P90. The bullpup design allows the weapon to take advantage of a longer barrel.
• Gong: Sidearm used by Deunan Knute.
• J9: A 9mm sub machine gun used primarily against armed mobile targets like infantry.
• Woodpecker: Possible nickname for a slender gun which is magazine fed through the stock. Appearance looks like a sawed-off shotgun. Uses 7x35mm rounds.

Dominion

• MN-23: A 5.56 mm bullpup assault rifle originally designed as an airsoft gun for Moon Net Co. Shirow designed it as a fusion of the FN P90 submachinegun and FAMAS assault rifle. Designated the MN-23 due to Shirow creating 23 separate concept designs before finalization of the final version of the gun. Sidearm of the Newport Police Department in Dominion. Capable of firing lethal and non-lethal rounds, tracking bullets, and gas rounds. Comes with a flashlight, built in knife and camera that activates upon pressing of the trigger.

Ghost in the Shell

• C-25a: A small PDW which fire a 6x25mm cartridge from a fifty-round magazine in a bullpup configuration. It ejects upwards and is often depicted with a brass catcher. In addition, it features an integral laser sight.

• C-26a: A machine pistol which serves as a smaller counterpart to the C-25a. It fires the same 6x25mm cartridge and feeds from a fifty-round magazine in a bullpup configuration. Similar to the C-25a, it also mounts a top mounted brass catcher, which can hold one magazine's worth of spent brass before needing to be replaced.

Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex

• M-5: A handgun used as a sidearm by Section 9 operatives, mostly seen in use by Motoko Kusanagi. It is classified as an SA/DA concealed handgun with a 3.5 inch barrel and a rotating breech locking mechanism similar to that of the Beretta 8000 and firing the Russian made 5.45×18mm cartridge from a twenty round double stack magazine.

• C-26A: A bullpup, rifle calibre personal defence weapon used by Section 9 operatives needing more firepower. It fires a 5.45x45mm cartridge from a long fifty-round magazine and has an appearance similar to the FN F2000. It can be fitted with a two-stage suppressor attachment and has a built in visible/IR laser sight.

• C-30: A bullpup assault rifle used when by Section 9 when greater firepower is required than the C-26A can provide. It features an extended barrel, integral scope and a grenade launcher but is otherwise similar to the C-26A. It is often seen with jacketing.

Intron Depot/Galhound Artbooks

• Fire Splash: A bullpup Sub-machine gun similar in design and operation of the CX.

References

Further reading

• Masamune Shirow; Appleseed Databook (1993, Seishinsha, ISBN 4-915333-69-8)
• Masamune Shirow; Appleseed Databook (1995, Dark Horse Comics/Studio Proteus, ISBN 1-56971-103-8)
• Masamune Shirow; Appleseed Hypernotes (1996, Seishinsha, ISBN 4-87892-085-8), where the author presents detailed information on the real world creation of the MN-23 design.)
• Masamune Shirow; Ghost In The Shell (1991, Kodansha, ISBN 4-06-313248-X)
• Ghost in the Shell 2nd GIG Visual Book (2006, Hobby Japan, ISBN 4-89425-414-X)
• Masamune Shirow; Intron Depot 3: Ballistics (2003, Dark Horse Comics/Studio Proteus, ISBN 1-59307-007-1)
• Masamune Shirow; Intron Depot 4: Bullets (2004, Dark Horse Comics/Studio Proteus, ISBN 1-59307-282-1)

External links

• Dai-Nihon Giken Poseidon, the circle that produces and sells such garage kits in Japan. A small amount of its products are now available overseas.