Marauder, Inc. Custom Weapons System
Series Two
I was quite amazed (as was everyone else) when the first series of weapons from Marauder, Inc. made their debut at the Convention last year. No one had really heard of them, and there had been many "custom weapons" dealers in business prior to that. But the previous dealers all mostly dealt in resin casts and reproductions...Marauder was the first company to really take things to the next level and produce completely original, factory-produced, high-quality weapons for the descriminating Joe fan. These weapons were intricately designed, expertly constructed and were pretty much made for Joes. The first series was a critical success, and evidently the sales were good enough to warrant a second series. And let me tell you, as cool as the first series was, Marauder, Inc just simply blows it away with these absolutely fantastic second series offerings. Let's get right down to it:
AK-74 Assault Rifle w/ Grenade Launcher
John, the man in charge of Marauder, Inc. has really taken the Russian machine gun to an art form in the first two series. We got some great variations on this popular and distinctive Soviet automatic weapon and John continues to take it up a notch here, giving us an AK-74 with incredibly realistic detailing, a nice slim, easy to grasp handle, and a great under-barrel mounted grenade launcher for when everyone's favorite Soviet Commando needs to pack a slightly bigger punch.
Opting to go with a much more tactical look here, this AK-74 is amazingly effective as a terrorist weapon or something that the Joes would use when infiltrating foreign soil. It's got a fantastic design, amazing detail and is practical to boot.
AUG77 Assault Rifle
Going with the Austrian designed Steyr Aug 77 machine gun was a fantastic idea, as the basic weapon design itself is futuristic and just plain cool. The double-handled weapon configuration, rounded clip, and sleek, streamlined scope make this weapon look futuristic and advanced, however still well-grounded in reality. It's a medium sized machine gun that just looks flat out terrific.
The gunbarrel is thin, yet amazingly sturdy, thanks to Marauder's superior manufacturing technique. I can only imagine if this gun barrel was a resin cast how quickly it would likely snap...no snapping here, this gun feels just like a Hasbro-produced Joe weapon, and it's a great weapon to own. I love it.
Baretta 9mm Pistol
The Baretta is a pretty straight forward pistol, but Marauder, Inc takes that simple design and just makes a pretty perfect gun. Amazingly similar to the small pistol Chuckles comes with, this gun is in scale, well-detailed and a great compliment to pretty much any Joe or COBRA.
The woodgrain handle, well sculpted magazine, and nice, rounded barrel are all great little touches for this pistol and give it some amazing character for being so small in size.
Heckler and Koch G36 Assault Rifle
A gun similar to this has been in full use by Hasbro over the past few years (originally coming with the Sand Viper in Spy Troops, Wave 6) but I have to tell you, this version is light years beyond the one Hasbro gave us, which was a little thick, oversized, and somewhat clunky.
This version of the G36 is smaller, slimmer, and more tactical in appearence, with a more nicely sculpted handle, a very modern shaped magazine, and with all the right details in all the right places. From the shape and style of the butt, to the nicely angular front chamber, all the way to the intricate sculpting of the scope, this G36 is a fantastic assault rifle and honestly even makes the Hasbro one look like a knock off in comparison. I love the front handle, and the overall look of the gun is just downright perfect. One of the highlights of Series Two.
L85 Assault Rifle
Somewhat similar in style to the Aug 77, the British-made L85 is another cutting edge looking machine gun that ends up being translated to 1:18 scale to near-perfection. It is a medium size and can be held very, VERY well by pretty much any hands. I love the smooth design of the handle, the banana clip and even the ridged gunbarrel...it all looks great and as I said, translates seamlessly from the source material down to a very well-made weapon for 3 3/4" figures.
It's guns like this that really make the material Marauder, Inc. uses shine. This gun just feels solid, production made and as if it was made for G.I. Joe, which is really all you can ask for. The overall design of this weapon is great, too, and you end up with another terrific European style machine gun for the worlds best Special Missions Force.
M4 Carbine w/ Shotgun
This is another gun that Hasbro produced for the Spy Troops line, and yet another gun that Marauder, Inc does much, MUCH better. While I prefer to see these guys tackle completely new weapons we've never seen before, I can appreciate the need to take established designs and make them better, especially because the Hasbro-made M4 w/ Shotgun is so oversized and hard to manage.
