Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Release Date: 2008 Developer: Kojima Productions Publisher: Konami Series: Metal Gear Platforms: Playstation 3 Genre: Action

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a 2008 stealth-action / third-person shooter video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami. It concludes the saga of the character Solid Snake (now known as Old Snake). Set in the year 2014 following the events of the previous games, the storyline takes Snake through a series of warzones where rebels are fighting hired PMC soldiers as part of an ongoing "War Economy" engineered by a mysterious organization known as "The Patriots." Snake's mission is to uncover a plot by his old nemesis Liquid Snake, now seemingly reborn in the body of the gunman Revolver Ocelot, and set on bringing down the "System," an apparently invincible computer network which controls the world.

The initial release of the game featured an online multiplayer mode, Metal Gear Online, allowing up to sixteen player matches using characters and weapons from the main game. This mode was removed by the Metal Gear Solid 4 2.00 patch released in June 2012 as the servers were shut down, replaced with an option to install the entire game to the hard drive rather than only the current chapter. All information about Metal Gear Online below was correct at the time of shutdown.

The following weapons appear in the video game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots:

Note: Spoilers are present in some weapon descriptions.

Overview

Snake admires the place he's going to keep enough weaponry to outfit a company.

Metal Gear Solid 4 uses a split inventory system where the player character, Old Snake, can equip up to five weapons, which are then available using a quick-access menu; this is explained as Snake's "backpack," despite that he is not actually wearing one. The rest can be accessed via the pause menu, this swapping explained in-game as the TARDIS-like depths of Metal Gear Mark 2, a foot-tall robot which seemingly has no issues containing more or less every weapon on this page along with enough ammunition to destroy Belgium. Snake's currently equipped weapons each count their weight towards a total for all gear; heavy loads will cause his "stress" meter (which governs how well he can aim ranged weapons) to rise faster when he moves around. Only weapons count towards weight; ammunition is treated as weighing nothing. This gets bizarre with disposable systems where each reload is a whole weapon in itself but all except the currently held one are treated as weightless "ammunition;" for example, only one of the fifty LAWs Snake can be carrying actually weighs anything for purposes of inventory weight.

Weapons can be found in the environment, but often feature biometric ID locks which prevent unauthorized use. To remove these, Snake can access a "gun launderer" by the name of Drebin and exchange points earned for the "war price" of repeatedly collected weapons, allowing him to purchase ammunition, buy new weapons and accessories, or unlock already collected ID-locked weapons for use. Drebin is explained as having an inside line to the "System" which controls the ID chips so he can replace existing chips with factory blanks (the process leading to the pun of the character called Drebin saying he sells "Naked Guns"), but in reality such an operative would quickly find himself driven out of business by rogue gunsmiths simply replacing the ID lock parts with the original mechanical ones and bypassing the "System" entirely.

The game removes the "Tactical Reload" option of previous games where unequipping and re-equipping a weapon would instantly reload it; weapons now actually have to be reloaded properly. The animations have an odd quirk: apparently between games, Snake has decided to start practicing the "Middle Eastern Technique" mentioned in Metal Gear Solid 3 of always chambering a new round when reloading, even when performing a mid-magazine reload. Despite this being described in that game as a pistol shooting technique, he does it with every weapon except pistols; they are correctly shown ejecting an unfired round when he does it unless the magazine was totally spent when the reload is performed. This seems largely done to explain what happens to the "extra" round that was in the chamber of closed-bolt weapons, or otherwise to keep from having to program two reload animations for every weapon. The few open-bolt weapons in this game (realistically) do not eject a round when reloaded, as their mechanisms do not function that way.

The game features an accessory system for weapons, with certain guns able to be customised; this is rather inconsistent, with many weapons not able to receive any modifications at all while only a handful have more than one or two accessory points, the majority limited to either an optional suppressor, underbarrel launcher or taclight. The showcase of the system is Snake's signature "M4 Custom" rifle, which can accept the largest number of accessories of any weapon. Shotguns and most grenade launchers also feature multiple types of ammunition, and weapons typically feature selectable fire modes if they have them in real life.

Accessory tactical weapon lights are shown rather strangely in game; apparently Snake has a fundamentalist attitude towards light discipline and maintains it everywhere, even in broad daylight. This means taclights will only be flashed on and off briefly regardless of what the player wants; the result is only really useful for briefly blinding guards if Snake points the light in their face at extremely close range. However, taclights used by player characters in Metal Gear Online did not behave in this manner and would remain switched on until manually turned off.

Furthermore, suppressors in the game are handled differently (and less realistically) than they were in the previous game. Suppressed weapons will no longer revert to being unsuppressed once an attached suppressor is worn out; instead, a replacement will automatically and instantly be attached, even if the previous one wore out in the middle of the gun's firing a long burst. In the previous game, a gun with a worn-out suppressor would have it automatically pop off, reverting the weapon to unsuppressed fire until another suppressor was remounted manually, but in this game a suppressed weapon will only revert to being unsuppressed if Snake has no suppressors left for that weapon in his inventory. This was likely done because the PS3 controller's buttons were already assigned to other functions (such as changing ammunition types or turning taclights on/off) in the inventory view, and manually remounting a suppressor by pausing the game and going to the customisation menu would be too cumbersome.

The maximum capacity for many types of ammunition in this game (as well as the number on Drebin's APC) is 893. This is a reference to Japan's yakuza gangs. The word "yakuza" comes from the Japanese pronunciation of 8-9-3, which is a hand in the traditional Japanese card game Oicho-Kabu that scores zero when drawn.

Handguns

Custom M1911A1

Big Boss's highly customized M1911A1 from Operation Snake Eater can unlocked via entering a password. Being an unlockable "special" weapon, it deals more damage than the other .45 ACP handguns. The Custom M1911A1 can be fitted with its own unique degradable suppressor; it is not compatible with the ones for Snake's Springfield TRP.

Western Arms Colt Snake Match 1911 with suppressor.

"1911 Custom" on the item menu.

Snake reloads Big Boss' custom M1911A1, resisting his genes telling him to first have a three-minute CODEC call about how awesome it is.

In a painting in Big Mama's church, Big Boss brandishes his custom M1911A1.

EAA Tanfoglio Thor .45-70

The Thor .45-70 is a highly accurate and incredibly powerful single-shot break action pistol (referred to in the description as a "hand rifle," but more accurately described as a rifle-caliber pistol) that must be manually chambered after every shot. It is Liquid Ocelot's signature weapon, both in singleplayer and multiplayer; in the singleplayer story he only actually fires it once, and his outfit does not display it openly as previous game did with his revolvers. It can be unlocked and used by the player by either earning the Foxhound emblem or entering a code, and comes with a unique red dot sight; this cannot be removed, and the weapon has no other customization options.

Presumably his use of this weapon over his traditional revolvers is supposed to show the dominance of the Liquid Snake personality over Ocelot's own, with its single-minded focus on power. As the Thor is an M1911 derivative, there is also a parallel between his armament and Snake's, both from the same base but with one focused on strength to the exclusion of anything else, while the other focuses on efficient operation.

EAA Tanfoglio Thor - .45-70

Thor .45-70 on the item menu.

Facing Snake on the fictional Volta River, Ocelot pulls his Thor from an unspecified location inside his coat...

...And prepares to fire the only shot he ever fires from it. Though in spite of his line, not at Snake.

FN Five-seveN

The FN Five-seveN is the standard sidearm for Liquid Ocelot's elite FROG special operations unit (FROG standing for absolutely nothing, but probably has to do with their tendency of jumping all over the place), and is also one of the weapons used by Dwarf Gekko drones. It can be bought from Drebin, taken from a destroyed Dwarf Gekko, or taken from a FROG by disarming them of their primary weapon and then killing them or knocking them out. Since it shares ammunition with the fairly common P90, it is unlikely to have problems with ammunition, and it has a large magazine. However, it cannot mount a suppressor, the only option being a tactical light. The presence of the weapon is a reference to Metal Gear: Ghost Babel and the Ac!d games, where it is Solid Snake's primary weapon.

FN Five-seveN - 5.7x28mm

FN Five-seveN on the item menu.

Glock 18C

The Glock 18C is the rarely-used sidearm of the rebels in Act II, and can also be purchased from Drebin. It also has a 33-round magazine, and oddly enough, is the only 9x19mm handgun in the game. It can be customised with a tactical flashlight. The weapon is a reference to Metal Gear Solid 2, where Fatman's weapon of choice (aside from bombs) was a Glock 18, albeit with a 19-round magazine instead. This handgun is also available in multiplayer.

Glock 18C - 9x19mm

Glock 18C on the item menu.

Heckler & Koch Mark 23 Phase II Prototype

The Heckler & Koch Mark 23 Phase II Prototype can be found in the game in Act 4; its status as Solid Snake's previous handgun in the original Metal Gear Solid is noted. It is also used in the Raven Sword PMC commercial in the introduction, and is seen in the holsters of Meryl's Rat Patrol soldiers and Raiden. The SOCOM presented in MGS1, MGS2 and MGS4 is the Phase II model prototype submitted for trials in the USSOCOM Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) competition around the later part of 1991, and not the actual production model Mark 23 Mod 0. It is distinguished by small cocking serrations on the front of the slide, which the production model, Mod 0, does not have. The Mark 23 mounts the distinctive blocky LAM under the barrel as in previous games, and can also be fitted with a degradable suppressor. The Mark 23 is the subject of a number of the game's "Easter eggs," including being found almost exactly where it was in the original game. This is the only place it can be found in the campaign, and it is never available from Drebin; the only other way to unlock it is via a cheat code.

This weapon is available in multiplayer, and is also the only firearm that the special character Raiden is equipped with.

Tokyo-Marui Airsoft replica of the H&K Mark 23 Phase II Prototype - (fake) .45 ACP

Mark 23 Phase II Prototype on the item menu.

Snake: "Just like old times . . . "
Snake holds his Mark 23 Phase II Prototype as he stands in front of Shadow Moses Island's tank hangar and remembers the good old days.

Johnny Sasaki (who actually uses a GSR) and the other members of the Rat Patrol have "holster stuffers" that resemble Mark 23, save for Meryl who for reasons best known to herself just wears the empty holster. The model used is fairly inaccurate for a Mark 23, having a metallic tang like a Desert Eagle.

Raiden uses the same holster model except in black, though he's always too busy using his sword and heap of knives to bother with his handgun. His cybernetic body makes him look pretty cool until you get to his feet which have high heels so he can hold his sword with them. Yes, Really.

IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX

The Desert Eagle, simply called the "D.E." is used by Meryl Silverburgh ingame. It can be purchased from Drebin, or occasionally picked up from the "Dwarf Gekko" drones (who amazingly have the strength to fire it accurately from one undersized mechanical hand). A 10-inch barrelled variant with a scope can be unlocked, and is also used by Meryl.

A number of bizarre graphical glitches plague this weapon in the game. First, when Snake reloads the long-barrelled Desert Eagle, he holds an entire second gun in his off-hand rather than just a fresh magazine. Second, there are times when Meryl's slide will lock back and she will not play the reload animation. There may or may not be a round loaded when the second glitch happens; her remaining rounds can't be seen, so it is hard to tell. Third, when Meryl draws her long-barrelled Desert Eagle there are moments in the game when it is still visible within her thigh holster.

This weapon is available in the game's multiplayer mode, Metal Gear Online. Players using Meryl's character online who equip a standard Desert Eagle in the pistol slot and the long-barrelled variant in the primary weapon slot will allow her to switch from one gun to another when the first is empty, without ever pausing to reload.

IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX - .50 AE

Desert Eagle on the item menu. Note Magnum Research's new barrel with a Picatinny rail. The rail cannot be used on this version, however.

