5 mm post

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Weapons for everybody!

One of the simplest innovations in Transformers toys, using universally-sized posts for accessories, weapons and figures is something that has characterised several Transformers lines throughout the years. The most common universal post and port size is the 5-millimetre (5mm) post. This size was used throughout Generation 1, Generation 2, and almost universally throughout Armada, Energon and Cybertron.

Using a single, universal size of weapon post allows Transformers toys to swap weapons between each other. During most Transformers toylines this inter-changeability was seldom advertised as a feature of the toys, but during Armada that changed. The introduction of the Mini-Cons gave 5mm posts an entirely new purpose -- a hollow 5mm post could now become a mounting point for a Mini-Con. The inter-changeability suddenly became an advertised feature of the toys.

Since the end of the "Classics" toyline the 5mm post hole has become far less ubiquitous, though it's making a comeback in a big way with Power Core Combiners, and some of the later Revenge of the Fallen toys.

Functionality

Backwards compatibility

"Dude, you're right. Guns with their posts in the right place rock!"

Probably the biggest, most meaningful aspect of using a universal fist size is compatibility between toys. You can share your accessories or Mini-Cons or even some integral parts of toys around to other toys from the same line. Even better for long term fans of the franchise is that the continuous use of 5mm posts from Generation 1 onwards into modern lines means that toys are actually backwards compatible with the accessories from older toys. As well as delightful opportunities for mixing and matching, this means that characters who get new toys can use accessories from their old toys. Even if you don't like "Classics" Optimus Prime's rifle you can always just give him Powermaster Optimus Prime's rifle, or Star Convoy's.

This compatibility works both ways, allowing you to use Armada, Energon and even Power Core Combiners weapons with old Micromaster Bases or Headmasters toys.


A matter of tolerance

Despite the fact that 5mm posts are supposed to be universally the same size this isn't always the case. Sometimes due to play wear, or simply due to slight (very slight) differences in tooling, some posts are tighter or looser than others. This can mean that sometimes a toy will hold a gun loosely, or that a weapon will be too tight to fit into another toy's hand.

This is generally only really a problem on toys or toolings that have seen a lot of use. A Generation 1 toy like Soundwave who was produced for several years, and re-released many times might actually show a difference in tolerance between different samples of the toy. Similarly, toolings which see a lot of use, such as "Classics" Starscream, can begin to show mould wear. There are many reports of later Henkei! Henkei! versions of the mould not being able to hold their weapons correctly because tolerances are poor.

If a toy sees a lot of play, especially if weapons are being removed and replaced repeatedly, a hole (or sometimes a post) can wear down, making the weapons looser. It's possible to increase this problem while swapping weapons between different toys. If a gun post from a Pretender Bumblebee is slightly smaller than the post from Pretender Grimlock, then Grimlock's gun might actually stretch Bumblebee's fists. This could result in Bumblebee no longer being able to hold his own gun firmly. It's advisable when swapping guns between different toys to be aware of the slight differences in tolerances between toys.


Multiple posts and double posting

"Pssst, hey buddy!" "WHO ME?!" "Shhhhhh" "Who me?" "Riiiiiiiiight."

Some Transformers toys come with multiple figures, such as a Pretender shell and its inner robot. Other toys are small and merge with bigger toys to become still larger. Other toys come with a trailer or base which has larger weapons than the core robot. Because of the size difference between the two components, two different weapon post sizes are required.

The early Pretenders usually handle this by simply giving the gun two different sets of posts -- a larger 5mm post for the outer shell, and a smaller post for the inner robot. The result is that the two figures hold the same gun in a different way. For the purposes of this article we'll refer to these as multiple post weapons.

Another solution, one often used with combiners, is to simply have the two posts one on top of the other. The smaller post on the bottom and the larger post on the top, both forming the same handle of the gun. The problem with this solution is that(when giving weapons to unrelated toys), Transformers with fist holes that don't go all the way through the hands (such as Armada Hot Shot) often can't hold these guns. We'll call that double posting, or double posted weapons for the purposes of this article.


Powerlinx Ports

I want it all, and I want it now!

