The Patriot...from MGS3

[mpchi]

Finally got around and did a long overdue Patriot mod for my MGS3 Snake. Used a DML M16 with the duo drum magazine, a Hot Toys M4, and a black fine tip Gundam Mark cap. Turned out quite a bit more cutting and sanding than I have anticipated as the Dragon drum feed is way longer than the Hot Toys M4 magazine slot. Need to chop it half the length, while retain the bullets on the top of the clip. End up scratching the drums quite a bit as its hard to reach in and make a clean cut inbetween the two drums. So when all is done, I gave the thing a quick paint job to match the colors, as well as some minor weathering. Turned out pretty good, with most flaws well hidden. Snake can finally have the Patriot and blast all the other 12" figures in my collection with his new "unlimited ammo" ability.

Here are some of Snake's favorite gun. The AK-47 on his back, the M63 Stoner, and of course the Boss' momento, the Patriot.

[Mr March]

The phallic symbolism is staggering. One might almost think a Japanese anime artist created that

[CAIN MKII]

This snake figure is a killer. congratulation!

[Roy Focker]

Phallic symbolism?

A round barrel that shoots a load of bullets from two round shaped objects at the end. That's Phallic too you? Some people just need to get their minds out of the gutter.

Nothing phallic about it. Quick question. Is it automatic or pump action?

[Noriko Takaya]

Quick question. Is it automatic or pump action?

Full auto, of course, being an M16 variant. Speaking of which, Bushmaster makes these in semi-auto, and they are fun to fire. They are also loud as hell.

[mpchi]

Quick question. Is it automatic or pump action?

Not a weaponry guru myself, but I am pretty sure the Patriot is an automatic, not just in the game. It has very similar setup like an M16 or M4, just a lot shorter. While don't seem a very popular weapon as images online are hard to come by, it does seem to have a couple modern variations with slight difference.

Never saw the Patriot as something phallic at all. But now you mentioned it, it does remind me of something... Thanks for ruining my impression of the gun.

[Mr March]

Never saw the Patriot as something phallic at all. But now you mentioned it, it does remind me of something... Thanks for ruining my impression of the gun.

Ruining? Are you kidding? This may just be the most awesome gun in the universe and certainly the most manly!

[JsARCLIGHT]

Actually not to totally douche bag out, but if I put my AR15 hat on for a second...

The "Patriot" was a brand name of what is basically an AR pistol. The actual "Patriot" was made by a group called Rocky Mountain Arms from 1993 to present day. There is no such animal as a "Patriot" from the 1960's, as MGS3 depicts. AR pistols are also NOT fully automatic as most people think. They could be (and a small handful are) but they suffer from constant jams and erratic rates of fire because the gas system and recoil buffer are too short to reliably cycle the 5.56x45mm round. The shortest barrel you can have on a semi-reliable fully automatic AR style rifle is 10.25", and that is with a bare minimum CAR collapsing stock. To get a short barreled AR to run well full auto you really need a "pig tail" gas system, which is basically the long rifle size gas tube bent around the hand guard... it "fools" the weapon into thinking it has a full size gas system which creates more reliable operation.

Another nasty down side to an AR pistol is that the short barrel neuters the kinetic force of the 5.56 round. The military 5.56x45mm round was developed to achieve optimum power out of longer barrels and when fired from short barrels there simply is not enough rifling to properly stabilize the round, which results in less than stellar ballistics. While not totally ineffective, a 5.56 round fired out of an AR pistol possesses noticeably reduced range and power.

Lastly, I know I've talked about this weapon before (in the old MGS3 game thread) but the bullets definitely do not tumble end over end out of the weapon as depicted in MGS3.

Is the RMA Patriot (and AR pistols in general) a cool looking weapon? Yes. But it is pretty much all bark... but when you are making a video game or Hollywood movie, nothing "sells" like bark.

All that aside that is a really nice custom. The only nitpick I'd have is that it has a "late model" A2 pistol grip and A3 upper assembly (which did not exist prior to the early to mid '80s) and you can't see the front gas block. But it's not "wrong"... the gas block could be under the hand guard and hidden by and end cap... it just looks a little weird. But only to someone who has seen more ARs than trees.

[mpchi]

Actually not to totally douche bag out, but if I put my AR15 hat on for a second...

