The Patriot

The Patriot was an assault pistol made specially for The Boss, who used it during the Cold War.

The Patriot was a modified version of a Colt XM-16E1, with a shortened barrel and the stock removed. It was designed to create a pistol that combined the feel and quick handling of a handgun with the force of a rifle. The length of the barrel meant that The Patriot had a strong recoil, and was notoriously difficult to aim. The fact that The Boss used it one-handed was a testament to her skill. It used 5.56 x 45mm ammunition and was fitted with a hundred-round drum magazine. It was rumored that The Patriot never ran out of ammo, according to Sigint, because the internal feed mechanism was shaped like an infinity symbol. The blast of the muzzle was said to resemble the sound of a threatened rattlesnake, and that no one who heard the sound would live to tell the tale.

While Snake can wield The Patriot himself after starting a new game on the same difficulty level, he holds it with two hands, unlike The Boss. The Patriot handles very similarly to the XM16E1; however, it is lighter, consuming less stamina, it has infinite ammo, and the front sight and fire selectors have been removed; The Patriot can only be fired on full-automatic mode. While the Patriot does indeed have noticable recoil, it is strangely lighter than the XM16E1's, the AK-47's, and even the Scorpion's. The already-light recoil can be controlled by crouching or going prone.

Naked Snake was given The Patriot after defeating The Boss at Rokovoj Bereg, where he uses it to euthanize her. He carried it with him back to America, where he laid it upon The Boss's grave in respect.

Later in life, Naked Snake, now Big Boss, would go on to use The Patriot himself, however it is unknown if the gun that he used was The Boss' or one of his own procurement.

Behind the Scenes

 * After completing Snake Eater, beginning a new game on the same difficulty causes the Patriot to appear in Snake's backpack. Calling Sigint with the weapon equipped causes him to ask where Snake got it (since The Boss is still alive and using The Patriot). Snake tells him not to worry about "the details".
 * When Big Boss makes his appearance in MGS4, he is shown carrying the Patriot with one hand -- although he does not fire it. The weapon may also be unlocked by earning the Big Boss Emblem [Metal_Gear_Solid_4_Secrets#Emblems], then saving the data ("Epilogue: The End"); the weapon will be available in subsequent playthroughs using the corresponding save file.

Appearances

 * Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
 * ''Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots