R4 assault rifle

The R4-series of assault rifles was an assault rifle developed by Lyttleton Engineering Works in 1980 for the South African forces. They came in three versions: The R4 itself, an improved version known as the R5, and a further improved version known as the R6.

During Project Babel in 2002, the Gindra Liberation Front, via funding supplied via drug and rare metal trafficking, utilized their funds to supply themselves with various state-of-the-art weaponry, including the R5 assault rifle. Solid Snake later found and procured this weapon system.

Behind the scenes
The R5 assault rifle, and by extension, the R4-series' sole appearance thus far was in the non-canon Game Boy Color game Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, known in the American and European releases as Metal Gear Solid.