Meryl's special 10"-barrelled Desert Eagle with a scope on the item menu.

Meryl aims her Desert Eagle at Snake upon first encountering him. Despite likely wearing her balaclava up until this point, she removes it and does not use it for the rest of the game. The Meryl special character in multiplayer, however, can remove and re-don her balaclava at any time, as can Johnny "Akiba" Sasaki.

Meryl holds her regular Desert Eagle in the Advent Palace. She tends to use the normal one indoors, saving the 10-inch scoped version for outdoors. This relatively sensible choice doesn't really mitigate the bigger issue of using a pair of hand-cannons in the first place.

Snake reloads his Desert Eagle.

He then re-Deagles his long-barrelled Desert Eagle. This error is most likely caused by forgetting to separate the magazine and weapon objects in the game's files. Strangely, this does not happen if playing as Meryl in Metal Gear Online.

The first sight of Meryl's specially modified Desert Eagle is, oddly enough, on a monitor in the back of Drebin's Stryker.

By only carrying two Desert Eagles, Meryl fails "rifleman" on two counts, though she might make a passable futuristic pistolier. Note the unusual holster necessitated by her 10"-barrel Desert Eagle's scope mount. She carries the standard Desert Eagle in an abdominal holster on her MOLLE plate-carrier vest.

As the "System" shuts down for the first time, everyone except Johnny Sasaki suffers a psychological breakdown; this includes Meryl, who drops her long-barrel Desert Eagle as she collapses.

Screaming Mantis forces Meryl to hold her long-barrelled Desert Eagle to her head, which is a reference to the original Metal Gear Solid when Psycho Mantis did the same thing to Meryl.

Meryl fires her Desert Eagle at FROG soldiers inside Outer Haven.

Meryl and Johnny fire a brace of handguns at the FROGs, Meryl wielding her standard and long barrelled Desert Eagles, while Johnny fires a Desert Eagle he got from Drebin along with his SIG-Sauer GSR.

Luger P08 "Artillery Model"

During the bizarre live-action introduction sequences, one of the channels shows a PMC advertisement with two people in Middle Eastern-style robes hovering in mid-air as the camera circles around them. The one in white is armed with a long-barrelled "Artillery Model" Luger P08.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm. This is the long barrelled "Artillery" model of the Luger P08 - 9x19mm

One of the two strange combatants during the intro's PMC commercial holds up her long-barrelled Luger P08.

Another shot of the Luger, with the toggle lock visible.

Makarov PMM

The Makarov PMM is used by the rebel "mark" Snake has to track during the third Act, and can be purchased from Drebin. It is also the sidearm of the Paradise Lost resistance group as a whole, though they are only seen using it in cutscenes. There is little to be said for it; it uses uncommon ammunition, cannot be customised or suppressed, and really seems to only be in the game to give the rebels in Act 3 a suitably Eastern European sidearm.

Makarov PMM - 9x18mm Makarov

Makarov PMM on the item menu.

A Paradise Lost member draws his PMM as Snake enters their safehouse.

A Makarov isn't exactly a Walther PPK, but then Snake isn't exactly James Bond, either.

Revisiting the Blast Furnace on Shadow Moses in Act 4, Snake takes on the army of Dwarf Gekko which now live there. Despite the name, the area does not actually contain a blast furnace: perhaps "Two Pools of Molten Metal Room" didn't have the same ring to it.

Snake reloads his Makarov PMM.

Mk 22 Mod 0 "Hush Puppy"

In the third Act, a painting of Big Boss brandishing his M1911 Custom with his Mk 22 Mod 0 (Navy modified Smith & Wesson Model 39) holstered is briefly focused on.

Mk 22 Mod 0 "Hush Puppy" with suppressor attached - 9x19mm

Big Boss brandishes his M1911 Custom, with his Mk 22 holstered.

PSS

The PSS can be found in several areas throughout the game or bought from Drebin; Drebin seems to have an odd fondness for this weapon, and it commands a premium price when found. It uses 6-round magazines with special "silent" 7.62x42mm ammunition, making it a lethal counterpart to the Mk II tranquilizer pistol (neither has a degradable suppressor). The PSS previously made a brief appearance in Metal Gear Solid 2, but this game is the first time it became usable by a player character in this series.

PSS Silent Pistol - 7.62x42mm

PSS silent pistol displayed in the item menu.

Literally two dozen yards from the end of the first Act, Snake uses his PSS Silent Pistol to make a Praying Mantis soldier silent.

The threat dealt with, he reloads his weapon.

"Race Gun"

The Race Gun is based on Strayer Voigt Inc's 1911-styled double stack pistols; it is not even close to a modern high-end race gun, with only the choice of ammunition really distinguishing it as anything unusual. The gun holds 19 rounds in 9x23mm Winchester which is a moderately powered pistol cartridge; the game's version, for reasons which are never particularly apparent, uses rounds lightly loaded with smokeless powder, providing barely enough force to cycle the gun's mechanism. In game terms, this means the low-powered bullets will ricochet off hard surfaces and can be used for the "trick shots" showcased by Revolver Ocelot with his Colt Single Action Army in previous games; the result is basically just a gimmick gun for showing off, and is useless in practical terms thanks to its low damage stats (which appropriately reflect the stopping power of such underloaded ammunition). Once the game is completed at least once, the pistol will be unlocked automatically. The Race Gun cannot be customised.

Strayer Voigt Inc Infinity pistol - 9x23mm Winchester

"Race Gun" on the item menu.

Ruger Mk II

An integrally suppressed, manually operated fictional variant of the Ruger Mk II, that fires tranquilizer rounds and has grips with a built-in laser sight and what appears to be a carbon-fiber barrel / upper receiver. It is given to Solid Snake by Otacon early in the game. After the game is completed, it is also able to fire fictional "Emotion" darts which induce one of the game's four psychological states (Cry, Laugh, Rage and Scream) in the target before knocking them out. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

Ruger Mk II Government Target - .22 LR

"Mk. 2 Pistol" on the item menu.

The Ruger Mk II is presented to Snake using Metal Gear Mk II's manipulator, Otacon seemingly having decided to give Snake two Mk IIs for the price of one. Note laser sight grips.

Snake operates the bolt of his custom Ruger Mk II. This weapon is the successor to MGS2 and MGS3's tranquilizer guns, and as in those games is manually operated.

After giving a Praying Mantis PMC soldier a hard-earned rest, Snake reloads his Ruger Mk II.

Shansi Type 17

Used by Big Mama, this is a Chinese made version of the Mauser C96, chambered for .45 ACP ammunition. The Type 17 can be fired in semi-auto or - incorrectly - full-auto (the real Type 17 never had select-fire capability), and uses a 10-round fixed magazine loaded with a single 10-round stripper clip (common for other C96 versions, but the Chinese copies were usually issued with 5-rounders which allowed them to be reloaded once five or more rounds had been fired). It lacks any customisation options (not even able the option to mount its well-known stock) and also cannot be reloaded until it is totally empty. It can be unlocked by earning the Hound emblem at the end of the game, or through entering a code. While this is the weapon Big Mama used in her previous guise as Eva in Metal Gear Solid 3, it is not the same Type 17, since that one was lost during the motorcycle chase. Big Mama uses this weapon to destroy three Dwarf Gekko drones which manage to infiltrate her European hideout.

Shansi Type 17 - .45 ACP

Type 17 on the item menu. Note the undersized fire-selector borrowed from the Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer above and to the right of the trigger; the Shansi Type 17 in reality is not select-fire and thus has no such switch.

Big Mama continues to use the method of "Bandit Shooting" that she utilized in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, turning the gun sideways to clear rooms in a horizontal sweep. This is probably the only way to take the impractical "Gangsta" style shooting and make it practical.

After taking out three Dwarf Gekko drones, Big Mama strikes a pose with her Shansi Type 17.

SIG-Sauer GSR

The SIG-Sauer GSR is the standard sidearm for all four of the game's Private Military Companies, and is also used by the small "Dwarf Gekko" drones. Any PMC soldier disarmed of his primary weapon will draw his GSR; the weapon can also be purchased from Drebin or found in a side-room in the first Act. The GSR uses the common .45 ACP round, but is inferior to Snake's default Springfield Operator due to being unable to mount a suppressor (though it does have the advantage of a slightly higher magazine capacity compared to the Operator).

This weapon is available in multiplayer, and if the "Drebin Points" option is not enabled, the GSR will become the only lethal pistol available to players who are not using unique storyline characters.

SIG-Sauer GSR - .45 ACP

The SIG-Sauer GSR being displayed on the item menu.

Investigating a group of dead PMC soldiers in a side-room of the rebel safehouse in Act 1, Snake finds a discarded GSR on the floor.

The gun rack in Drebin's Stryker includes two GSRs, two unloaded Glock 18Cs, and in the rack further down a pair of SCAR-H CQC rifles and two copies of Snake's M4A1 Custom; beyond them is a barely-visible AK-102 and a pair of LAWs. Several of these weapons are low-detail since they are part of the Stryker model rather than copies of the normal model. The two boxes between the pistol and rifle racks are the generic model for "custom parts" and are used for both weapon accessories and accessory weapons, such as the GP-30 and Masterkey.

As the System breaks down at the end of the first Act, a disoriented PMC soldier equipped with a GSR in his leg holster attempts to give Snake a hug. Note also the two large pouches for M67 hand grenades on his belt.

Johnny fires his GSR at FROG soldiers onboard Outer Haven.

Meryl picks up Johnny's GSR and fires it after he is wounded.

Mei Ling, Captain of the USS Missouri and returning support character from the first MGS, cradles her GSR as her ship is boarded by a mix of FROG troopers, Dwarf Gekko, and even AI-controlled Metal Gear RAYs. This is the only time in the singleplayer game that she is ever depicted using a firearm (indeed it is the first time throughout the series she is ever seen using one), and her Metal Gear Online incarnation also restricts her to using handguns as the only firearm class she can equip. This is in line with her depiction throughout the series as a support character rather than a front-line soldier.

Springfield Armory TRP

A customized Springfield Armory TRP is Old Snake's signature handgun in Metal Gear Solid 4, and the weapon he most commonly has equipped during cutscenes; it is clearly designed to resemble the custom M1911 used by Big Boss during the previous game, though it is by no means identical. It is given to him for free (along with a Ruger Mk II pistol) by Otacon early in the first Act of the game; Otacon comments that it was never integrated into the System, hence Snake's ability to use it before meeting Drebin. The Operator has the ability to mount both a tactical flashlight and a degradable suppressor, being one of only two pistols able to mount a suppressor and underbarrel accessory (the other being the Mk 23), and uses the very common .45 ACP round. Like the Ruger Mk II, aiming it will automatically activate a laser sight - in this case, it appears to be a Lasermax style sight built into the guide rod, with the activation switch on the slide stop. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

The in-game TRP has some difference from the actual Springfield version. It has no front-cocking serrations, a olive drab finished frame similar to the Springfield Armory Loaded MC Operator, the front of the frame is not flush with the cuts in the slide, four "teeth" on the under-barrel rail instead of three, wood grips, and a threaded barrel with a standard 1911 bushing.

Springfield Armory Tactical Response Pistol (TRP) - .45 ACP

Old Snake's Springfield TRP.

Springfield TRP on the item menu.

Otacon presents the TRP to Snake, with the suppressor installed. Oddly, it tends to not be installed during cutscenes; while this might conceivably be done in case Snake has no suppressors left, Snake has no problem using it when he has no .45 ACP ammunition left.

Snake checks over his TRP after being presented it, first unloading it and examining the slide, then the fit of the suppressor, and finally pulling the trigger to let the hammer fall on the empty chamber. Note that the serial numbers have been ground off the frame, a process that was repeated on the slide.

