Like many of us, I don't buy only Transformers toys. Among other things, I sometimes buy G.I. Joe figures, Iron Man figures, etc. These toys sometimes include inappropriately large missile launchers which are all but useless for their 1:18-scale figures... They're super useful for customs, though! They can be easily modded to mount on G.I. Joe vehicles, or -- as shown here -- they can be fitted with 5mm pegs to serve as new weapons for Transformers figures. I personally tend to prefer using these launchers without their missiles (I like the big, gaping mouths of their gunbarrels) but most of these modded weapons can still launch their projectiles. I only painted one of the weapons -- the circular, double-barreled gun(which came with the Iron Man 3 "Iron Assemblers" Iron Patriot figure) -- but I'm thinking about painting some of the others. It depends on which Transformers I think they should be paired with. The hardest part of this kind of modification is finding a steady supply of 5mm pegs to cut to the right lengths and fit into the launchers. Especially when that's compounded with the issue of color matching. (Regrettably, about half of these pics show Guardshell/Landmine with his leg-wheels incorrecly oriented. Oh well.)
Check the drinks section of your local Walmart for hard plastic crazy straws. They're 5mm wide and the straight bits make good handles. The plastic can be on the brittle side though, so use care when cutting, but a handle-length section should be fine once it's attached.
Ah yes, I've heard something about this before. Good to know it can work. Next time I'm in a Walmart (or Target?) I simply MUST look for some of these. Thanks for the tip!
I don't know whether Target stocks ones with the same 5mm width. Once I learned about the WalMart ones I just stuck with those. They tend to be on the mid-aisle hangers along with the bags of bendy straws. Good luck.
Thank you sir! And did you mean this one? It's a cool one alright. Definitely one of the most futuristic-looking of the missile launchers. I don't remember which figure this one came with, exactly, but I'm almost certain it was included with a relatively recent (within the past 10 years) G.I. Joe figure.
Yep, that's the one! It looks like it could be some sort of futuristic HMG, or maybe a shotgun. Kind of reminds me of DOTM Sideswipe's Mechtech weapon.
Indeed, totally agree. And I just found it -- it came with 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Agent Helix. http://www.yojoe.com/action/09/agenthelix.shtml Most of the other launchers are also from the Rise of Cobra line, or from various Iron Man figures.
