40mm vehicles

Just finished weathering a 1:50th Solido BRDM and a 1:43rd 'Russian Diecast' Moskovitch....

HLBS and Graven Images 40mm size comparison

From the left: HLBS, HLBS, GI, HLBS, GI Conversion, HLBS. 

All Graven  Images figures were removed  from their internal bases, but generally scale up pretty well (although definitely at the  'strapping' end of the  spectrum!)

HLBS 36mm/40nn/1:48th 'HEAT' modern crime range list

Richard at HLBS was kind enough to end me the original catalogue listings for the Heat 40mm modern crime range he used to produce, and I thought I'd pop it up here as an appendix to previous catalogue post

"40mm Police and Criminals range.

PC1        S.W.A.T. 6 multi-part figures with separate heads, torsos and legs. MP5, M4, M8 Shotgun and M24 sniper rifle. £14.00

PC2        S.W.A.T. 6 multi-part figures with separate heads, torsos and legs. G36, M8

Shotgun and M24 sniper rifle.           £14.00

PCS        SW1 & 2 Deal both sets     £25.00

PC3        Neil         £2.50

PC4        Chris       £2.50

PC5        Michael £2.50

PC6        Tony      £2.50

PC7        Tony#2 £2.50

Other useful figures that are compatible with this range.

Urban Guerrillas

UG1        European designer Guerrillas             £6.00

UG2        Militants in ski masks         £6.00

Law Enforcement

LE1        US Cops                £6.00

LE2        Undercover cops or armed perps      £6.00

LE3        US security and VIP                                            £6.00

CIA/FBI/Undercover cops                                              

US27      3^rd Special forces group/CIA civvies gear       £6.00     

The great thing about 40mm is the amount of 1/48^th scale models that are available to use in games. O gauge in model railways are actually 1/48^th scale, so buildings and street furniture are quite easy to obtain. Also because the figures are on bases making them a little taller on the ground 1/43^rd diecast vehicles don’t look out of place either.

Useful websites

www.wholesaletrains.com large range of “O” Gauge buildings and street furniture stocked

www.ashevillediecast.com stockists of 1/43^rd diecast cars such as GEARBOX police cars NEWRAY trucks amongst others

www.policecarmodels.com Stockists of 1/43^rd diecast police cars and decals"

WiP update: a quick trawl over the desk...

I just thought I'd share some of the WiP stuff and 'things to do' that are currently lurking on my desk. They are mostly 40mms (statues, Russian VDV airborne, milita of shapes and sizes,  government regulars and lots of unstarted stuff) but there are some 28mms (Malayan emergency CTs, security forces, planters and home guard+ ssome deamons for a Fistful of Kung Fu and some near future special forces ) slowly chugging along in between other things.  They'll probably get a boost a bit later this year as John and I were chatting about rules for the Malayan emergency the other week, and he has masses of jungle scenery... I still have lots of 20mm in the pipeline, so there will be more cold war goodness in the future too...

Irregular miniatures 42mm and HLBS 40mm size comparison

My quest for compatible figures continues, although I may have found the motherload... Irregular miniatures do a wide range of 42mm figures, ranging from flats and toy soldiers to properly detailed figures.  It includes a selection of modern milita types, riot police,  Vietnam war stuff and lots of WW2 bits.  I decided to take a punt on  couple of figures after Ian at Irregular said that the figures are 40mm from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet.  A quick measure of the HLBS figures showed them to be 39mm by the same method. 

The milita range includes a wide variety of head and weapon options, as well as figures im civilian and military clobber,  so has lots of potential. I started by ordering a standing and a kneeling civilian, with an ak47 and a DP lmg, as well as a seated military driver, all with random civilian heads

So far so good. The figures are fairly free of flash and cleanly sculpted.  The HLBS figures are more detailed, but the irregular figures are quite acceptable! Weapon wise, they match up well with HLBS and the chunkier TAG pieces. The next phphotos are size comparisons with both kneeling and standing HLBS figures. As you can see, the Irregular figures are slightly taller and a little thinner, but I think they should match really well once they are all painted up and based.  The chap in the centre of the last photo is from the Irregular late renaissance range, and will be going on a plinth as a statue to some long dead hero. 