This version takes the somewhat compact M4 Carbine, with amazingly accurate detailing throughout, and attaches the shotgun seamlessly underneath the magazine, and they manage to keep the gun smaller and more managable, and the detail from the shotgun pump all the way back to the handle of the M4 are all expertly crafted. They look incredible...even the little trigger guard on the shotgun looks great. A nice addition to your Joe arsenal, even if you already own a number of the Hasbro versions.
M60-E3 Heavy Machine Gun
I covered this weapon in some good detail in my Sneak Preview a week or so ago, and I gotta say as cool as this thing looks in "prototype beige" it looks absolutely 110% better here in black. As I said in that earlier review, this weapon was made famous by the Rambo movies back in the 80's, and it's aged pretty well. Amazingly enough Hasbro never really made a really accurate version of this HMG, but Marauder, Inc. takes care of it here, and does it perfectly.
The gun feels large, hefty, and dangerous, as it should, and the double-handle design works flawlessly. With small details like the little handle on top and the two ammo boxes (yes, it comes with two ammo boxes) this M60 is a great addition to your heavy weapons armory. The plug system that Marauder uses to attach the ammo box is also darn-near perfect, fitting tight and snug. Unlike some other machine gun ammo boxes (like those from BBI) these stay in tight, regardless of what you do with the weapon. It is just a perfect addition to a great gun.
M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Speaking of Heavy Machine Guns, another hole in the Hasbro armory (at least until the DTC Wave 3 SAW Viper) was the M249 SAW heavy machine gun. Well, Marauder, Inc. fills that hole and fills it to perfection with this weapon here.
An obvious offspring of the M60, the SAW is a more modern, more streamlined, smaller and more managable heavy machine gun meant for squad use. The result of a compacted version of the old classic is a nice solid feeling weapon that can be toted around by one man and used to take down whatever comes their way. This 1:18 version of the SAW is picture perfect and great in every detail. Far and away superior to the BBI version (which would lose its ammo box when you just looked at it funny) and makes for a fantastic weapon for every Joe squad to carry around. Like the M60, the unique way the ammo box attaches to the gun means it stays securely in place, which is great. The bipod also stays on through thick and thin and looks awesome on the weapon to boot.
M-16/203 Grenade Launcher
Hasbro has taken a few different approaches with the M-16/M203 grenade launcher, each with different levels of success. The original one, which came with Leatherneck, back in 1986 was a great weapon for it's time, but was pretty oversized and looks a little dated by today's standards. Recoil's was nice, too, but in a downright strange color scheme. There have been others along the way, but they don't really capture the coolness of the gun like this one.
The design of the rifle itself is simple, yet enjoyable, with the textured handle, slightly curved clip, holes in the magazine, as well as the fantastic detailing on the ribbing of the grenade launcher itself. The sight is tall and nicely sculpted, and the gun is solid and sturdy. Like most Marauder guns, it comes with no trigger guard, so it can be gripped properly...it's little touches like this that really make these weapons stand out in a crowd.
Mac-10 Submachine Gun w/ Silencer
The Mac-10 w/ silencer is another gun that Hasbro has done, way back with Mutt in 1984...but again, it looks very dated, and compared to this gun, well...even though it's a Hasbro original, it just doesn't rate. It would have been easy for John at Marauder, Inc. to redo that Mac-10 with a slim, basic silencer, but instead he went above and beyond and chose to use an oversized, very impactful silencer that looks great and really gives the weapon some nice character.
As well as the nicely designed silencer, the gun itself is sculpted perfectly, with the extended clip, contoured handle, and even the latch where the silencer attaches to the weapon itself. From tip to clip, this small machine gun is a pure beauty, and I fully plan on stocking up heavy on this weapon...it's perfect for the Headhunters!
MP5 "Mini" Submachine Gun
This small design MP5 is another weapon that Hasbro has produced in the past, but at scales so bizarrely out of the reach that it's tough to take the weapon seriously. This MP5 "mini" is a pistol-sized submachine gun that has become famous throughout the years and is a mainstay in action movies everywhere. It's a great compact-sized, but deadly weapon, and the versions Hasbro has produced are mostly woefully oversized and unrealistic. Thankfully, this version is designed accurate to the source material, and ends up being a great little weapon.