The "Patriot" was a brand name of what is basically an AR pistol. The actual "Patriot" was made by a group called Rocky Mountain Arms from 1993 to present day. There is no such animal as a "Patriot" from the 1960's, as MGS3 depicts. AR pistols are also NOT fully automatic as most people think. They could be (and a small handful are) but they suffer from constant jams and erratic rates of fire because the gas system and recoil buffer are too short to reliably cycle the 5.56x45mm round. The shortest barrel you can have on a semi-reliable fully automatic AR style rifle is 10.25", and that is with a bare minimum CAR collapsing stock. To get a short barreled AR to run well full auto you really need a "pig tail" gas system, which is basically the long rifle size gas tube bent around the hand guard... it "fools" the weapon into thinking it has a full size gas system which creates more reliable operation.

Another nasty down side to an AR pistol is that the short barrel neuters the kinetic force of the 5.56 round. The military 5.56x45mm round was developed to achieve optimum power out of longer barrels and when fired from short barrels there simply is not enough rifling to properly stabilize the round, which results in less than stellar ballistics. While not totally ineffective, a 5.56 round fired out of an AR pistol possesses noticeably reduced range and power.

Lastly, I know I've talked about this weapon before (in the old MGS3 game thread) but the bullets definitely do not tumble end over end out of the weapon as depicted in MGS3.

Is the RMA Patriot (and AR pistols in general) a cool looking weapon? Yes. But it is pretty much all bark... but when you are making a video game or Hollywood movie, nothing "sells" like bark.

All that aside that is a really nice custom. The only nitpick I'd have is that it has a "late model" A2 pistol grip and A3 upper assembly (which did not exist prior to the early to mid '80s) and you can't see the front gas block. But it's not "wrong"... the gas block could be under the hand guard and hidden by and end cap... it just looks a little weird. But only to someone who has seen more ARs than trees.

Good info actually. Yeah, the custom won't be dead on accurate, due to both my modeling skills and knowledge on the weaponry. But its as close as I could get with the parts I have.

[JsARCLIGHT]

If you were going for "period accurate" then the lower receiver looks close to correct. It's also not really anything you could do much about... I myself have a lot of those "big army man dolls" and the inaccuracies in their weapons are quite common. Weapons, like the characters that carry them, are very unique and have many small "tell tale" bits and details that give away their age or period. When it comes to toy accessories most designers simply opt for a mish-mash approach. All they care is that it resembles something rather than it being 100% dead nuts accurate. Then again 100% dead nuts accurate is a waste of time usually, as only I and like four other people will know it's not "right".

The intent is what counts and I'd say you nailed it.

Another notable AR pistol design that has some Hollywood behind it is the Olympic Arms OA93, which was used by Willem Defoe's character in "Clear and Present Danger". The OA93, unlike the Patriot style AR Pistols, remedies the gas system problems by using a different bolt and gas system which completely omits the recoil buffer. It still suffers from the same ballistic issues though with the short pistol barrel.

To also complete my douche-baggery, the Beta C Mag (the double snail magazine) shown used on the Patriot in MGS3 also did not exist until the early '80s and it has never served with any military command as an issued magazine, mostly because it is too finicky and delicate for military use (it's primarily plastic after all).

[Holocause]

I'm pretty sure there weren't any robotic tanks in the 70's either. Hehehe just trying to be funny.

[mpchi]

If you were going for "period accurate" then the lower receiver looks close to correct. It's also not really anything you could do much about... I myself have a lot of those "big army man dolls" and the inaccuracies in their weapons are quite common. Weapons, like the characters that carry them, are very unique and have many small "tell tale" bits and details that give away their age or period. When it comes to toy accessories most designers simply opt for a mish-mash approach. All they care is that it resembles something rather than it being 100% dead nuts accurate. Then again 100% dead nuts accurate is a waste of time usually, as only I and like four other people will know it's not "right".

The intent is what counts and I'd say you nailed it.

Another notable AR pistol design that has some Hollywood behind it is the Olympic Arms OA93, which was used by Willem Defoe's character in "Clear and Present Danger". The OA93, unlike the Patriot style AR Pistols, remedies the gas system problems by using a different bolt and gas system which completely omits the recoil buffer. It still suffers from the same ballistic issues though with the short pistol barrel.

To also complete my douche-baggery, the Beta C Mag (the double snail magazine) shown used on the Patriot in MGS3 also did not exist until the early '80s and it has never served with any military command as an issued magazine, mostly because it is too finicky and delicate for military use (it's primarily plastic after all).

Very nice. That explains why the Patriot being quite a unique looking combo that is very hard to find any real life reference identical to the one in the game. Wish I know these type of info, as I got into military 12" stuff recently (collecting super hero stuff mostly before that), so I have better idea on what to look for when doing bashes and shop for parts.

[Sundown]

JsARCLIGHT, that was especially enjoyable to read with the avatar.