King & Country · Vietnam · VN010
VN010 sits low on the ground with an M79 raised to the shoulder. The broad barrel and short weapon give it a silhouette quite different from the nearby M16 and M60 figures. K&C’s release copy connects the nickname “Blooper” with the sound of the launcher. The title is informal, but the model’s subject is specific: a Marine grenadier using the M79.
A role between hand grenade and mortar
The National Museum of the Marine Corps’ weapons guide explains the M79 as a weapon intended to fill the range gap between a thrown hand grenade and supporting mortar fire. It fired a 40mm projectile. That distinction is the useful historical point for a collection: a squad contained different capabilities, not just different poses carrying the same rifle.
A small display about different jobs
Combine VN010 with a standing rifleman and VN001’s radio operator. Their varied heights keep all three faces visible, and the viewer can read firing, watching and communicating as separate actions. This is a collecting arrangement rather than a claim to reproduce a prescribed tactical formation. Leave open space ahead of the launcher and avoid a wall that rises above the figure’s hands; otherwise the pose appears directed into the scenery.
Check the launcher before the box label
The barrel, sight detail and contact points at the hands are the most useful areas for close inspection. A straight-on listing photograph can hide a bent muzzle or a repaired joint. Ask for a side view that also shows the legs and base. Do not accept another seated Marine as VN010 merely because the seller has an apparently matching box. The short, thick launcher is the central identifying feature, and it is what makes this figure a worthwhile addition to an infantry group already containing several riflemen.
Release reference
VN010 Blooper — Hobby Bunker. Release identification and original contents are checked against this record; the display and condition notes above refer to the photographed miniature.