MP5 Tactical Submachine Gun
Based on the Heckler & Koch MP5 model, this more elaborate version is a "tactical" MP5, used mostly by SWAT teams and close quarter combat specialists. The MP5 base can be seen in the weapon above, but it has been significantly modified for more urgent combat needs.
This weapon has a nice, solid stock, smooth handle, tactical front grip, flashlight, and as another very cool touch, there are two extended banana clips taped together to give easy access to more ammunition. These little touches add an extraordinary functionality to the weapon and make it a LOT cooler. Simple additions like the flashlight and the extra extended grip on front really bring this weapon to life and this is a perfect representation of the real life special forces weapon. I will be getting a lot of these weapons, for sure.
"NCM" Assault Rifle; AKA Pulse Rifle
Wooow. This is an absolutely amazing looking weapon. For years Joefans have longed to see some of the cooler futuristic weapons from various sci-fi movies in the hands of their G.I. Joe figures, and finally, after years and years, we get a great version of the infamous "Pulse Rifle" from the Aliens' series. Although not a strict translation of the gun, for trademark reasons, it has all of the cool elements that made that gun great.
It's a decent size, to start with, and the handle is slim, but nicely detailed. The overall look of the weapon is extremely realistic, but with just a touch of the futuristic elements that were present in that familiar movie. Everything all the way up to the distinctive front handle and grenade launcher grip, to the rail system on top of the machine gun itself. It has all of the important details, and even if you're not a fan of that particular movie, it just plain looks like a great futuristic machine gun.
"NVR" Assault Rifle
As proof to anyone who might wonder whether or not John at Marauder, Inc. takes fan input seriously, this weapon was conceived of completely from scratch as a direct result of fan input wanting a rifle to use for their COBRA Vipers. Apparently there are a lot of people out there who want dozens of Viper rifles to arm their COBRA troops with, and one of the most requested weapons was that model.
Of course, John does not want to infringe on any trademarks or copyrights, so he will not produce an exact reproduction, but instead came up with the "NVR" Assault Rifle, completely from scratch. Not only that, but he managed to make it look incredibly realistic and effective, to boot. It's a large sized machine gun with all of the same trademarks of the Viper rifle. A solid stock, a small clip of ammunition, as well as a front handle, under-barrel flashlight, and small, sleek scope. The contours of this gun are flawless, and the end result is actually, in my mind, a weapon that takes all of the important elements of the Viper rifle and manages to improve on them, giving you a high quality, realistic looking gun that would look fantastic in any Viper army. Very nice work on this one.
"Modified" Walther P-38 w/ Scope, Silencer, and Stock
Any fan of 80's toys will immediately recognize this weapon, but obviously Marauder, Inc can't go around advertising it as such. ;) Still, this is another perfect example of how much John listens to the fans and wants to produce the stuff we want to see. A weapon like this is pretty low on the practicallity charts, but for pure "fun value" it ranks high up there.
G.I. Joe and the Transformers have met in various points throughout both of their histories, and their backstories are almost intertwined with each other. As such, having a gun like this that COBRA Commander can tote around immediately brings back cool memories of the Joe/Transformer crossovers. As I said, it's not especially practical, but we asked for it, and John made it (and made it well).
P90 Submachine Gun w/ Silencer
This is yet another pseudo-futuristic machine gun that has become quite popular due to its treatment in TV shows, movies, and video games. Whatever praise it gets in that regard it definitely deserves, as it makes for a very cool looking compact machine gun. Extremely small, the P90 crams as much destruction as it can into the miniature form factor, giving you a tiny gun that packs a punch.
The way the handle it integrated into the stock, the tiny magazine and snub-nosed barrel all come together to present a very familiar look, and a very effective weapon. John had to modify the handle design somewhat to fit G.I. Joe hands, but the modification is minor and essentially takes away nothing from the overall look of the weapon. What you get is a fantastic miniature representation of a very popular compact machine gun. Another highlight of the Second Series of weapons from Marauder, Inc!
RPG - Rocket Propelled Grenade
The RPG is another very familiar weapon, and it's another weapon that I'm shocked Hasbro didn't make during the long and storied tenure of the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe line. But whatever Hasbro doesn't do, I'm happy to see John take up the fight, because he does it better than they do sometimes!
