10 Attachment(s)
REVIEW: MSE Deluxe Edition US NAVY SEAL Team 3, Tour 3 Chris Kyle Collectible Figure
The "Legend" and "American Sniper" Brought to Life in Impressive 1:6 Scale...
CLICK HERE to pre-order your own MSE Deluxe Edition US NAVY SEAL Team 3, Tour 3 Chris Kyle Collectible Figure at BlackOpsToys.com
No matter your opinion of the war in Iraq and the outcomes of that war, those who served and serve today in the US armed forces, those men and women seeking to protect and defend the US and we it's people deserve our respect and thanks. While we might not realize it, adversity of every type creates heroes and armed conflict – war – is one of the worst of humanity’s self-imposed adversities, faced by people throughout history.
War creates heroes. During war, certain people rise to the occasion; facing enemies, overcoming obstacles, and solving problems which would overwhelm and even break lesser people. There's no doubt Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle is a military hero.
CPO Kyle served in the US military for 10 years (1999 - 2009) and as a member of Seal Team 3, he deployed four different times to Iraq. While deployed, he served as a military sniper and earned the title "The Legend" by his fellows service members and "The Devil of Ramadi" by opposition forces because of his deadly shooting skills. While his total number of confirmed enemy kills is unknown, by his own accounts he shot and killed over 160 enemy combatants, the most by any American sniper in history.
Humanity seeks to recognize heroes in a variety of ways. We celebrate them in parades and parties, we humbly think of them and lift them up in prayer, and sometimes – sometimes – we immortalize them in plastic. Now, Mission Specific Equipment (MSE) - in collaboration with Chris Kyle Frog - has brought to life the highly detailed and well-armed MSE Deluxe Edition US NAVY SEAL Team 3, Tour 3 Chris Kyle Collectible Figure.
Featuring a loadout many service members might recognize and remember carrying (not so fondly), this 12” figure comes packaged in a beautiful magnetically sealed box. The interior features first a Certificate of Authenticity with information regarding those responsible for the figure’s development, design and production (above). Next, the figure and some of the accessories are housed in a die-cut foam block which both protects and displays the figure.
Underneath this foam block is another foam block which houses most of the included accessories (above). Each piece is provided its own specific space and place, providing collectors – upon first revealing the gear – a moment of sheer “awe” as they see for the first time the amount of gear and attention to detailed put into creating each piece.
The figure itself is based on an E&S 1.0 body, standing 12” tall and featuring full articulation in all primary joints: neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, torso, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. The figure’s head sculpt features an accurate likeness of Chris Kyle during his active-duty years (below).
Overtop of the body is a Navy Special Warfare uniform including tan long sleeve tactical shirt, and custom DCU jacket and pants with Galco leather gunfighter belt. The figure includes a pair of Merrel High Top Outland boots, Mechanix 3.0 gloved hands, a 3C Team baseball cap, Desert tan ballstic googles and Wiley X WX Echo sunglasses.
The figure’s combat load includes PACA body armor, a MLCS-RRV vest harness, double mag pouches, radio pouch, M60 100 round ammo pouch (drop pouch), a utility pouch, three mag pouches and a Kelty Map 3500 pack. Of course, all the gear which fits inside these pouches and pack is also included: AN/PVS-15 night vision googles, PRC-148 radio and M3 NSW Invisio headset, 4 rifle magazines, a laser range finder, two M-18 smoke grenades, two M-67 frag grenades, two MK141 flash grenades, a VIP strobe, a VS-17 light panel, a satellite phone, and 4 chemical glow sticks.
Other small accessories include a D-ring carabiner, clear map compass, and a garmin wrist GPS. As a part of the combat uniform, the figure also includes a MICH200 helmet, Wilcox NVG mount and shroud, which fit the AN/PVS-15 NVGs (shown below).
The figure of course comes armed with the tools of the CPO Kyle’s deadly trade (below). For direct action - a MK18MOD0 rifle with M-68 Aimpoint with Wilcox mount, LMT rear sight, LA5-PEQ, KAC QD suppressor, tactical foregrip, M962 tactical light , and tactical sling for cross-body carry. For sniper activities – a MK13MOD0 .300 Winchester Magnum sniper rifle, Nightforce NX5 5.5 – 22x56mm scope, a Harris 6-9” swivel bipod, a K Armament MK11MOD0 suppressor (removeable), a Turner leather sling and a .300 WinMag wrist cartridge holder. On the hip is a Sig Sauer P220 .45 pistol and SERPA standard retention hip holster and in the pocket is an Emerson CQC-12 knife.
As a former active-duty US Marine, I served alongside Battalion and Force Reconnaissance Marines and Navy SEALs as a part of the Maritime Special Purposes Force (MSPF) with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). I also deployed to and saw combat in Iraq in 2003 with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). I am familiar with much of the gear included with this figure. However, as I served over a decade ago and as times have greatly changed and the gear and equipment along with it, I sought the counsel of my brother, a former US Marine Scout/Sniper Staff Sergeant who served from 2004 to 2008, including two tours to Iraq (one in Ramadi in 2006, around the same time as CPO Kyle was in Ramadi).
While it’s well known those within special operations have leniency in what they wear and how they wear it, the first thing which surprised my brother was the belt included here. While there’s no doubt the belt is of high quality, wearing anything “shiny” – especially a belt buckle – is a “no-no” for military members on patrol and especially snipers on overwatch or in a sniper hide. This was really the only issue my brother had with the figure. In fact, my brother was beyond impressed with the amount of gear and the minute detail included in the figure – especially considering the .300 WinMag rifle and its individual detailed components and parts.
Overall, the MSE Deluxe Edition US Navy SEAL Team 3, Tour 3, Chris Kyle Collectible Figure is an impressive and beautiful figure. While some collectors might seek to purchase this figure for its impressive amount of gear and equipment, others will no doubt seek to add this figure to their collections as memorial to an American military hero.
There is no doubt CPO Kyle made a difference in the Global War on Terror and his honorable service can now – thanks to MSE and Chris Kyle Frog – be displayed for others to see with this impressive 1:6 scale figure. Anyone who seeks to honor him and the countless men and women who’ve served America will certainly want to considering picking up this figure and adding it to their display.
CLICK HERE to pre-order your own MSE Deluxe Edition US NAVY SEAL Team 3, Tour 3 Chris Kyle Collectible Figure at BlackOpsToys.com
- Jess C. Horsley (former Sergeant, USMC).