He's soon merrily testing it out on the Praying Mantis PMC soldiers.

Snake reloads his TRP; note the handle of his Stun Knife in his left hand. He frequently reloads weapons with this in his hand, as a nod to the CQC knife-and-gun techniques in Metal Gear Solid 3, though this does get extremely silly when he does it with machine guns.

Encountering Drebin, Snake keeps his unsuppressed TRP trained on the Gun Launderer, not eager to trust someone who hangs around with a weird hairless monkey thing.

Snake aims his TRP at Liquid Ocelot at the end of Act 1, unable to get a shot off due to his nanomachines being interfered with by Liquid Ocelot's failed attempt to login to the System using Liquid Snake's DNA. His decision to wait until Ocelot was actually enacting his plan before trying to stop him turned out to be less than wise.

Snake aims his TRP at Drebin's weird naked monkey-creature "Little Gray" as he wonders where it all went wrong.

Liquid Ocelot: "When it comes to CQC, I have the upper hand."
Liquid Ocelot holds Snake's TRP on him after disarming him at the end of Act 3.

Old Snake: "One last punishment I must endure: erase my genes, wipe this meme from the face of the Earth. This is my final mission."
Snake puts the barrel of his TRP in his mouth when preparing to commit suicide, a scene that is viewable right from the beginning of the game and requires completion of the game to fully explain. This screenshot provides a clear view of the laser activation switch on the slide release, and the Bomar-style rear sight.

Unable to commit suicide, Snake fires the only bullet into random space. Note that the slide locked back on an empty magazine follower, despite the fact that Snake only loaded one round in the chamber and then pocketed the magazine. This means the slide should be in battery.

Submachine Guns

This category in-game also includes the "Patriot" compact carbine, but that weapon is listed under assault rifles due to firing an intermediate round rather than a pistol round.

FN P90

The FN P90 is the primary weapon of Liquid Ocelot's FROG commando unit and is also used by Laughing Octopus in-game; since the FROGs are a common enemy in the game, ammunition is fairly plentiful. The P90 correctly features an integral reflex sight on the carrying handle, and also has three accessory mounting points, able to fit a suppressor, laser aiming module and a tactical light. Unusually for a game, the 50-round polycarbonate magazine is correctly shown as translucent, and visibly empties as the weapon is fired in first person. This weapon is available in multiplayer, and if the "Drebin Points" option is enabled, it becomes the most expensive weapon of its type in that mode, thanks to its ease of use and plethora of customisation options.

FN P90 - 5.7x28mm

FN P90 on the item menu.

Liquid Ocelot's all-female special unit, the FROGs, carry P90s as standard-issue; this is in part a callback to the Arsenal Tengu troopers of Metal Gear Solid 2, who wore similar armor and also wielded P90s. As with the Arsenal Tengus, the gas masks of the FROGs are apparently fake and offer them no protection against gas-based attacks.

Close up on the receiver of a suppressed P90. Looking down while lying prone with any gun gives this type of view.

During the "Guns of the Patriots" sequence in Act 3, a group of FROG soldiers on Liquid's boat manage the impressive feat of firing their P90s for twenty solid seconds without ever once being shown reloading, implying they somehow managed to fit 300 rounds into a standard P90 magazine.

A FROG soldier firing her P90.

Close up on a FROG's P90.

Heckler & Koch MP5SD2

The Heckler & Koch MP5SD2 can be purchased from Drebin and is equipped with an integral, non-degrading suppressor. However, the tradeoff is that it is one of the weakest weapons in the entire game, and uses the surprisingly uncommon 9x19mm round. This weapon is available in multiplayer, but cannot be customised. The appearance of this weapon is a reference to the "Integral" version of the original Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation 1 console that was sold only in Japan, where it was available on the Very Easy difficulty and had infinite ammunition.

Heckler & Koch MP5SD2 - 9x19mm, The one in-game has the older S-E-F trigger group.

MP5SD2 on the item menu.

Aiming down the sights of the MPSSD2.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1

The Heckler & Koch MP7A1 is used by several of the PMC operatives in game. It can be first found and used by the player in Act 2 and can be equipped with a unique red dot sight or the ACOG scope. For whatever reason, the weapon is depicted ingame as being distinctly inferior to the P90, lacking any option to attach a suppressor, tactical light, or laser sight (all of which it can use in real life). It is also stuck with using a low-capacity 20-round magazine ingame (intended for use for when the MP7 is issued as a select-fire backup weapon), instead of its more appropriate 40-round magazine.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1 with Hensoldt RSA red dot sight - 4.6x30mm

MP7A1 on the item menu. Note the side rail segments having been removed; this partially explains why it can't attach a taclight or laser sight, although one has to wonder if Kojima had a personal allegiance towards the P90.

IMI Uzi

In the live-action commercial for the Praying Mantis PMC that plays as part of a bizarre sequence at the start of the game, a motorcyclist is shown using a full-size Uzi submachine gun at one point, though in the rest of the sequence it is a Mini Uzi.

IMI Uzi with buttstock collapsed - 9x19mm

The biker aims his Uzi. This is probably some kind of stunt prop, since it only appears when he falls off the bike.

IMI Mini Uzi

In the rest of the Praying Mantis commercial the biker instead uses a Mini Uzi, using the folded stock as a foregrip. The weapon is probably a replica or Airsoft gun, since the muzzle flashes are CG and the charging handle does not move when it fires.

IMI Mini Uzi with stock folded - 9x19mm

The biker aims his Mini Uzi. Note it no longer has the folded stock of a full-size Uzi and is generally far smaller.

"Ha, a transforming robot is no match for my transforming SMG."

Izhmash PP-19 Bizon

The Izhmash PP-19 Bizon can be purchased from Drebin; the game claims it to be a "new Russian submachine gun," even though it was twelve years old when the game came out and is eighteen years old in the game's universe; the version in-game is not even a current model, instead being based on the earliest production model. The version in game is chambered for 9x18mm Makarov, which translates into a 64-round magazine capacity. The Bizon cannot be customized.

PP-19 Bizon - 9x18mm Makarov

Bizon on the item menu.

MAC-10

The MAC-10 can be purchased from Drebin or found in Act 2 in the hands of the leftist Rebels. It can be equipped with a suppressor, and uses a 30-round magazine of .45 ACP ammunition. Unlike most depictions, Snake actually uses both hands and the stock ingame. Being an open-bolt weapon, it is possibly the only gun in the game with two reload animations (a trait somewhat oddly not shared by its open-bolt machine guns, which are always racked at the start of a reload): if Snake reloads with ammunition still left in the magazine, he will simply remove and replace it with a loaded one as he would a handgun; on the other hand, if Snake reloads the MAC-10 from an empty magazine, he will first retract the bolt before removing and replacing the magazine. Realistically, in neither case is a round ejected when reloading this weapon.

Ingram MAC-10 - .45 ACP

MAC-10 as "M10" on the item menu.

Snake fires his MAC-10 during the motorcycle sequence of Act 3; apparently Big Mama doesn't mind him firing unsuppressed fully automatic weapons right next to her ear.

Skorpion Vz 82

The SA Vz. 82 Skorpion is used by Paradise Lost resistance members riding motorcycles in the Eastern Europe section of the game (Act 3), and is given to Old Snake by Big Mama in the same level. While called the "Vz. 83" ingame, the game shows it as being chambered in 9x18mm Makarov rather than .380 ACP, making it a Vz. 82. It comes equipped with a visible laser sight.

Its comparatively low magazine capacity of 20 rounds, low stats, and inability to be customised, coupled with the fact that FN P90s can be obtained for free much earlier ingame, make it arguably a weapon hardly-chosen by most players, so it's largely for the nostalgia factor in singleplayer (the very similar Sa. Vz.61 Skorpion made an appearance in Metal Gear Solid 3), though players can still take advantage of the fact that it's the submachine gun with highest lock-on in the game, being especially useful for one-shotting enemies during the Act 3 chase scene. Multiplayer, however, is a different story, as it is the only firearm in its inventory slot to be available free of charge (if Drebin Points are enabled) for non-unique player characters, as well as possessing the longest auto-aim lock-on range of any weapon in multiplayer modes.

SA Vz. 82 Skorpion - 9x18mm Makarov.

Skorpion Vz 82 on the item menu.

Big Mama hands Snake a Vz 82 during the cutscene before the motorcycle escape sequence.

As usual, he inspects it before accepting.

Shotguns

All shotguns in this game can use 00 buckshot, shotgun slugs, or non-lethal "vortex ring" ammunition. The latter references an experimental less-lethal system the US Army studied starting in 1998, using a specialised blank cartridge and a divergent muzzle device to "fire" a focused subsonic pulse of high-spin compressed air (the titular vortex ring) potentially for hundreds of feet and with the possibly of carrying chemical riot control agents or marking dye within the vortex. The project used a modified Mk 19 grenade launcher with 100,000 PSI blank cartridges and chemical reservoirs fitted to the muzzle device, but reliability issues, spillage of agents along the flight path and the ease of dodging the extremely loud subsonic vortex ring led to the conclusion that the weapon was not suitable for crowd control.

Remington 870 Custom

A heavily customised Remington 870 can be purchased from Drebin or found in the second Act; it comes with a Surefire dedicated forend WeaponLight as standard, and can also be equipped with an Aimpoint red dot sight or ACOG scope; if neither is fitted, it will have no sights at all, with Snake simply aiming along the top-mounted rail. This weapon is available in multiplayer, and is the only weapon of its type in that mode if the "Drebin Points" option is not enabled.

Remington 870 Police "Entry Gun" with a SureFire dedicated forend WeaponLight - 12 gauge. The version in MGS4 is further customised with a top rail instead of iron sights and a collapsible stock similar to the one used by the Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle.

"870 custom" on the item menu.

A FROG reels in confusion as Snake aims a pump-action RIS rail at her. "It's a shotgun, I swear!"

With the Aimpoint scope attached, the 870 Custom at least looks a bit more respectable.

Remington 870 "MasterKey"

A short barrelled Remington 870 configured like an Knight's Armament Masterkey is available as an attachment for the "M4 Custom" only, and can be found in the hands of PMC search teams; curiously, they have it equipped in a standalone configuration with a pistol grip and stock, raising the question of why they aren't just using a regular full-size shotgun instead. The inferior tube magazine capacity and lower effective range would make it far less useful than a full-sized shotgun for general use, and for close quarters combat or door breaching a purpose-built short shotgun would be a far more logical choice than issuing a rifle accessory which needs to be attached to another accessory to actually function.

Remington 870 with early style Black Synthetic Riot foregrips and buttstock - 12 Gauge.

Masterkey shotgun mounted on a KAC SR-16 - 12 Gauge & 5.56x45mm NATO

Masterkey in standalone configuration.

Masterkey accessory shotgun mounted to the M4 Custom on the item menu.

Old Snake's M4 Custom in full recoil as he uses his Masterkey to ruin someone's day.

Satisified for now, Old Snake reloads his Masterkey.

Attaching an accessory shotgun to a standalone grip is like buying an iPod and then nailing it to the side of a desktop PC.

Saiga 12K

The Saiga-12K can be purchased from Drebin. It is the only weapon of its type capable of semiautomatic fire, as well as the only one that uses a detachable box magazine (with a capacity of 8 rounds, despite the model being a 5-rounder); along with very clear iron sights, this makes it distinctly superior to the other shotguns in more or less every regard. This weapon is available in multiplayer, but cannot be customised.

Saiga-12K - 12 gauge

The Saiga 12 on the item menu, loaded here with less-lethal (in game terms, non-lethal) vortex ring rounds. Note that the description refers to it as "newly developed", despite it having been in production since the nineties.