During the Armada toyline a new spin on the 5mm post and port was developed — the Mini-Con Powerlinx. Using hollow 5mm posts Mini-Cons could activate the gimmicks of other toys, or simply mount on other toys. Because the Mini-Cons use a special kind of port they cannot be mounted on 5mm posts that aren't hollow. In theory this means only toys with specific Powerlinx ports can hold Mini-Cons. In practice this isn't the case at all.

Throughout the history of the Transformers franchise, for one reason or another, toys have come with 5mm posts which are hollow, creating a kind of unintentional back-compatibility with many Mini-Cons.

The other significant aspect of the Powerlinx ports is that they do just act like regular 5mm posts too. This means that you can use them to mount any weapons or accessories that are designed to mount on 5mm posts. So mounting a bunch of miniature cars on Armada Starscream's arms seems silly to you? Maybe it's time to use the guns from the Micromaster Anti-Aircraft Base.

Generation 1

In the first few years of the toy line, partly because of the mix-and-match nature of the line itself, Transformers didn't have very standardised fist sizes. The Diaclone-descended toys usually had no single standard, with only the toys with the biggest weapons or fists having 5mm posts. The Micro Change-descended toys were much more consistent about post size, using 5mm posts on almost all of the toys with weapons or accessories.

As Generation 1 evolved 5mm posts and ports became nearly universal. Only the switch to smaller toys with Action Masters changed this -- a new, smaller, universal post size was used for that line. These smaller sized posts carried over into the UK Transformers, while in Japan the rise of Micromasters lead to 5mm staying predominant throughout the line.

1984

AUTOBOTS

  • Optimus Prime The only Autobot this year to use 5mm posts, Prime's main rifle sadly has a terrible design flaw (that has never been corrected, despite all the reissues) which makes it much less interchangeable with other toys. The gun's handle is moulded in the wrong place, and there's a false handle where the real one should be. Prime has actually been retooled to allow him to hold the rifle better -- by increasing the size of the rims on his fists. Too bad they didn't just put the rifle's handle post in the right place. In addition to the rifle, Roller's fuel pump is also a 5mm post. It's possible to use this to either give the pump to other toys, or to pump up Roller with some heavy weaponry.)

DECEPTICONS

All the 1984 Decepticons use 5mm posts in some capacity.
  • Megatron — Most notably his large chrome rifle has a 5mm post on it, allowing it to be given to other toys.

1985

AUTOBOTS

  • Topspin and Twin Twist — These toys do NOT have 5mm post holes, but their rifles have a 5mm base to the gun peg, effectively creating a very shallow double-peg that allows their guns limited inter-changeability with toys with 5mm fists.

DECEPTICONS

  • Devastator — Devastator's is a classic double-posted rifle. Devastator's fists are 5mm holes, but he shares his rifle with Mixmaster and his tiny, tiny fists.
  • Blitzwing — The strange construction of Blitzwing's weapons make them fairly unappealing for use with other toys. But you can. I guess.


1986

1986 saw the introduction of the Transformers Special Teams, or "Scramble City" combiners. All of these combiners used 5mm posts as standard to peg in their fists and feet in combined mode, meaning you could swap these parts between any of the combiners. The fists of the combined forms almost universally used 5mm holes (all except Superion and Piranacon) and almost all the leaders of the teams (except Silverbolt) used 5mm posts for their fists.

The smaller members of the Special Teams almost all had small pistols or rifles that used variably compatible smaller posts, and larger alt mode weapons that used 5mm posts -- often taking advantage of post holes used for the combined form's fists or feet. The earlier toys often used weapons with 5mm ports which would peg onto the robot -- allowing those weapons to be pegged onto Mini-Con ports and other similar 5mm posts. The later toys tended to use 5mm posts which peg into ports on the toy.

AUTOBOTS

  • Outback — The only Mini Vehicle with a weapon at all, Outback sports a 5mm post that lets him use all kinds of crazy weapons.
  • Superion — Barely. The Aerialbots are the only Special Team whose leader doesn't use 5mm posts, and who have no members with larger vehicle weapons which use 5mm posts. Superion doesn't have 5mm fists either. Only the posts and ports for the combined form's hands and feet are 5mm posts. Superion even has what looks like a hollow 5mm peg on the underside of his combined form's chest plate -- however this peg is just slightly too big to be of use.
  • The Protectobots — In the standard style of the Scramble City teams, described above.
  • Ultra Magnus — Most of Magnus' accessories use 5mm posts. Interestingly enough his rifle has two ways of being held -- the large robot uses a larger peg than the small inner robot's 5mm post. So you can only let other toys hold the gun in the same way as Magnus' inner robot.
  • Metroplex — Uses 5mm posts for his weapons, and his fists. He can happily wear any Scramble City fists instead of his own. Six-Gun and Scamper do not use 5mm pegs for their weapons, however Slammer does. His turret is on a hollow 5mm post so it can be mounted on (or rather under, most of the time) Mini-Cons!


DECEPTICONS

  • The Stunticons — In the standard style of the Scramble City teams, described above.
  • The Combaticons — In the standard style of the Scramble City teams, described above.
  • The Predacons — Unlike the Scramble City toys, all the Predacons use 5mm posts as standard, with no accessories at all with smaller pegs, making all their weapons usable by Predaking.
  • Scourge — Only his head-mounted gun, his rifle uses a smaller peg.
  • Trypticon — Full-Tilt does not use 5mm posts. On the other hand the Brunt's tank turret does use them. It's completely possible to mount the turret as an arm cannon for an Armada toy, or anyone else with 5mm posts.


1987

By 1987 5mm posts had become almost universal. Only some smaller toys, and those toys without weapon accessories didn't have them.

AUTOBOTS

  • The Technobots — In the standard style of the Scramble City teams, described in the 1986 section above.
  • The Headmasters — Fortress Maximus was the only Headmaster not to use 5mm pegs exclusively. Nearly all his accessories and the weapons for his smaller components were 5mm pegs. However his larger rifles were so huge they used much, much larger peg sizes which are not compatible with any other Transformers mould.

DECEPTICONS

  • The Terrorcons — Blot and Cutthroat are the only small Special Teams members outside the Aerialbots not to have alt mode weapons with 5mm posts. Blot has a backpack, and Cutthroat has a transforming tail weapon, instead.
  • The Targetmasters — Cyclonus and Scourge were retooled to be able to use the 5mm pegs associated with Targetmasters and released again as part of this range.
  • The Headmasters — Scorponok is the only Decepticon Headmaster not to use 5mm pegs universally. Most of his accessories use them, except for his four large double-barrelled cannons and his shield, which has a slightly wider peg hole. The shield does have a hollow 5mm peg on it, though, allowing you to mount a Mini-con on the shield. Sweet!

1988

1988 introduced a new line dependent on the 5mm peg, the Pretenders. As mentioned above the Pretender shells all had 5mm pegs, while their robots had smaller (less universally sized) pegs. Pretenders usually had at least one weapon (sometimes more) that was meant for both the shell and the inner robot. These weapons had multiple pegs on them, allowing different components to hold them in different ways.

AUTOBOTS

  • The Headmasters — Unlike in 1987, the 1988 Autobot Headmasters had two sets of weapons with different post sizes. There was a single main rifle for the main robot with a 5mm post, and two smaller pistols that were both vehicle mode weapons and antennae for the robots' head.
  • The Powermasters. — Powermaster Prime in particular is notable because his weapons are massive, badass and freakin' awesome. You know they are. Admit it.

DECEPTICONS

  • The Seacons — Because of his Targetmaster gimmick, Piranacon is the only Generation 1 combiner robot without 5mm post hole fists. Instead he has special ports for the square pegs which are used as part of the Special Teams style combination. Each of the five smaller Seacons also come with a special Targetmaster stand which allows them to use their gun forms independent of Piranacon. The stand is divided into three parts, a connector, a post and a base. The post is moulded to look like a large rifle and has multiple posts on it letting it be held as a weapon both by the small Seacons and by anyone with a 5mm fist. The connector has a 5mm post hole and can be used to mount the Seacons on Mini-Con ports or other similar gun posts when in gun mode, how awesome is that?
  • The Headmasters — The small Decepticon Headmasters did not have two sets of weapons like their Autobot counterpart and relied entirely on 5mm posts.
  • The Powermasters — Doubledealer came with a special Powermaster Engine cover with a 5mm post on it. The post is hollow, allowing you to mount a Mini-Con on it.


1989

This year introduced the Micromasters, as well as introducing a truck load more Pretenders. The Micromasters emphasised inter-compatibility in a way Transformers hadn't really done before. All the bases were able to connect through special ramps, and all the weapons for the bases used 5mm posts. The Micromasters themselves all had small post holes in their feet that corresponded to small posts all over the bases — letting you stand them freely. The Micromasters' association with 5mm pegs would continue through into the Japanese toy lines, and would be reflected in the Mini-Cons would would come down the pipeline many years later.

The Pretenders this year were a little less 5mm compatible. While the first year Pretenders generally had 5mm ports on their vehicle modes as well as their Pretender shells those 5mm posts disappeared on the inner robots for the most part this year. Instead of using multiple posts on the same weapon more toys this year used a single

AUTOBOTS

Literally all the Autobot Pretenders from this year used 5mm posts. All of the Micromaster bases and transports except for Overload and Hot House used 5mm posts for their weapon accessories. Hot House and Overload don't really have any accessories, so that's understandable.
  • Pincher, Doubleheader and Longtooth
  • Classic Pretenders — Bumblebee, Grimlock and Jazz. These toys were re-released without their shells as Legends. They only came with their smaller weapons, which are double-posted. While the inner robots can't hold 5mm weapons their weapons can be used with other toys. Bumblebee and Jazz's guns were switched for the Legends release, so if you're pedantic about continuity feel free to give Jazz's gun to Classics Bumblebee without feeling guilty.
  • Crossblades and Vroom
  • Skyhammer


  • Erector and his Crane — Erector's weapons are all 5mm posts. While Erector's trailer hitch is not a 5mm post it is hollow and works as a 5mm port, allowing Erector to connect to other TFs and bases like a Mini-con.
  • Ironworks's Construction station — In station mode, Ironworks's base has two hollow 5mm posts on its scaffolding section. These are completely compatible with Mini-cons. In windmill... errr... radar tower mode these two pegs are used to mount the scaffolding to the tower, so aren't accessible.
  • Groundshaker's ATV and Countdown's Rocket base


DECEPTICONS All the Decepticon Micromaster bases and transports were 5mm compatible this year in some capacity. The Pretenders also, except for the Monster Pretenders.

  • Monstructor — As with nearly all combiners, Monstructor uses 5mm fist holes. However none of the individual Monster Pretenders do. Their shell covers sometimes have relatively inaccessible 5mm posts or ports for Monstructor's accessories, but that is more-or-less the extent of their compatibility.
  • Octopunch, Stranglehold and Bludgeon
  • Classic Pretenders Starscream — Also available as a Legends figure without any of the 5mm compatibility conferred by his shell.
  • Thunderwing
  • Roadblock

1990

Action Masters pretty much dropped the 5mm posts in favour of a smaller standard-sized peg. Some of the bases use 5mm posts for their weapon systems, but for the most part this was the end of 5mm pegs being universal in Transformers for a very long time -- it wouldn't happen again until the Unicron Trilogy, almost a decade later.

AUTOBOTS

  • Lionizer. Because of his beard he actually has a double-post, so he has a 5mm post, though it's very tight.
  • Prowl's Turbo Cycle. His engine intakes have a 5mm port, so they can be mounted on Mini-con pegs if you'd like, and his wheel section has a 5mm post. The rest of his accessories use the more standard smaller pegs used by Action Masters.
  • Over-Run. While his helicopter and him aren't really 5mm compatible, he does have hand-held missile launchers with 5mm post holes on them. They can be mounted on Mini-Con ports, or you can mount 5mm guns on top of them while Over-Run is holding them -- but good luck keeping his arms up.
  • Optimus Prime's Armored Convoy has a bunch of black guns and other orange guns with 5mm posts. Yes, you can give all these weapons to Classics Primes. The black guns have hollow posts and so can be mounted on Mini-Cons.

All the Micromaster bases from this year use 5mm pegs.

DECEPTICONS

  • Gutcruncher's Stratotronic Jet — His missiles have 5mm post holes, rather than 5mm posts. This means you can mount his missiles on mini-con ports or other similar 5mm posts.

All the Micromaster bases from this year use 5mm pegs. The Anti-Aircraft Base should probably be pointed out because it uses accessories both with 5mm posts and ones with 5mm post holes that mount on 5mm posts. The base is littered with hollow 5mm posts for these weapons, making it quite Mini-Con compatible.

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