Close Quarters Combat (CQC)
CQC Maneuvers
Close Quarters Combat is a special style of hand to hand fighting designed by Snake and The Boss.
Controls
(press 3 times or more) - Initiates a combo attack that will knock enemies over.- (hold) - Holding while next to a guard will grab them. From here, you can do several different things:
- +
- Push this in any direction while holding to throw the guard to the floor, instantly knocking them out. - (after grabbing enemy) - Drags the enemy around. This is slow and your camo index will drop.
- Threatens the enemy with your knife and interrogates them. You can obtain useful information, like locations of supply rooms, radio frequencies to disable alarms or unlock doors, or even tips to defeat bosses.- (press repeatedly) - Chokes the enemy to knock them out. Continue choking the enemy after he is knocked out to snap his neck.
- (press firmly) - Slits the enemy's throat with your knife.
- Enters First Person View, allowing you to aim and fire a pistol while using the grabbed enemy as a human shield.
Survival Knife
A serrated-edge combat knife designed to aid in survival in the jungle. Can cut all kinds of things. You can still use CQC attacks while equipped with this weapon.
Controls
(press 3 times or more) - Initiates a combo slash attack that will seriously injure or kill guards if all the attacks hit. Only useful if you need to get away during an Alert phase.- (press firmly, or while crawling) - Snake will stab forward, killing whatever he hits. Also useful for killing wildlife for food, or cutting down mushrooms to pick up.
Fork
About 3/4 of the way through Operation Snake Eater you will lose all your equipment temporarily; your only weapons will be the SAA and a fork which is mostly identical to the survival knife. The fork is not CQC-capable during this sequence, since you don't have your CQC knife, but when you get your equipment back the fork can be used in CQC. Animals and plants hit with the fork will be eaten straightaway, rather than going to the inventory.
Controls
- (press 3 times or more) - Initiates a combo slash attack.
- (press firmly, or while crawling) - Snake will stab forward, killing whatever he hits. If it's edible, Snake will eat the target without adding it to his inventory.
Gas Spray Gun
A single-use, non-lethal, completely silent weapon masquerading as a cigarette. Can be used in disguise or with CQC attacks.
Controls
- (hold firmly) - Pretend to smoke the cigarette.
- (release) - Exhale a puff of sleeping gas.
Handkerchief
Just a garden variety hanky...only soaked in chloroform, so waving it in the enemy's face will probably tranquilize them. Usable with disguises and CQC attacks.
Controls
- (firmly) - Wave the hanky around a bit.
- (hold firmly) - Grab enemy and shove the hanky in his face, putting him to sleep.
Firearms
Used to shoot people, and sometimes animals or other objects. Not a lot of machines in this game, though, so you'll mostly be using these on people. Note that the Mk22 will not destroy barrels or the plates on electric fences.
Mk22 Hush-Puppy tranquilizer pistol
A pistol that shoots modified 9mm knockout rounds. Holds a maximum of 9 rounds (8 plus 1 chambered). The tranquilizer is most effective if aimed at an enemy's head - it will take longer to put an enemy to sleep if aimed elsewhere. You can use CQC attacks with this weapon.
Controls
- (hold) - Aim the Mk22. Most effective in First Person View.
- (release quickly) - Fire the Mk22. Because the slide locks, Snake will have to cock it manually after every shot.
- (release slowly) - Lowers the Mk22 without firing.
- (while in Weapon menu) - Attaches/removes suppressor.
Colt M1911A1 .45 pistol
A powerful handgun, and your first reliable method of killing enemies stealthily from a distance. Holds a maximum of 8 rounds (7 plus 1 chambered). It will also accept suppressors. You can use CQC with this weapon.
Controls
- (hold) - Aim the .45. Most effective in First Person View.
- (release quickly) - Fire the .45. Tap repeatedly for semi-automatic rapid fire.
- (release slowly) - Lowers the .45 without firing.
- (while in Weapon menu) - Attaches/removes suppressor.
M37 Shotgun
A very (very) powerful shotgun that will blow enemies away when you shoot them with it. Holds 5 shells (4 + 1 chambered), takes a while to pump the next round into the chamber, and takes even longer to reload. You cannot use iron sights on this weapon, so aiming is very tricky. Also, CQC is disabled for this weapon.
Controls
- - Aim and fire.
- - Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
XM16E1 Assault Rifle
An experimental 5.56x45mm assault weapon developed by the United States Army. Has three firing modes and can be fitted with a suppressor (though those are rather difficult to find). Holds 21 rounds (20 + 1 chambered).
Controls
- (hold lightly) - Raise and aim the XM16.
- (hold firmly) - Fire the XM16.
- (release slowly) - Lower the XM16 without firing.