Finding the Advent Palace hotel's kitchen infested with FROGs, Snake takes prompt action before an inspector shows up and shuts the place down.

Having done his bit for the community, Snake reloads his Saiga 12.

"Twin Barrel"

A sawed off side-by-side double barrel shotgun, that can either be found in the game or purchased from Drebin. For some reason, Old Snake is restricted to using it with a one-handed grip. He can also only fire both barrels at once. Besides Snake, several members of the South American militia, as well as at least one Paradise Lost member utilise this type of weapon.

Sarasqueta Sawn-off DB - 12 gauge

"Twin Barrel" on the item menu.

A Paradise Lost member holds a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun on Snake as the old man breaks into their headquarters.

Assault Rifles / Battle Rifles

AK-102

The AK-102 is used by the rebel forces in the Middle East section (Act 1), and is Solid Snake's first weapon in the game (next to Solid Snake right after the first cutscene after the opening). Until he rendezvouses with the Metal Gear Mk II, the AK-102 is the only firearm that Solid Snake has at the beginning of the game, forcing the player to rely on stealth to get past the game's introductory level. It can be equipped with a GP-30 grenade launcher. This weapon is available in multiplayer, and if the "Drebin Points" option is enabled, the AK-102 becomes the cheapest assault rifle in that mode.

AK-102 carbine - 5.56x45mm

AK-102 on the item menu, fitted with a GP30 grenade launcher.

In the first Act, Snake only manages a short burst from his original militia-issued AK before it jams up on him, leaving him to discard it. An optional CODEC call reveals this was due to faulty locally-produced ammunition.

Snake fires the AK-102 at Praying Mantis PMC troops.

Snake reloads his second AK-102. There are two slightly different AK-102 models used in game; the "hero" version used only in cutscenes has 3D-modelled bullets in the magazine, while the in-game one is empty.

Snake reloads the "hero" AK model, with a more detailed magazine.

Menaced by Gekko, Snake still has time to strike a dramatic pose. He discards this AK shortly after this.

Snake encounters his third and last AK-102. Finding it on the ground next to a dead soldier, he carefully checks it for booby-traps before picking it up.

A Middle Eastern militiaman patrols with the AK-102. Note the emphasis the game places on depicting trained combatants with the SOP system vs untrained combatatants. His finger is on the trigger while patrolling whereas PMC and American forces are always depticed with their fingers off. They also blindfire from cover, panic and retrat under fire and in a militia base, a militiaman can be seen flagging his ally several times while showing off his recently acquired HK21E.

AN-94

The AN-94 can be found in a shack at the beginning of Act 2 or purchased from Drebin. It can be equipped with a GP-30 grenade launcher. The game correctly simulates the weapon's unusual mode of fully-automatic fire by first firing a 1,800 RPM two-round burst, before cycling the following rounds at 600 RPM. While it is powerful and accurate, it features a very poor iron sight and 5.45x39mm ammunition pickups are basically non-existent, with only a handful in the fourth Act. Its presence is a reference to Metal Gear Solid 2, where Russian mercenaries under the command of Olga Gurlukovich were equipped with the AN-94 during their attack on the Big Shell; unlike its previous incarnation, however, the AN-94 in this game cannot mount a tactical flashlight.

AN-94 - 5.45x39mm

AN94 on the item menu, equipped with a GP-30 grenade launcher.

Snake holds an AN-94 fitted with a GP-30 grenade launcher as he waits for an elevator in the abandoned Shadow Moses base's nuclear warhead storage building.

While waiting, he amuses himself by using the hideously tiny iron sight of the AN-94 to shoot at some of the warheads that the US military left lying around when the base was abandoned in an extremely sensible fashion. Apparently the alteration to his nanomachines that prevented him doing so before is long past its shelf life.

Luckily, the lethal radiation leak this used to cause has apparently also passed its shelf life and the warheads no longer care about being shot at, leaving Snake to smugly reload his weapon.

AKS-74U

During the bizarre live-action introduction sequences, one of the channels shows a PMC advertisement with two people in Middle Eastern-style robes hovering in mid-air as the camera circles around them. The one in black is armed with an AKS-74U.

AKS-74U - 5.45x39mm

A strangely-dressed pair of live-action combatants duel in the air, one holding an AKS-74U.

A second shot of the AKS-74U. This seems to be one of those adverts where nobody can actually figure out what the product was after seeing it.

FAMAS

The FAMAS is not usable in the game, but appears in flashbacks to Metal Gear Solid, as well as the brief "nightmare" sequence of MGS1 gameplay.

FAMAS G1 - 5.56x45mm. Older intermediate version of the G2 with magazine and magazine release system from the FAMAS F1.

Meryl Silverburgh holds a FAMAS on Solid Snake during a flashback to the first game.

During the nightmare sequence at the start of Act 4, Snake is treated to some authentic MGS1 gameplay, with the guards still armed with their low-detail FAMAS-G1s as in the original. Note the screen border; this is authentic, and suggests this sequence is the actual PS1 code being run in emulation mode by the PS3.

FN FAL

The FN FAL, mislabeled as the FAL Carbine, is seen in the hands of the "Paradise Lost" rebel forces in the Eastern Europe section of the game (Act 3). It can be purchased from Drebin like most other firearms in the game, and is the only 7.62mm NATO weapon that must be acquired in this fashion: the sole rebel seen in normal gameplay during the act doesn't use it, and though Snake acquires two during cutscenes he doesn't hold onto either for very long, disarming a rebel of the first only to hand it back a few moments later and taking another from a corpse to give to Big Mama for her to defend herself. Its battle rifle cartridge makes it more powerful shot-for-shot than the ingame assault rifles, and its low rate of fire combined with the long range of its round allows effective full-auto fire from a much longer range, but it can't be customised.

FN FAL, older variant with humped stock and ramp rear sight - 7.62x51mm

FN FAL on the item menu. Note the menu text referring to it as a "shorter version", despite its solid stock full-length barrel.

Having knocked out several Paradise Lost members, Snake brandishes a FAL he took from one alongside his Stun Knife, preparing to lay some CQC down.

The Paradise Lost group prepare to move out as Big Mama delivers a ridiculous speech about how first-person shooter games have trained her "children" to be soldiers. Good thing it's not third-person stealth games that did that.

FN SCAR-H CQC

The short-barrelled CQC variant of the FN SCAR-H, referred to under its SOCOM "Mk. 17" designation, is the standard battle rifle used by the PMC troops ingame. It can be found fairly early on in Act 1 (simply by killing, subduing, sedating, or disarming PMC troops) up to Act 3, and can be upgraded with various optics, an LDI OTAL (Offset Tactical Aiming Laser), a flashlight and one of two vertical foregrips; it cannot, however, mount the XM320 grenade launcher, Masterkey shotgun, or a suppressor. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

FN SCAR-H CQC - 7.62x51mm NATO.

The FN SCAR-H on the item menu. Note the fire selector is always on semi-auto.

Snake reloads his SCAR-H. The bolt will lock back even if there is a round in the chamber.

Praying Mantis PMC soldiers retreat as "Gekko" unmanned vehicles are called in to take their place.

At the end of the first Act, Snake sneaks into the main base of the Praying Mantis PMC. Circumstances conspire to make this a slightly less bad idea than would normally be expected.

Heckler & Koch G3A3

The Heckler & Koch G3A3 is seen in the hands of the leftist insurgents in the South America section of the game (Act 2). It can also be purchased via Drebin like most other firearms in the game, but cannot be customised. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

HK G3A3 - 7.62x51mm

G3A3 on the item menu.

Snake uses the ACOG sight of his SCAR-H to admire the trigger discipline of a rebel soldier with a G3A3.

Heckler & Koch XM8 Carbine

The Heckler & Koch XM8 is used by the Rat Patrol and other US troops in game, curiously still called XM8 even though it has obviously been formally adopted by the US military in Metal Gear Solid 4's world. It can be found by the player in a secluded area in Act 2, but cannot be purchased from Drebin. The version seen in game has an early XM8 flash hider with the rest of the features of the later model. It comes with a built-in red dot sight and can be equipped with an XM320 grenade launcher, but no other accessories. Meryl's team each have different versions of the rifle, two of which are not available to the player; Johnny "Akiba" Sasaki uses the compact carbine configuration, Johnathan uses the standard one with a grenade launcher, and Ed has the designated marksman variant. The standard version of the XM8 is available in multiplayer.

Heckler & Koch XM8 - 5.56x45mm NATO

Early Heckler & Koch XM8 - 5.56x45mm NATO. Note "duckbill" flash hider and lack of four oval PCAP holes.

XM8 with an XM320 grenade launcher fitted, on the item menu. Note it uses an early "duckbill" flash hider rather than the later model's "birdcage," but has the later version's PCAP accessory mounting holes in the handguard.

The XM8, as in real life, features a red dot optic as standard; here Snake uses it to take out one of the PMC soldiers guarding the power station.

Snake operates the charging handle of his XM8 after a reload.

Johnathan has a lie down with his XM8 with XM320. This is what is technically known as a bad idea.

A US Army soldier tries to pull the trigger on his XM8, but the ID lock has been changed by Liquid Ocelot, rendering the weapon useless.

Heckler & Koch XM8 Compact Carbine

The Heckler & Koch XM8 Compact Carbine, the shortest configuration of the XM8, is used by Johnny "Akiba" Sasaki, a member of Meryl Silverburgh's "Rat Patrol" FOXHound unit. While Heckler & Koch marketed this version as the "PDW" configuration, it fires a full-sized assault rifle round, therefore is classified here as a rifle. It is unavailable in singleplayer, but the Johnny Sasaki unique character in multiplayer can use it, and is the only player character in that mode who can select it at the beginning of a match or when respawning. In this mode, it retains the standard variation's red dot sight, but cannot be customised.

Heckler & Koch XM8 Compact Carbine with full stock - 5.56x45mm

Old Snake: "You haven't even taken the safety off, rookie."
Johnny "Akiba" Sasaki: "Careful, I'm no rookie! I'm a 10-year vet!"
Johnny then bears out Snake's accusation by visually inspecting his weapon's safety rather than just flicking his thumb up and forward to ensure the safety is not still engaged or disengage it if it is.

The result is fairly predictable, with Snake ambushing Johnny via CQC techniques before turning Johnny's weapon against him and his comrades. Note that since there's only one model for the weapon used in this cutscene, the safety is still on.

Johnny shows off the very "Future Force Warrior" look of the FOXHound unit's gear as he holds his XM8 Compact Carbine, including a backpack computer unit, a computer monitor integrated into his "shades," and a keyboard attached to his forearm. One very important piece of gear the Rat Patrol never wears, however, is a helmet.

M4A1

A customised M4A1 is Solid Snake's assault rifle of choice and is given to him early in Act 1 by Drebin. In the first trailers, he instead steals it from a PMC soldier, and it is equipped with an EOTech 552 sight and a tan XM320 40mm grenade launcher. In the actual game, it can be equipped with an Aimpoint Comp M2 red dot sight, an ACOG scope, a Surefire tactical flashlight, a LDI OTAL (Offset Tactical Aiming Laser), a Knights Armament Company (KAC) or TangoDown vertical foregrip, a Remington 870 Masterkey underbarrel shotgun, an H&K XM320 grenade launcher, and a KAC suppressor. The sheer number of attachments, combined with excellent accuracy, low recoil and the abundance of 5.56mm ammo, makes this one of the best rifles available for a good bit into Act 3. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

The weapon itself is based on the M4A1 carbine with a 14.5" barrel, tan A2 pistol grip and tan LE 6-position buttstock. It is equipped as standard with Precision Reflex Industries (PRI) folding front and ARMS#40L rear sights, a Troy Industries CQB flash hider ("CQC compatible") and a KAC RAS. Though the latter is supposed to be free-floating, it is incorrectly rendered with a standard M4A1 handguard cap.

