Boneyard Build Blog: Christmas Special - The Patrol Base Candy Cane
The Base Gun - ASG/KJW MK2 NBB
We chose the MK2 as our base gun partially because of its superb performance and super simple operating system which lends itself to custom builds, and its already striking resemblance to a candy cane. Just look at the pattern on those grips! Perfect.
The MK2 design is based on the real steel Ruger MK2 .22 calibre target pistol, and as such as a slim form with an elegant bull barrel, and being a non-blowback pistol in Airsoft form, has a minimum of moving parts. This is what makes NBB pistols such awesome base guns for projects; you can literally dress a MK1 or MK2 up however you like without having to factor in a moving slide or hammer.
The MK2 is essentially the same as the MK1 pistol but with more metal parts and an adjustable TDC HOP-up unit, though it comes ready for CO2 which will make it a serious tack driver in the snowy woods, even in icy cold winter weather!
So how are we going to make the MK2 a bit more candy cane-like? Enter Halfords Gloss White Enamel Paint, Halfords Gloss Laquer, Tamiya Red and Green acrylic paint, and PVC pipe!
The Build - The Patrol Base Candy Cane Custom NBB Pistol
We began by disassembling the MK2 into its major components and removing anything we don't want to paint (the inner barrel is an obvious one!). The frame components were left in place and simply masked off to prevent paint fouling. The outer barrel itself was unceremoniously hurled into the bits box, we won't be needing it, but not before removing that lovely light-enhancing front iron sight.
With the MK2 prepared for paint, we needed a replacement outer barrel to give the pistol the length it needs to be a proper candy cane. PVC conduit pipe was the chosen medium, simply because we found a pipe which matches the ASG MK2 barrel in diameter perfectly, reducing our workload. Work smart, not hard!
The pipe was cut down using a pipe cutter (a great tool if you like chopping barrels!) to a length which gives a candy cane vibe, but can still be concealed beneath a red jacket with white trim. We then sanded the pipe down to remove the shiny top layer and help our paints adhere to the PVC. An immaculate finish is definitely required for this build so we proceeded with a level of care and attention which is thus far unheard of in previous Boneyard Builds.
Some very minor fitting was needed to use the PVC pipe as a barrel, meaning this was a quick and easy job. With a small hole drilled into the bottom to connect our new barrel to the receiver, and a pair of holes drilled into the top at the front end for our front iron sight we now had a functional outer barrel.
The tip was sealed off using a 25mm base from an unnamed wargaming miniature company, a washer was glued to the front to add visual interest and a mock weld bead was sculpted using modelling putty. With this done, our new barrel was now ready for paint!
We started the painting process by masking off the key parts of the MK2 such as its safety catch, pins and any route through the body to the internals. Simple though the MK2 may be, painting the insides of any Airsoft gun is not conducive to high performance on the field!
With our initial coat of gloss white applied we can start to see our concept become reality. The next step would be to mask off the barrel, receiver and grip panels for their green and red candy cane stripes, though we decided to leave the frame in gloss white to simplify this complex and delicate paint job.
After applying our first coat it is make or break time. Paint brushes out, thinner at the ready for any mistakes, and off we go to either create the finest Christmas-themed Airsoft pistol in existence or an absolutely hideous mess.
It's going well so far! Many candy canes are a simple red and white striped affair, but we love a challenge here at Patrol Base so we will go ahead and add a nice green stripe for some minty contrast!
Oh boy, we have only gone and done it! With the stripes painted to a reasonable standard (at least for us!), it is time to put this festive gat back together, take a step back, and take it all in!
The masking process actually worked really well on the spiralled outer barrel, requiring very little cleanup. Unfortunately, the opposite was true for the grips which needed a fair bit of work with a brush to look clean and neat. The end result is acceptable by our standards, and any mix of matt and gloss white you see is not down to mistakes, it is authentic mock Candy Cane effect, honest!
We lost a grip screw at some point during the build process. Maybe it will reappear, maybe not, but until then the right side of the Candy Cane is its most photogenic angle!
Leaving the mock bolt, charging handle and trigger in natural black was a good choice. It not only made the build far easier but it adds some nice contrast to the design and keeps it in the perfect place between looking like a gun and looking like a Candy Cane.
The use of PVC pipe for the outer barrel did unfortunately introduce some wobble, meaning our Candy Cane is not quite as rock solid as the original MK2. Thankfully, like all Boneyard builds, this is more about aesthetics than performance, but with ultra-light PVC at the front, the Candy Cane is remarkably easy and satisfying to point.
Is this a two tone? We don't think so, being around 30% unrealistic colours. Perhaps we will try our luck taking this to a Milsim skirmish, but not without the appropriate loadout 🎅 that is!
The ASG MK2 sure was a fantastic base gun, and this wouldn't be possible without its already Candy Cane like shape and NBB internals. With nothing moving around other than the trigger parts when firing, we could do practically whatever we wanted on the outside, and the uniquely slim exterior of the MK2 lends itself well to unconventional designs, being able to fit inside practically any shape. We think another MK2 or MK1 will find its way into the Boneyard Build Blog again in the future!
We really should have peeled off that awful safety sticker before taking this shot, but the Candy Cane still looks rather festive, even with the ugly sticker on the mag. Hand shown for scale, boy, that is a long barrel!
Doesn't it look sweet? With the volume of enamel and acrylic paint on this bad boy, we do not advise taking a lick!
A final shot with some cheeky hints of things to come in the near future for Patrol Base. 2023 will be a big year for us, and we would like to thank all of our customers for their support!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! 🎅 We wish you all the best for the festive season and the coming year!
If you have not yet seen our Christmas Video, treat yourself and get in that festive mood with some wholesome fun 😉
This could have been one fine sidearm for Santa, but he prefers a bigger calibre!