- Aim down the sights, zooming the view and increasing accuracy.- (in Weapon menu) - Attach/remove suppressor.
(in Weapon menu) - Toggle firing modes between Semi-Auto, Full-Auto, and 3-Round Burst.- - Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
Automat Kalashnikov 47 Assault Rifle
The AK-47 is the chief weapon of the Russian military, chambered in 7.62x39mm. It's about the same as the XM16E1 - while it lacks the 3-round burst setting and the capability to attach suppressors, it makes up for this by allowing you to hold more ammo. Holds 31 rounds (30 + 1 chambered).
Controls
- (hold lightly) - Raise and aim the AK.
- (hold firmly) - Fire the AK.
- (release slowly) - Lower the AK without firing.
- - Aim down the sights, zooming the view and increasing accuracy.
- (in Weapon menu) - Toggle firing modes between Semi-Auto and Full-Auto.
- - Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
VZ-61 Scorpion
A .32 ACP caliber light machine pistol. It has a laser sight and weighs a mere pound and a half, rendering the AK obsolete. Unfortunately, you still can't use CQC with this weapon. Holds 31 rounds (30 + 1 chambered).
Controls
- (hold lightly) - Raise and aim the VZ-61.
- (hold firmly) - Fire the VZ-61.
- (release slowly) - Lower the VZ-61 without firing.
- (in Weapon menu) - Toggle firing modes between Semi-Auto and Full-Auto.
- - Strike with the butt of the weapon, knocking guards down.
M63 Light Machine Gun
A powerful and difficult to aim machine gun. This is perfect for those Rambo moments - just strip to Naked camo, wield this monster and start running around. Holds a whopping 101 rounds (100 + 1 chambered) and takes quite a while to reload, so use tactical reload to avoid getting caught in the middle of a belt change. This weapon makes Snake let out a primal scream when he's firing it for a while, in a neat little dramatic touch. You can't use CQC or iron sights on this weapon.
Controls
- (hold lightly) - Raise and aim.
- (hold firmly) - Fire.
- (release slowly) - Lower the weapon.
- - Smash with the whole weapon, knocking guards down.
Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle
The rifle for the discerning sniper. Features an adjustable scope that can zoom up to 10x, and rounds powerful enough to penetrate through a few enemies at once. Holds 11 rounds (10 + 1 chambered). Unlike the past couple Metal Gear games, scope drift is determined by your current stamina level, so it's usually unnecessary to use anti-depressant drugs to aim more effectively. You cannot move when this weapon is equipped.
Controls
- (hold) - Raise and aim the weapon.
- (release quickly) - Squeeze off a single round.
- (release slowly) - Let the weapon go without firing.
- - Looks through the scope.
- - Toggles the scope zoom between 3x and 10x.
- + - Hold down to keep your aim steady during a tactical reload.
Mounted Weapons
There are a number of mounted weapons that you can use against the bad guys. Simply walk up to them and press 
. Mainly useful if a whole bunch of bad people are coming your way and you can't escape sneakily.
Heavy Machine Gun
This powerful weapon can be found near some smaller outposts, like those in Bolshaya Past and Svatyogornyj East. It has a fairly good rate of fire, excellent power, and infinite ammo. Unfortunately, your aiming is limited while you're using it.
Anti-Aircraft Cannon
These can be found on top of the mountain. They're excellent for shooting down helicopters and eliminating patrol routes with impunity. While they can aim nearly everywhere, it takes them a while to turn around, so you'll have to plan your attack carefully and start turning as soon as you can.
Explosives
Preferable when destroying supply sheds, weapons of mass destruction, evil bosses, or (preferably) guards and animals. If you're sick and twisted, anyway.
Hand Grenade
An explosive fragmentation grenade that is useful for throwing around corners, over low walls, into windows, or onto high platforms.
Controls
- (lightly) - Underhand toss.
- (firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
WP Grenade
The white-phosphorus grenade will explode into flames, burning anything within its blast radius. Extremely satisfying.
Controls
- (lightly) - Underhand toss.
- (firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
Stun Grenade
A non-lethal "flashbang" grenade that will stun and blind nearby enemies. Be careful, though - if you're looking at it when it goes off, you're going to be blinded too.
Controls
- (lightly) - Underhand toss.
- (firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
Smoke Grenade
Creates a cloud of smoke, obscuring you. Most useful when escaping from guards during an alert.
Controls
- (lightly) - Underhand toss.
- (firmly) - Overhand throw with more range.
Chaff Grenade
While there are no security cameras, laser grids, or computer-driven devices to be found in MGS3, the chaff grenades still have some use in disrupting electronics – namely, radios. Blow a chaff grenade in the area, and the enemy will be unable to call for backup. The Shagohod's missiles are also radio-guided, so chaff will decrease their accuracy. Also in the battle against Volgin, a chaff grenade can be used to mess with his lightning bolts.
- Controls
- (lightly) — Underhand toss.
- (firmly) — Overhand throw with more range.
TNT
TNT is great for destroying supply sheds or blowing the doors off of lockers.
Controls
- - Places a bundle of TNT on the wall or floor.
- - Detonates the TNT.
C3 Explosives
You'll only get these from EVA on your return to Groznyj Grad. You need to use them to destroy the fuel tanks in the weapons lab, so you can't plant them anywhere else.
Controls
- - Places a brick of C3 on the fuel tank.
Other Equipment
These weapons aren't quite weapons in the traditional sense, but they merely appear here because they are found in the Weapons menu.
Dirty Books
Chaucer! Rabelaise! Balzac! ...never mind. Drop these in the middle of a patrol path and watch as the tough-as-nails security guard is reduced to a complete pervert in a matter of seconds.
Controls
- - Drop a free trial issue of Playboy on the ground.
Empty Magazine
As you use your weapons, you'll slowly amass a collection of these. Note that they won't appear if you always use tactical reloading. The empty clips from your guns can be used to distract guards by heaving them at walls.
Controls
- - Toss a clip. The harder you press the button (and the faster you release it), the farther the clip will be thrown.
Food
Collecting food doesn't just stick it in the Survival Viewer for eating. You can also equip the food to throw it at things. While most of you are probably thinking of food fights, the real reason to do this is to distract hungry dogs and guards (or poisoning bosses). If you've tranquilized the creature, even better - tossing their cage will free them again and allow them to do what they do best. For example, tossing a poisonous snake at a guard will cause them to run away in terror.
Controls
- - Throws food. Like grenades, the throwing distance depends on how hard you press the button.
Directional Microphone
When equipped, you'll be able to hear distant noises, such as animal calls, guard footsteps, and (most importantly) Kerotan croaks. You cannot move with the microphone equipped.
Unlockable Weapons
Colt Single-Action Army Revolver
The most powerful handgun available. Ocelot takes a liking to this variety, and you get your hands on one of your own during the prison escape sequence. Additionally, if you choose the gun on the right in your final duel, you'll start with it in your next playthrough with that file. Holds a maximum of 6 rounds and takes a while to reload. A unique feature of this gun is how the bullets will ricochet. Even if you miss, the bullet will ricochet in such a way that it will at least wound whoever is near. It's still preferable to be a good shot, because the bullet is much weaker after hitting a few walls.
Controls
- (hold) - Wield the weapon at your hip. You cannot move while aiming the SAA.
- (release) - Fire while fanning the hammer. Allows rapid fire.
- - Aims down the sights. The gun will be more accurate but much slower than firing from the hip.
(while in first person view) - Rotate quickly to spin the gun on your finger. So awesome.
Mosin-Nagant 1891/1930 Tranquilizer Sniper Rifle
The End's sniper rifle, obtained if you stamina kill him. It won't kill enemies - merely drug them. It acts about the same as the SVD, but with a very long lag time after each shot (though you can hold L1 and R1 and perform a tactical reload to expedite the process). Make sure you're far away and well hidden when you use this, or else the guards will hear the shot and find you. You cannot move with this gun equipped.
Controls
- - Hold to raise and aim the gun. Release quickly to fire a round. Release slowly to lower the gun.
- - Looks through the scope.
- - Switches between 3x and 10x zoom modes while using the scope.
- + - Hold down to keep your aim steady during a tactical reload.
Patriot Assault Submachine Gun
The Boss carries this weapon, and you can too in a clear data file. It's an XM16E1, but the barrel has been sawn off, the stock removed, and the magazine replaced with a 100 round drum shaped like an infinity symbol. It's powerful, it has no recoil, and it has infinite ammo - but it's bound to arouse the suspicion of nearby guards if you're not careful.
Controls
- - Hold lightly to bring the gun into view. Press firmly to fire in full-auto.
- - Aims down the sight, zooming in slightly and increasing accuracy.
Easygun
This is, hands down, the best weapon in the game. It's a tranquilizer gun that you only get in a clear data after getting Markhor rank (pick up every animal and plant in the game) in a previous playthrough. (You also start with it on Very Easy level--but what fun is that?) While equipped with this, your stamina usage is reduced to near zero and your camo index will never drop below 80%. It also has infinite ammo, a lasersight, and is completely silent. Sigint designed this weapon after the Liberator handgun from World War II.
Controls
- - Hold to bring the gun into view. Release quickly to shoot. Release slowly to lower the weapon without firing. Note: This gun takes a bit of time to rechamber the next round.
- - While aiming, will zoom the view to 2x for easier aiming.