Drebin makes a series of patently false claims about the M4A1 as shown; he tells Snake the barrel is free-floating ("of course") despite that the weapon's handguard has an end cap, and claims the weapon is "popular with the big PMCs" despite none ever using it (however, it should be noted that PMC soldiers were shown carrying M4A1s instead of SCAR-Hs in pre-release footage), and claiming it is "the official carbine model used by US Army" even though in the fiction the US Army is shown to have adopted the XM8.

M4A1 Carbine - 5.56x45mm NATO

M4A1 on the item menu, fitted with a Masterkey accessory shotgun. Unusually for a videogame, mounting an optic will show the weapon with the sights folded down rather than removed entirely.

Snake is presented with the M4 by Drebin when they first meet as a gift to welcome him to the services of the Gun Launderer. Always one to look a possibly exploding horse in the mouth, Snake proceeds to thoroughly examine it. Note that despite Drebin's claim here, none of the PMCs use the M4 Custom at any point in the game.

Snake holds his M4 Custom, giving a good look at the rail handguard, flip-up sights and the high-detail magazine of the "hero" cutscene model.

After a minor diversion involving Snake's old nanomachines preventing the weapon firing (via a component he apparently didn't notice while stripping the weapon), Snake fires the M4 Custom.

Reloading the non-cutscene M4 reveals a distinct lack of bullets in the magazine.

Snake prepares to squeeze off a shot a Vamp with his M4. Note that the fire selector is properly set to semi-auto, but in gameplay selector is always set to full-auto, even if the player selects a different firing mode.

Snake aiming his M4 at Vamp. Despite being right-handed, Snake does a pro job of setting up left-handed to remain behind cover, and makes good use of the wall for stability. Shortly thereafter he resumes his normal right-handed stance while turning the gun sideways, ejection port up, to fire at the PMCs guarding Vamp and Naomi.

Old Snake wielding the M4A1 with an EOTech sight in early trailers; this accessory is not available in the final game.

"Patriot"

The Boss's custom M16A1 makes a return; as before, it is full-auto-only, lacks a stock, and has a significantly shortened barrel (topped off with a muzzle brake) and a smooth handguard based on the Rocky Mountain Arms Patriot Pistol. In the campaign, it is seen briefly at the end of the game, where is wielded (though never fired) by Big Boss.

It can be unlocked by earning the Big Boss emblem after the end of the game, or by inputting a password. Its most notable trait is that, as in its prior incarnation, it has unlimited ammo and never needs to be reloaded (the in-game reason is how its Beta-C magazine, misnamed in the previous game as the "feed mechanism," vaguely resembles the sideways-8 infinity symbol); it also plays part of the "Snake Eater" theme from Metal Gear Solid 3 when aimed. It is classified as an SMG, despite firing an intermediate rifle round, which would in reality make it an ultracompact carbine. The Patriot cannot be customised in-game.

This weapon was available in multiplayer, but only if a player is randomly selected to have access to it. For some reason, the Patriot in multiplayer is treated as a suppressed weapon with absolutely no firing sounds (even though it cannot mount a suppressor due to the muzzle brake), and its stopping power in that mode is minimal. Unlike Metal Gear Solid 3 (where Big Boss held it by the handguard, and The Boss fired it near-exclusively one-handed), player characters in MGS4 will use their off-hand to hold the weapon by its magazine.

Rocky Mountain Arms "M16-Style Pistol" Patriot - 5.56x45mm NATO

The "Patriot" on the item menu.

Snake firing the Patriot on the roof of Advent Palace. Note the rear sight and tear-drop forward-assist which a M231 FPW would not have.

Big Boss levels his "Patriot" at Old Snake. Using the rear sight to aim a gun with no front sight would result in very questionable accuracy, but not as questionable as using one's blind and patched eye to aim, something Big Boss would end up doing a lot more of in his next canonical appearance in the Metal Gear Solid series.

Sniper Rifles / Designated Marksman Rifles

Barrett M82A2

The M82A2 can be purchased from Drebin, is Hideo Kojima's personal favourite, and is used the US military forces in Act 3 and later by Johnny "Akiba" Sasaki during Act 5, a curious weapon choice when it is clear that a weapon capable of extended automatic fire would be much better suited to the particular environment he's literally being thrown into. It is also exclusively available to the Akiba special character in multiplayer.

Barrett M82A2 with riflescope - .50 BMG

Barrett M82A2 on the item menu.

A US soldier aims a Barrett M82A2 at Liquid's boat from the side door of a helicopter during Act 3.

Another US soldier aims his Barrett M82A2 off the pier.

He is one of many, many, many soldiers and Marines aiming at said boat. Strangely, most of them aim straight forward even though the boat is below the bridge they're standing on.

At the start of the final Act, Johnny Sasaki holds his M82A2 as he prepares to launch onto Outer Haven using the giant man-catapult which Drebin owns for some inexplicable reason.

Johnny aims his Barrett M82A2 at FROG soldiers onboard Outer Haven.

Johnny fires his M82A2 at the FROGs.

DSR-1

The DSR-1, a bolt-action sniper rifle with a bullpup layout, is used by FROG snipers and can be bought from Drebin; doing so is rather pointless, however, since Snake is automatically given an unlocked DSR-1 at the end of Act 2, after he uses it in a cutscene to free Raiden from Vamp's clutches. This weapon can actually be seen in Snake's possession before this on a rack of weapons on board the Nomad during the briefing sequences, next to the helicopter in the transport bay. The weapon is loud and features a fairly slow bolt-action; this along with a lack of customisation options places it distinctly behind the Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR and VSS in terms of versatility. The ingame calibre is specified to be 7.62x67mm, making it .300 Winchester Magnum. It is used by a few PMC and FROG snipers, the latter resulting in one of the game's more memorably unrealistic scenes in Act 3. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

DSR-Precision GmbH DSR-1 - 7.62x51mm NATO

DSR-1 on the item menu.

Snake operates the bolt of his DSR-1.

During the motorcycle escape sequence in the third Act, the game uses a "cinematic" camera any time Snake isn't aiming; at one point, a FROG sniper is seen firing her DSR-1 from a distant building. Note the FROGs place the scope against the side of their head rather than lining it up with their eyes; in addition, in this scene the DSR-1 ejects a spent casing immediately, without the bolt being operated.

Big Mama reels from the FROG sniper's bullet. As noted above, if the player was using their weapon they will have no idea why this actually happened. Which is probably for the best...

...Since apparently Big Mama isn't up on the whole thing where being shot in the heart with a .300 Win Mag is supposed to actually harm you in some way. However a cut Codec conversation explain that the bullet was actually a slug fitted with tracking nanomachines.

Heckler & Koch PSG-1

While not usable in the game, the "press X" flashback after defeating Crying Wolf shows Sniper Wolf's death scene in the original game, with the defeated sniper holding her signature Heckler & Koch PSG-1.

Heckler & Koch PSG-1 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Sadly, the static and blur filters thrown over these flashback images mean this is the only frame of Wolf's PSG-1 where the barrel isn't distorted.

Heckler & Koch XM8 Sharpshooter

A Heckler & Koch XM8 Sharpshooter Rifle is used by the character "Ed," a member of Meryl Silverburgh's "Rat Patrol" FOXHound unit. It is never available to the player.

Heckler & Koch XM8 Sharpshooter Rifle - 5.56x45mm

Ed checks over his XM8 Sharpshooter. Note Ed's weapon is fitted with the same Insight ISM-V scope as the other members of his unit, rather than the x4 magnifying scope the Sharpshooter variant is supposed to use.

Meryl, Ed and Johnathan demonstrate the capabilities of the "System" by taking down three FROG soldiers in perfect unison, using their shared senses.

Hearing a mysterious sound coming from all around, Ed and Johnathan apprehensively aim their weapons at particularly scary-looking parts of a derelict building.

Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle

A hybrid of the M14 EBR-RI and Mk 14 Mod 0, respectively the US Army and Navy SEAL versions, is used by PMC marksmen in-game and can be purchased from Drebin. Physically, it more closely resembles the EBR-RI, including the black chassis, longer barrel, and original-style flash hider with the front sight attached to it rather than to part of the gas block. However, it utilizes the Mod 0's more distinctive Sage 90905 pistol grip rather than the EBR-RI's M14ERGO, and it has a selector switch which gives it the Mk 14's capability for full-auto fire.

It is the only weapon classified as a sniper rifle in the game that can be modified, with options of a suppressor (making it one of only two suppressed sniper rifles in the game), laser sight, and flashlight. Its full-auto mode makes it very useful even in short-range combat, and the fact that it is available early on, combined with its extensive list of modifications and the fact that it shares ammo with the majority of the PMCs' weapons makes it one of the best guns in the game. This weapon is also available in multiplayer.

It is primarily used by the Praying Mantis PMC in Act 1, with a sniper-spotter team in the intro using one to take out the driver of the truck following behind the one Snake rode in on. The Pieuvre Armement PMC in Act 2 also makes use of the weapon, though in much lower numbers due to the wider array of weapons they make use of; by Act 3, enemies stop making use of the weapon, as the FROGs prefer the DSR-1, the Raven Sword PMC has little use for a sniper rifle in patrolling the streets of a city under lockdown, and the Dwarf Gekko deployed in Act 4 are simply not capable of making use of anything bigger than a pistol.

Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR with a Harris bipod and vertical RIS foregrip - 7.62x51 NATO

M14 EBR-RI, also with Harris bipod and removed magazine for comparison - 7.62x51mm NATO

M14 EBR on the item menu. Note the longer barrel, with the original front sight mounted noticeably forward from the gas tube.

During the first Act, rebel soldiers are shown trying to storm an urban area guarded by a PMC fireteam, including sniper/spotter teams; the snipers are armed with Mk 14s.

A second sniper team, with the marksman also armed with a Mk 14.

Snake reloads his own Mk 14.

Mosin Nagant Sniper

A modified Mosin Nagant sniper rifle with a paratrooper stock and pistol grip can be purchased from Drebin in-game. It is similar, but not identical to, the rifle used by The End in MGS3 (with it being implied in the weapons description as well as Drebin's Database entry that he modified the gun to be similar to The End's famous rifle due to being a fan of legendary military units). Like its MGS3 incarnation, this Mosin Nagant rifle is modified to only fire tranquilizer darts, though in this game this also includes fictional "Emotion" darts which cause targets to experience one of the game's four psychological states (Cry, Rage, Laugh or Scream). However, the Mosin Nagant rifle in this game has a 5-round internal magazine capacity (compared to The End's rifle which was single shot only), and is no longer treated as a silenced weapon. It can be reloaded with a 5-round stripper clip, even if it is not totally empty. This weapon is available in multiplayer, but without the "Emotion" ammunition.

Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle - 7.62x54mmR

Custom Mosin-Nagant on the item menu.

Snake shows off The End's Mosin Nagant, which Drebin acquired somehow.

Snake operates the bolt of his Mosin Nagant, correctly shown as the turned-down bolt handle of a sniper version.

SVDS

The SVDS, a modernised, shortened version of the SVD Dragunov intended for paratroop use is seen in the hands of militiamen and rebel snipers in Acts 1 and 2. The weapon cannot be customised or mount any kind of suppressor, but the ammunition is relatively cheap and the weapon a semi-automatic rather than bolt-action, making it a middle-of-the-road weapon. The scope features an error: the number in the stadiametric rangefinder indicating the height of the reference target is "10" rather than the correct "1.7;" either that or in Snake's world shooting at 32-foot tall monsters is more important than shooting at infantry. This weapon is available in multiplayer.

SVDS - 7.62x54mmR

SVD on the item menu.