The overall design of the weapon is very familiar and very distinct, and he has captured all elements of this rocket launcher to near perfection. The way the handles are sculpted, the placement of the eyepiece...the shape of the rocket itself. It all works, and all looks great. Best of all, unlike a lot of the Hasbro offerings, this rocket launcher actually lines the eyepiece up with the shooter's eye! That makes a huge difference. A very nice piece in the second series.
"Sci-Fi Blaster"
I'm not entirely sure what the history is of this particular weapon. It is very unusual in conception and design, but has a very neat futuristic feel to it. The oversized stock and handle combine together to give you a somewhat combersome looking weapon, but the extremely angular and sleek magazine and front compartment are such a departure that the whole weapon ends up flowing surprisingly well. It's a small weapon, easy to conceal under your arm, and all of the beef is in the back part instead of the front. It makes for a very fast-sweeping look and an extremely effective looking weapon.
While not high on my list of favorites for the second series, it is a very interesting looking gun, and for science fiction fans, it will provide a new weapon to arm your Clones with, or it will even work for me and my Star Brigade fetish.
Sig-550 Assault Rifle
This is another weapon Hasbro has done in the past, but again, they did it a long time ago, and the result is a pretty dated and "old school" looking rifle. Everything that looks old with Hasbro's version looks souped up, amped up, and state-of-the-art here.
The unique design of the stock immediately makes this gun look ultra-modern, and the slick design elements continue all the way up the gun, to the front grip/magazine, and right up to the barrel itself. The ammunition clip is nicely sculpted, the scope works perfectly, and all in all, you've got a great all-purpose assault rifle that perfectly compliments pretty much any figure out there in the G.I. Joe line. A surprisingly effective, relatively simple weapon that just ends up looking fantastic.
SOCOM Tactical Pistol w/ Silencer
Made famous by the Metal Gear Solid series of games, the SOCOM is a terrific looking little pistol, designed with a tactical element in mind. Without a lot of extra flash and flair, the SOCOM is a surprisingly sleek looking little gun, and the built in laser sight and silencer all just add another cool element to the pistol. All of the small details are there, and you end up with an astounding looking little pistol that is packed full of functionality as well.
Samaurai Sword
While Hasbro has done scores of swords throughout the history of the line, they've ranged in success from being very cool to looking downright silly.
This particular sword is a very simple, elegent design with a nicely sculpted wrapped handle, a great, smooth, curved blade, simple hilt, and just all in all, looks like a sword should. The handle is pretty thin, but it fits flawlessly into Storm Shadow's hands and it's long enough to be held with two hands perfectly. There's nothing flashy or fancy about this sword, but the fans asked for it, so John delivered, and did a great job as usual.
Thompson Submachine Gun (Tommy Gun)
This is a weapon I never really thought would have it's place here, but it ends up fitting in pretty well and looking great to boot.
The Tommy Gun is the trademark gun of the early 20th Century, typically used by mobsters and cops in old Gangster movies. But the design of the weapon is timeless and it looks great here, too. The woodgrain detail on the stock and handle is perfect, and I love the texture on the gunbarrel, too. An all-to-familiar sight is the round ammo drum, and the neat "plug" system Marauder uses here is ingenious. The drum fits snug and does not move at ALL once plugged in. It works amazingly well.
While a gun of this vintage isn't something that really fits with a modern special forces group, the gun has some cool design elements of it's own, and is still a neat looking item.
So there it is. The long-awaited "Series Two" of Marauder, Inc Custom Weapons system. Was it worth the wait? Abso-friggen-lutely.
The material used is flawless...the concepts behind the weapons is darn-near perfect...and the overall production and construction is second to none. It's amazing that John is capable of doing this stuff that large corporations can't seem to get right, but he pours his heart and soul into it, and that definitely means a lot.
As you may have heard as well, there is a special "Joe Boards" exclusive offer that John is putting out to all G.I. Joe message boards out there. A special $19.99 "grey weapons" set in a unique color scheme available to anyone from the Joe message boards. This is a very cool set, and if you head on over to Page Two, I cover it there, but in less detail than the regular set got here. ;)
Below are some more pictures as well:
