Paper model guns created by an R.O.C. Military Academy cadet attracted widespread attention Wednesday at an exhibition marking the 86th anniversary of the institute in Kaohsiung County's Fongshan City. The exhibition featured vivid model guns made of paper by Kuo Chin-kai, a senior student in the Department of Management Science at the academy, which dates its roots back to the opening of the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou, China on June 16, 1924. The largest of Kuo's unique creations is a 20 cm model of the U.S. Special Application Sniper Rifle, while the smallest is only 2.6 long. Kuo said his choice of materials plays an important role in making them realistic. 'I use a very special paint with a metallic shine to make them look real, ' he told Central News Agency by telephone Wednesday. 'I started becoming interested in firearms at the age of 15 due to an enthusiasm for shooting games on the Internet, ' Kuo said. 'My passion for light weapons was further stirred after a model gun I made with paper and glue was highly praised by a fine arts teacher, who gave me an almost full score for that piece.' Apart from the strikingly realistic appearance, Kuo's paper guns can be loaded and even shoot. 'It took me five years to develop a clip capable of loading paper bullets, ' he said. 'My icon is Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian designer who devised the AK series, ' Kao said. He also said that someday he would like to see his model guns become models for actual guns. 'I hope I can make a great contribution to firearms for this country,' he said. 