Nobody had expected Snake to disguise himself as Venom.

As ever, Snake can't stand the idea of having a round lazing around in the chamber of one of his long guns after going to all the effort of reloading it, so gives the charging handle a yank to send it on its way.

As with the other sniper weapons, the SVD's scope has two zoom levels, the reticle slightly altering to take account of this. This is low-power...

...And this is high. Note the windage / lead marks have changed.

VSS Vintorez

The VSS Vintorez appears in the game, and can only be found in a room in Act 2; it cannot be bought from Drebin at any point in the game. It has an integral (non-degradable) suppressor, and like the M14EBR is capable of fully-automatic fire, though its shallower 10-round magazine can become a liability in close-range firefights. Since it uses the same reticle model, it duplicates the Dragunov's error of showing the reference height for the target as 10 metres instead of 1.7 metres. This weapon is available in multiplayer, and is capable of firing tranquilizer rounds in multiplayer only.

VSS Vintorez with PSO-1 scope - 9x39mm

VSS on the item menu.

Out and about in Millennium Park, Snake aims his VSS Vintorez.

Snake uses the scope of his VSS to help out his friend. "Well, that's a load off my mind. Thanks, Snake!"

Reloading the VSS.

Machine Guns

As was the case in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater with the Stoner 63, player characters firing machine guns continuously will yell in classic "Rambo" tradition. Weapons in this category all have a strange ammunition display quirk; the ammunition bar only shows fifty rounds, with every tenth round marked white. This will scroll as the gun is fired and only count down when 49 or fewer rounds are left on the belt.

Heckler & Koch HK21E

The Heckler & Koch HK21E is seen in the hands of a rebel militiaman in the early portion of the Middle East section of the game (Act 1). In a conversation that can be overheard if the player remains hidden or has earned the trust of the rebels, he claims that it is an enemy gun, yet strangely none of the PMC troopers in the level are seen using it. The rebel militiaman also refers to it as "the very latest model", when in actuality the weapon was designed in the 1980s, some 30 years before the events of the game take place. It can be stolen in this location, or can be purchased via Drebin like most other firearms.

Heckler & Koch HK21E - 7.62x51mm NATO

HK21E on the item menu. Note that it has the 5-vent handguard of a regular HK21 and a shortened barrel like that of an HK11 or HK23.

A rebel soldier brags about his "laundered" HK21E, ignoring several rules of firearm safety by waving it at his friend, even if his finger isn't on the trigger.

Snake reloads an HK21E as a FROG trooper self-incinerates nearby. It's never particularly clear why they do this, so it's probably nanomachines. Note that the belt of the old drum vanishes just as Snake detaches it; this is the new drum being put in place.

Kalashnikov PKM

The PK Machine Gun is seen in the hands of militia and rebels in Act 2. At the time this machine gun is first made available to the player, this gun is a good 40-50% more powerful at close range than any other automatic weapon. However, ammo is uncommon and expensive and it cannot be customised.

PKM with classic (most seen) version of the flash hider - 7.62x54mmR

PKM on the item menu.

Snake opens up on Pieuvre Armement PMC soldiers with his PKM, angered at the PMC's name being so hard to spell.

His fury abated, it's time to reload.

The rebel soldier thankfully realizes that Snake pointing a SCAR-H at his groin is just the old man's way of saying good morning.

M60E4

The M60E4 is used by the PMC operatives in game. It can be equipped with optics, foregrips, a laser sight, and a flashlight. This weapon is available in multiplayer, and is the only weapon of its type in that mode. Notably, unlike the MAC-10 (but like the other open-bolt MGs), Snake will always pull the bolt back after reloading the M60E4; in reality, this is only necessary for open-bolt weapons if the trigger was held down after the last round in a magazine/belt was fired.

M60E4 Mk.43 with Picatinny rails, RIS foregrip, and ammo belt - 7.62x51mm NATO

The M60E4 on the item menu.

Snake sights up a Pieuvre Armement PMC soldier armed with an M60E4.

Snake revisits Shadow Moses, bringing a touch more firepower this time.

Having foolishly alerted the million billion Dwarf Gekko which have apparently colonized the Tank Hangar, Snake does the only reasonable thing, whipping out his M60E4 and getting started making a big pile of scrap metal.

The Werewolf PMC appears to be trying to deploy more Dwarf Gekko drones than a potential enemy has bullets.

Mk. 46 Mod. 0

The Mk. 46 Mod. 0 can be purchased from Drebin; it is mislabelled as a Mod 1, but has the 12 o'clock rail on the handguard that is not present on the Mod 1. It features the same customisation as the M60, but it is much lighter and fires the less powerful 5.56x45mm cartridge.

Mk. 46 Mod. 0 - 5.56x45mm

"Mk. 46 Mod.1" on the item menu.

Snake starts to reload the Mk. 46 by pulling back the charging handle, giving a good view of the 12 o'clock rail on the handguard; this shows the weapon is actually a Mod 0. Despite its inclusion, there is no accessory that can be mounted on this rail.

Snake unloads his Mk. 46 on PMCs while atop Drebin's Stryker.

Snake reloads his Mk. 46 in the hallway at Shadow Moses where the Cyborg Ninja's infamous massacre took place.

Launchers

FGM-148 Javelin

The FGM-148 Javelin is found in Act 1 and can be purchased from Drebin. It is erroneously shown as a SACLOS device requiring full-course guidance by the operator, with Snake discarding the entire launcher including the CLU after every shot and pulling out a fresh Javelin from more or less nowhere; it also cannot be used in top-attack mode by the player. Most of the time it is used by NPCs it is seen being used in an incorrect direct-fire mode; in real life, even shots fired in this mode start their flight with a rapid climb, while in game the missile flies straight forwards. The only time it is shown firing correctly is during Act 1, when a group of hidden PMC soldiers will fire missiles in top-attack mode to destroy a rebel BMP-3 IFV if the player protects it for long enough.

It is never at all clear why it operates the way it does; presumably, the lack of lock-on capability is to separate the weapon functionally from the Stinger, and the SACLOS guidance intended to be reminiscent of MGS1 and MGS2's fly-by-wire "Nikita" missile launcher, but this doesn't really explain why the resulting mechanics were given to a Javelin launcher rather than a fictional ATGM system.

FGM-148 Javelin - 127mm

FGM-148 Javelin on the item menu.

Snake moves into position with a Javelin during the second Act, preparing to provide the rebels with a touch more firepower.

Sighting up a PMC Stryker through the scope of the Javelin. In theory, it's possible to top-attack by guiding the round up and then down, but this offers no meaningful advantage over direct fire.

With the Stryker destroyed, Snake reloads by throwing the entire launcher away and pulling another one out of thin air. Apparently it doesn't occur to him to re-use the $80,000 Command Launch Unit. Note that Snake can carry up to fifty complete launchers; this means his invisible backpack has a carrying capacity exceeding one ton.

Snake sights up a PMC Javelin operator during the first Act. With due diligence, it's possible to escort the mildly suicidal BMP-3 past every launcher...

...Whereupon a hidden Praying Mantis soldier suddenly remembers how the Javelin actually works.

FIM-92 Stinger

The FIM-92 Stinger can be purchased from Drebin, and is also found in the back of the truck in the Nuclear Warhead Storage Building, Floor 1, in Act 4. Unlike previous games where it was reloaded in a completely unspecified manner, in MGS4 Snake will discard the launcher after firing (without detaching the gripstock) and pull another one from thin air. As per series norms, the Stinger is incorrectly shown as a strange all-purpose missile, able to lock on to aircraft, ground vehicles, and even infantry with its iron sight somehow functioning as a digital display, and the missile is shown seeking straight out of the tube rather than flying in a straight line for 660 feet as with the real weapon. As is common in media, it is shown with the IFF antenna opened up even though Snake is not wearing the IFF interrogator box required to render the antenna actually useful. Snake also does not insert a BCU into the launcher, meaning it would have no power and the seeker would not function.

FIM-92 Stinger with IFF interrogator - 70mm

FIM-92 Stinger on the item menu.

With a determined look on his face, Snake clutches a Stinger as he advances on the Confinement Facility. As with the Javelin, being old apparently doesn't stop him lugging two thousand pounds of Stingers around.

Snake readies a Stinger as his previous one fails to take down a PMC helicopter. Reloading before impact broke the previous round's lock-on (something that should not be possible since Stinger is a fire-and-forget weapon), leaving it to fly off aimlessly.

The helicopter is not nearly as lucky the second time around.

GP-30

The GP-30 grenade launcher can be attached to the AK-102 and AN-94. It can be found in the Advent Palace Hotel in Act 1, in a secret room at the start of Act 2, or bought from Drebin. It can be used in multiplayer on the AK-102 if Drebin Points are enabled. The GP-30 correctly does not share ammunition with the other 40mm grenade launchers (as it uses caseless VOG-25 grenades, which are incompatible with 40mm NATO grenade launchers); in game, it can only use high explosive rounds.

GP-30 grenade launcher mounted on AK-74 - 40mm & 5.45x39mm

AK-102 on the item menu, fitted with a GP-30 grenade launcher.

Snake reloads the GP-30 mounted under his AN-94 assault rifle.

Snake finds a GP-30 in the Advent Palace Hotel. As noted previously, this "Custom Parts" box item is used to represent any accessory weapon or weapon accessory.

Heckler & Koch XM25 Mock-Up

An early mock-up of the Heckler & Koch XM25 made for demonstration purposes is shown in game as the actual weapon. A semi-automatic grenade launcher chambered in 25mm, it fires airbursting HEAB (High Explosive Air Bursting) rounds, which function rather like the PK rockets in Battlefield 2142; while the weapon is held normally they are simply impact detonated, but scoping shows a display with an always-on rangefinder. Pressing up or down on the D-pad freezes at the currently displayed range, with further presses adjusting the detonation distance up or down. It can be found on the catwalk of one of the control towers in Act 4, and is the only heavy weapon usable during the motorcycle chase in Act 3.

Heckler & Koch XM25 mock-up - 25 x 40mm. This is a non-firing demonstrator which looks substantially different to the final version.

Pre-2015 functional XM25 for comparison - 25 x 40mm. The version in MGS4 was clearly based on the former.

XM25 on the item menu.

Snake fires his XM25 in over-shoulder mode; fired like this, the grenades are impact detonation only.

Using the scope, on the other hand, allows the HEAB rounds to be used properly. The two range figures to the right are the range to the object currently being aimed at (white) and the current detonation distance (red). It fires in impact mode until the D-pad is touched to fix and then alter the range. The launcher "forgets" the set range if Snake stops aiming down the sight.

Snake reloads his XM25 as he tries to ignore what Johnny Sasaki is currently doing nearby.

Heckler & Koch XM320

A mixture of the early version and later version of the Heckler & Koch XM320 grenade launcher is the underbarrel launcher for the M4 Custom and XM8 rifle; it lacks the MP7-style folding front grip added to the production M320 and has the early style trigger guard, therefore is correctly labelled in the game, even if it makes little sense in-universe for it to still have an XM- designation. It can be purchased from Drebin, and is also carried by some PMC members in stand-alone form in the South America portion of the game; it cannot be used by the player in this form. The XM320 has four ammo types; it can fire HE rounds, white phosphorous, stun grenades and smoke rounds. The attachment is also available in multiplayer.

Heckler & Koch XM320 - 40x46mm. Note lack of a front grip, added only to the production M320. The version in-game uses an earlier version of the trigger guard.

XM320 grenade launcher mounted to an XM8 rifle on the item menu.

Assaulted by Pieuvre Armement PMC soldiers, Snake loads a white phosphorous round into the XM320 mounted to his XM8.

He stops being assaulted immediately afterward.

Later, he encounters two more PMC soldiers defending the Confinement Facility with their standalone XM320s. Thankfully, PMC soldiers can only use high explosive rounds in their launchers.

M72A3 LAW

The M72 LAW is used by a small number of rebels in Act 2. It is a little strange for this extremely elderly LAW variant to still be around during the game's events: the A3 was superseded in the 80s.

M72A2 LAW - 66mm

M72A3 LAW on the item menu.

Snake comes across a rebel soldier with his M72 at the ready during the game's second Act.

Taking aim down the sights of an M72A3 LAW. Or rather, the sight; the weapon is incorrectly shown with the player's point of view in front of Snake's right hand, using only the front sight with the rear one not visible. To actually do this, Snake would have to be reaching back over his own shoulder with his right hand. The use of this sight shows this is indeed an A3 variant, since the A4 had simplified iron sights derived from the cancelled FGR-17 Viper.

Snake discards a spent LAW and extends another; the ground model is actually a closed tube, meaning the tube instantly collapses as it leaves Snake's hands.

As Drebin moves to give Snake a shot of suppressor Nanomachines to let him use non-ID guns, two low-detail LAWs are visible in the weapon rack of his Stryker. These are low-detail because they are part of the Stryker model itself rather than copies of the normal in-world model.

Milkor MGL Mk 1L

The Milkor MGL Mk 1L appears as the "MGL-140"; it is used by Raging Raven, and is acquired by Solid Snake upon defeating her. Upon retrieving it from Raging Raven, Drebin offers to remove the ID lock for Snake, although under the condition that after the events of the mission are over, Drebin be supplied with the weapon itself (it's implied in his databank entry that the reason for this condition is due to his being a big fan of legendary units including the BB Corps). It shares the ammunition reserve of the XM320, and can use the same four ammunition types: HE fragmentation, white phosphorous, "flashbang" stun rounds and smoke rounds.

Milkor MGL Mk 1L in desert tan finish fitted with Armson OEG reflex sight - 40x46mm

MGL-140 on the item menu.

Raging Raven flies overhead during the introduction of the B&B Corps in the first Act, showing off her MGL-140 grenade launcher.

Later, in the third Act, the MGL gets a closeup as Raven fires a grenade at the van Snake and Big Mama are escorting. Her MGL lacks a foregrip, but one can be fitted afterwards.

Finally getting her boss fight in Act 3, Raven has her pre-battle speech...

...during which, for reasons known only to himself, Snake doesn't shoot her. Perhaps he's marvelling at how this isn't even the weirdest thing that's happened to him today.

Snake collects Raven's MGL-140 after defeating her.

RPG-7

The RPG-7 is used by the rebels in the first Act, and a large number of unlocked RPG-7s are present throughout the first stage, seemingly primarily to give the player some quick Drebin Points due to their high trade-in value. This weapon is available in multiplayer, and is the only one of its type in that mode.

RPG-7V with PG-7VM rocket and PGO-7 scope - 40mm

RPG-7 on the item menu.

A rebel aims his RPG-7 during MGS4's first Act.

Snake fires on a Stryker using the PGO-7 scope of his RPG-7; the illuminated red dot at the aim point is obscured here by the flare of the rocket's sustainer motor.

Snake starts to reload his RPG-7, showing off the PGO-7 scope.

Snake finds a box of RPG-7 ammunition lurking around in the rebel base in Act 1. This is the generic pickup item used for all rocket launcher ammunition.

Thrown / Placed

Airsoft gas charger grenade

A grenade with a thin, smooth cylindrical body is used as the model for both the "flashbang" stun grenades and the game's fictional electronic warfare "chaff" grenades. This appears to be based on a grenade-shaped gas bottle for Airsoft guns, such as the one shown below. Stun grenades can be found throughout the game or bought from Drebin, and stun all enemies within a fixed radius who can see them while also causing an instant alert if there wasn't one already. The Chaff Grenade is treated as a "secret" weapon; only a handful can be found during the entire game, usually in out-of-the-way places, and Drebin never sells them; they are basically a short-duration EMP-like effect rather flimsily explained as strips of metal which are spread throughout the entire current area via magic. Using one temporarily disables security cameras, alarms and enemy radios, and temporarily paralyses any drone vehicles present. This lasts until the magic fades and all the strips of metal return to wherever they came from in the first place.

EAIMING "M116A1 Distraction Device Grenade," an Airsoft gun gas charger built to resemble a hand grenade. "M116A1" is actually the US army's code for a simulation hand grenade with a paper body, used in training.

"Stun grenade" on the item menu.

"Chaff grenade" on the item menu. M363 is actually an obsolete anti-infantry canister round developed for the 76mm guns of the M4 Sherman and M41 Walker Bulldog tanks.

After FROG soldiers knock a hole into the Advent Palace Hotel's bathroom, they toss a stun grenade inside, visible next to Meryl's head. The explosion, if looked at, turns the screen completely white; this can be simulated by looking to the right of this image.

M112 C4 Demolition Charge

Remote-detonated M112 C4 Demolition Charges are available during the game, and can be placed on the ground or objects and then detonated in the order they were originally placed. Precisely what attaches them to surfaces is not clear; the charges can be fixed to non-magnetic surfaces, and lack any obvious adhesive.

M112 demolition charge

"C4" on the item menu.

M18 Smoke Grenade

The M18 smoke grenade is the basis for the "fat" versions of the Stun and Chaff grenade seen in the MGS1 nightmare sequence.

M18 smoke grenade

During the Act 4 MGS1 nightmare, Snake is surprised at finding a security camera in a top-secret base as he brandishes a "Chaff Grenade" based on an M18. Due to PS1-era graphical limitations, the grenade is bigger than his head.

M18A1 Claymore

The M18A1 Claymore mine is used as a trap in several locations throughout the game; as usual in the series, the mines use a proximity detonator rather than the real weapon's command detonation, although they lack the optical camouflage seen in the first two games which made them invisible.

M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine

M18A1 Claymore on the item menu.

Snake spots a Claymore in the lobby of the Advent Palace Hotel, deciding that practical jokes by the staff must have really got out of hand.

Luckily MGS series standards still apply, and Claymores are apparently both extremely hot for no readily determined reason and can be stolen by crawling over them.

M34 White Phosphorous Grenade

The M34 White Phosphorous grenade is available to the player only, and creates a burning cloud of white phosphorous which ignites enemies on contact.

M34 White Phosphorous grenade

M34 White Phosphorous grenade on the item menu.

Snake looks down the iron sight of his MP5SD2 at a case of WP grenades; this is the generic pickup model used by every type of grenade in the game.

M67 Hand Grenade

The M67 hand grenade is used by most enemies in the game and can be used by the player; it is also part of the armament of the "Gekko" bipedal IFVs, which can throw grenades using their manipulator tentacles. As with the Stun and Chaff grenades, it seems the in-game model was actually based on an Airsoft gas charger bottle; the shape of the grenade body is distinctly incorrect for a real M67 but matches several gas charger models. M67 grenades are also used by Genome Soldiers in the MGS1 nightmare sequence if Snake enters a vent during an alert.

Airsoft "M67 hand grenade" gas bottle

M67 hand grenade

M67 hand grenade on the item menu.

Drebin shows off a magic trick he presumably uses at really dull parties.

A better shot of the M67. Note the unsplit pin, another clue that the grenade was not modelled from a real grenade.

The grey object visible above the Genome Soldier's left hand is the fuze of a M67 grenade. Since the MGS1 soldiers always have a rifle in their right hand, they are shown pulling the pins with their mouth; apparently Big Boss' superior soldier genes include some for superior soldier teeth.

M83 Smoke Grenade

The M83 smoke grenade, incorrectly labelled as an M18, is usable in the game, in a default white version and four special "Emotion" versions which produce coloured smoke which affects the emotions of enemies caught in it; Blue for Cry, Red for Rage, Yellow for Laugh, and Green for Scream.

M83 smoke grenade

M83 smoke grenade on the item menu. This grenade produces white smoke.

One of the four coloured "emotion" smoke grenades available after completing the game once. This is the yellow "Laugh" grenade.

Faced with the rebel BMP-3 in the first Act, the Praying Mantis PMC soldiers decide that discretion is the better part of valour, one throwing an M83 smoke grenade to cover their retreat.

Magazine

A 30-round STANAG 5.56x45mm magazine can be thrown to distract enemies. One magazine is added to the stock every time a weapon's magazine is fully depleted; regardless of the weapon, it will always be shown as this type when thrown. Unlike Metal Gear Solid 2, the reloading animation correctly shows Snake retaining the old mag during the reload rather than discarding it and then having it in his inventory anyway.

Magazine on the item menu.

Mk 2 Hand Grenade

During the PMC commercials before the game proper begins, two live-action combatants are seen dueling in mid-air as the camera sweeps around them. As they move close, the one in white reaches down to produce a Mk 2 hand grenade, with another attached to her belt.

Mk 2 "Pineapple" high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade

In the PMC commercial, one of the fighting-or-something women produces a Mk 2 grenade from her belt.

Molotov cocktail

Molotov cocktails, referred to as "Petro Bomb" in game, are used in place of grenades by rebel soldiers in the first two Acts, and can be picked up by Snake, functioning as less effective versions of the WP grenade which ignite on impact.

"Petro Bomb" on the item menu.

Valmera 69

An Italian Valmera 69 bounding anti-personnel mine is featured as the "S.G. Mine," with SG presumably standing for "Sleep Gas." These contact-triggered mines instantly knock out anyone who triggers them, including Snake himself, though they can be triggered with gunfire or defused by crawling over them or picking them up with Metal Gear Mk. 2. Some are found in the Advent Palace hotel in the first Act.

Valmera 69 land mine.

"S.G. Mine" on the item menu.

Apparently showing up as hot on thermal isn't enough for these mines, which are also concealed through clever application of a bright blue body and a big silly light on the top.

In the unlikely case that Snake manages to trigger one, the entire mine jumps into the air; this is incorrect, as the Valmera, like most bounding mines, has an outer body containing the bounding body and propelling charge; only the bounding body should jump into the air.

Snake does not have time to consider this, due to the loss of his entire Psyche gauge and the resultant urgent need for a nap.

"S.G. Satchel"

The "S.G. Satchel" is a manually triggered gas bomb which Snake can place as a trap. It appears to be loosely based on a blast-resistant anti-tank mine such as the Italian VS-3.6 anti-tank mine; the ridges on the device's body are typical of such mines.

VS-3.6 anti-tank mine.

"S.G. Satchel" on the item menu.

Mounted Weaponry

BGM-71 TOW

The bipedal "Gekko" unmanned weapons are sometimes equipped with a launch unit for two BGM-71 TOW missiles on one of their weapon mounting points. These weapons are never usable by the player.

BGM-71 TOW mounted on M220 tripod - 152mm

Snake is ambushed by a "Gekko" unmanned vehicle crashing through a wall, equipped with an M2 Browning heavy machine gun and twin TOW launch tubes.

After Snake successfully evades the easily-fooled Gekko, they are called away.

Browning M2HB

The M2HB is mounted on Stryker APC and MGS variants and HMMWVs in game, and is also the principle dorsal armament of the Gekko bipedal IFVs. They can also occasionally be found mounted in fixed emplacements.

Browning M2HB - .50 BMG

One of the Praying Mantis PMC's "Gekko" unmanned vehicles, armed with a Protector M151 Remote Weapon Station and twin BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles. The Gekko also mounts a lighter machine gun in the "beak," but this is completely concealed by armour and impossible to identify.

Strykers in MGS4 also mount the Protector M151 Remote Weapon Station, equipped with an M2 Browning heavy machine gun.

A Pieuvre Armement PMC Stryker is seen at the start of the second Act.

Snake mans a Browning M2HB on top of Drebin's Stryker at the end of Act 2. Oddly, despite that the gun is mounted in an M151 Protector RWS, Snake insists on sitting on top of the vehicle to use it.

In the third Act, the Raven Sword PMC makes extensive use of HMMWV ("Humvee") light trucks armed with Browning M2 heavy machine guns. While the Young Snake disguise won't get Snake by these, apparently Colonel Campbell is allowed out and about after curfew.

The combined US Army / Marine taskforce sent to deal with Liquid Ocelot on the Volta in Act 3 turn up in force, including a number of Mark V Special Operations Craft, each armed with four M2 heavy machine guns mounted on the sides of the rear deck.

Liquid Ocelot's boat in Act 3 is a Swedish-designed Combat Boat 90 modified to mount a turret with what appears to be the AMOS twin 120mm mortar system; this modification has been used on British CB-90s. More normal for the class are the twin M2 Browning heavy machine guns mounted in a compartment forward of the helmsman's position, and visible here behind the FROG soldier on the left.

The gun cameras on Shadow Moses in Act 4 are based on the M2, with a shortened barrel and a rather undersized drum.

Snake sneaks up on a mounted M2 Browning during the game's second Act. Knowing Snake's stealthy ways, it will later find it has much less ammo and is pointed in a different direction, and will never figure out why.

The M2 Browning mounted on Drebin's Stryker.

General Electric M134 Minigun

During the second Act, soldiers of the Pieuvre Armement PMC are seen wearing suits of powered armour equipped with GE M134 miniguns on their right arms. Oddly, these power suit soldiers only appear as enemies once in the entire game, in one area of the on-rails vehicle section at the end of Act 2, and for plot reasons they never actually attempt to fire the weapon at Snake. This was apparently due to several planned confrontations with them during the mission being scrapped to make the release date.

General Electric M134 - 7.62x51mm

Two power suits are visible at the top of the shot, both with arm-mounted miniguns.

General Electric M61A1 Vulcan

Secondary armament of Metal Gears Rex and Ray is a pair of M61 Vulcan 20mm rotary guns; Ray mounts them on the tips of the two wing-like underwater propulsion units on its shoulders, while Rex mounts them under the projections either side of the pilot's "beak." While the latter is claimed to be 30mm by the game, Metal Gear Rex has not changed size since Otacon called them "Vulcan cannons" in MGS1 and the weapons are not large enough to be GAU-8s. The battleship USS Missouri also mounts M61 Vulcans in her Phalanx CIWS installations.

General Electric / General Dynamics M61 Vulcan - 20mm.

GE M61 Vulcan in a Phalanx mounting - 20mm

The damaged cover of Metal Gear Rex's left-hand gun shows it to be a six-barrelled M61 Vulcan, despite the game labelling it as a much larger seven-barrelled 30mm GAU-8.

As in MGS2, Metal Gear Ray's Vulcans are mounted at the tips of the two propulsor "wings," forcing the vehicle to position itself incredibly awkwardly to fire. Here, Ray opens fire on Metal Gear Rex in the finale of the fourth Act. The selected weapon for Rex is the "AT missile," which, as implied by the description in MGS1 ("...a laser semi-active homing weapon that doesn't use wires") is the AGM-114 Hellfire. Luckily Snake is just as good at ignoring what "semi-active homing" means as his brother was, and the missiles are fire-and-forget.

In the final Act, Snake's base of operations becomes the USS Missouri, which is recreated in loving detail and the subject of many dramatic shots. Here, a shot of the Missouri's flank as she approaches the submarine arsenal ship Outer Haven shows off her Mark 12 5-inch/38 calibre dual-purpose guns, angled RGM-84 Harpoon launch tubes and two of the M61A1 Vulcan cannons in Phalanx installations on her superstructure.

As Outer Haven launches a volley of Harpoon anti-ship missiles at the USS Missouri, "Mighty Mo" responds with her dual-purpose guns and Phalanx installations.

Kalashnikov PKT

During the first Act, the rebels assault Praying Mantis PMC positions with a Russian BMP-3 IFV. The BMP-3 is the world's most heavily armed IFV, packing in a 2A70 100mm low velocity gun / missile launcher, a coaxial 2A72 30mm autocannon, six 81mm 902V "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers and three PKT machine guns, one coaxial and two bow-mounted.

PKT machine gun with 250-round ammo drum - 7.62x54mm R

The rebel BMP makes a grand entrance, firing off its bow-mounted PKT machine guns.

If Snake has been nice to the rebels, this is a happy sight; if not, it may be time to be really stealthy.

M224 Mortar

During the first two Acts, a number of M224 Mortars set up by rebel forces can be found and used by the player; these are aimed with a HUD indicator showing the round's trajectory, ending in an area-of-effect circle at the point of detonation. They have infinite ammunition.

M224 Mortar - 60mm

Snake discovers the hard way that the mortar wasn't designed to be used as a pillow.

Vowing to never speak of his bad sleeping experience again, Snake decides to dispose of any witnesses, dropping a 60mm round into his M224 mortar after sighting up a hapless PMC soldier manning an M2 Browning.

Snake admires his handiwork and shows off his amazingly flexible definition of "sneaking mission."

M230 Chaingun

PMC hybrid helicopters based on the Boeing X-50 Dragonfly aircraft / helicopter concept are armed with a chin-mounted M230 Chain Gun.

Hughes/Alliant Techsystems M230 Chain Gun - 30mm

A PMC attack helicopter comes in to support Praying Mantis troops during the first level, showing off its chin-mounted M230. While these helicopters appear many times during the game, they never receive a name; they were finally given the name "Hammerhead" in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

Snake sights up a PMC attack helicopter with his VSS Vintorez as it fires its chaingun at rebels nearby. This is unlikely to end well for him.

One of the PMC hybrid helicopters in "jet" mode. They are never encountered like this during gameplay, only during the early cutscenes of Act 1. It's worth noting that the real X-50 Dragonfly program was axed due to "inherent design flaws," with neither prototype ever successfully transitioning from rotary-wing to fixed-wing flight.

M240C

The M240C is seen mounted coaxially on the remaining Abrams tank in Shadow Moses Island's tank hangar.

M240C vehicle coaxial-mount version - 7.62x51mm

Snake admires the remaining Abrams in the tank hangar, standing under the M256 120mm L/44 main gun. Note the CIS mounted on top of the turret right of the commander's Browning M2; apparently the magical elves which have been maintaining Metal Gear Rex since the island was abandoned took time out to update MGS1's M1A1 to A2 standard.

A view from the upper walkway of the tank hangar. MGS4 doesn't take sides on whether the Abrams in the first game had two Browning M2s as in Metal Gear Solid or an M2 and an M240D as in Twin Snakes; the remaining tank in the hangar has no loader's weapon at all.

Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B

Liquid Snake's crashed Hind-D can be found in the snowfield around the Comm Towers in Act 4, with the chin-mounted Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B gatling gun buried in the snow. Other Hinds can be seen in the PMC advertisements at the very beginning of the game; at least one of those seen, however, is a Hind-A which would have a different, single-barrel chin gun.

Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B machine gun - 12.7x108mm

Snake finds the crashed Hind-D in a corner of the snowfield. "Bad dog! What did Snake tell you about destroying the helicopter?"

During one of the introduction's confusing PMC commercials, an Mi-24 Hind-A is briefly visible circling two people in vaguely Middle-Eastern dress; it can be identified as such by the early "greenhouse" side-by-side cockpit rather than the later twin bubble canopy. This means it would mount a single-barrel gun rather than a Yak-B; it is included here for the sake of noting this.

Other

"Rail Gun"

The fictional handheld railgun used by Fortune in MGS2 returns in Metal Gear Solid 4 attached to the quadrupedal armour of B&B Corps member Crying Wolf; the weapon is mounted to the "Beast" armour's shoulder, and can only be used when the cockpit is open. Following the battle, the railgun is made available to the player for free; it features a 3-step charge up activated by aiming the weapon and a digital scope with a charge level indicator. The gun no longer has the issues with runaway firing described in Metal Gear Solid 2, where it was stated the project was cancelled for this reason and only Fortune with her "good luck" could use it effectively. Despite the railgun being roughly the size of a motorcycle, it apparently still somehow fits inside the foot-tall Metal Gear Mk. 2 and Snake has no trouble hefting it and aiming it outside of the one cutscene where he initially picks it up. It also does not produce deafening sonic booms despite the ridiculous muzzle energy figure stated in MGS2, which would require it accelerate its projectiles to Mach 42 (about twice escape velocity) even if they are assumed to be as heavy as 20mm cannon projectiles.

The railgun itself seems to have been created using either the same wooden motion capture prop as the one used for Metal Gear Solid 2's MoCap work or a reproduction of it; the design incorporates elements of a number of experimental and prototype high-tech weapons, but the weapon as a whole is a work of fiction.

"Railgun" on the item menu.

Snake continues to make a mockery of the idea that he keeps his inventory in anything resembling a backpack.

Reloading the railgun; note the magazine in Snake's left hand is proportioned like a pistol mag, since it only contains projectiles with no propellant.

Snake uses the scope of the railgun to sight up a Gekko hanging from the ceiling in Shadow Moses' casting and rolling facility. The horizontal bars fill in as it charges, while the lower vertical bar is an ammunition counter.

With the Railgun slung over the right shoulder, Crying Wolf's quadrupedal "beast" armour manages the entirely impossible feat of stopping and then lifting a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer with an Israeli-standard up-armour package. This vehicle weighs as much as a main battle tank, and no matter how strong the "beast" is its legs would dig into the ground before it could ever hope to pull this off.

Three Acts later, Crying Wolf takes aim at Snake in the snowfield on Shadow Moses island; strangely, in this cutscene the railgun has an analog zoom on the scope rather than the two-setting digital zoom it has when Snake uses it. This is also the only time the railgun is seen with the armature extended when it isn't being charged.

Snake hefts the railgun as he prepares to take on a force of Gekko bent on destroying Metal Gear Rex's hangar. Despite that he could barely lift it when he picked it up after defeating Crying Wolf, he uses it just fine the rest of the time.

Tanegashima

A Japanese clone of a Portugese muzzleloading matchlock arquebus design, the Tanegashima is basically a joke weapon that can only be reloaded while standing, taking a lot of time to do so for only moderate damage and accuracy; costing one million Drebin Points, it's a very expensive joke at that. However, there is a one-third chance that when the Tanegashima is fired outdoors it will instead summon a tornado, travelling in the direction the muzzle was aimed, which will knock enemies down and scatter their items everywhere. It is extremely silly.

Tanegashima with short barrel.

The "Tanegashima" arquebus on the item menu. Note this weapon is rather ridiculously placed in the "Assault Rifle" class, when it could have just as easily have been placed in the "Other" class in the game's inventory system; it is also erroneously described as a flintlock.

Snake aims down the iron sight of his Tanegashima arquebus. Note that only one end of the matchcord is lit; historically, both ends would be lit in case one end was extinguished accidentally. That said, the matchcord getting extinguished (which cannot happen in game, despite one level being set in a blizzard) would be less of a hindrance for Snake than it would be for a period arqubusier, since Snake happens to carry a modern cigarette lighter. There is also no chance of enemy NPCs smelling the burning matchcord and realizing something is amiss, unlike how they can smell Snake's lit cigarette if he is nearby and the wind direction is right.

Reloading the Tanegashima involves a suitable amount of fiddling around with the weapon's ramrod, followed by a series of hard-to-make-out actions which are presumably refilling the flash pan, resetting the serpentine and replacing the match. As is typical for video games featuring muzzle-loading black powder firearms, the reload animation for the Tanegashima is much too short to be realistic.

Sometimes it's even worth it.