The last thing I picked up is a 100mm WW2 Soviet artillery piece I picked up from the 'very useful guns' range.  The model is pretty big, and although not massively detailed it should really look the part painted up. In many ways, the lack of fine detail (winding handles etc) should make the model more robust.

IS-48 vs other tanks size comparison

As promised - a size comparison between the Dust Tactics IS-48, the Kitech T-72 (same dimensions as their T-80 and T-90) and the Die-cast T-55

As the models are all fairly iffy on the scale front, I thought I would do some comparison pictures from my 1/72nd stuff to see how the vehicles should match up when they are all at a consistent scale.  In this case we have an IS-3, T-72, T-55 and a T-54...

Based off the 1/72 stuff, the 40mm models all scale up pretty well! Not that I'm a scale stickler, but good to know that they aren't wildly off!

Dust Tactics SSU IS-48 for 40mms...

I have a strange love of the Soviet IS-3 (AKA JS-3) heavy tank. I don't know why, as despite being rushed out for the very very end of WW2 (several took part in the Berlin parade, and scared the socks off the British and Americans) they have only seen limited military service (Hungary in 1956, the Sino-Soviet border clashes of the late 60s/early 70s and theArab-Israeli wars come to mind). I think I just like the shape. I have 3 in 20mm in various colours,  and when I discovered that the Dust Tactics range had 1 in something around 1/48th I knew I had to get one.  Being part of the Dust range, it wasn't particularly cheap, but atleast I got a fair bit knocked off for having a slightly crushed box (!). The model came pre-assembled, and has the option for a weird war tesla gun and/or front mounted flame thrower.  They both slot in, so could be changed if one wished.  It also comes with a 3/4 commander figure.  Its not a perfect fit for an IS-3, having a rear facing mg in the turret which I don't recall on the 'real' one,  but it's a good enough substitute. 

How am I going to use it? Not sure yet - probably supporting my militia.  It's not unprecedented,  as the Ossetian Rebels were gifted a handful of IS-2s by the Russians in the late 90s (98?) to use against the Georgians.  Apparently there are still stocks of IS-3s about, so a similar thing might happen...

I'll get some size comparison pics against my other tanks up another time. IIt's going to dwarf the T55...

More 40mm vehicles

More size comparisons tonight - this time a 1/43rd 'Russian diecast' UAZ (I think it came with a magazine originally) but lots of them floating around in eBay and at select pound land type shops (or so I have been told). Fairly easy to pick up for less than a fiver, and a nice little model. I will probably get a couple more and repaint them, and might take the top 

Off one to make a technical... The other vehicle is a matchbox 'super kings' unimog,  which is OOP but frequently turns up on eBay.  No advertised scale, but I'd guess about 1/50th. It's probably tall enough to use with 40mms, but may be a little short... I'm going to weather this one down a bit though as my old paint scheme is showing its age...

More 40mm conversions

I have been busy again...

The Ruitainian Jagers of 

the EU peace keepers have now had their jackets lengthened, and I have finished converting the chaps to carry the SAWs. Currently planning on using the shotgun chap as a driver for the Fiat Ivenco APC I showed the other week. 

More Russian MVD and VDV troops...

More milita conversions, based on assorted Russian, Milita and US special forces figures. Extra weapons from TAG as usual...

Generic 1/43 Chinese diecast T55

A few people have mentioned this model over the last few years - it's a cheap diecast T55 tank, advertised as being 1/43rd (apparently closer to 1/48th) and readily available from several sellers on eBay for around a tenner.

As can be seen - it matches nicely with both 28mm and 40mm.  Perhaps a little large for one and a little small for the other.  I'll definitely get another though :-) I'm also hoping to pick up the James Bond T55 with ERA at some stage, and will do a comparison between the pair of them and the kitech T72...

1/48th vehicles finished

Not sure what else to say about these,  other than that they are off to the display-case. The Fiat Ivenco apc is a schuco 1/43rd die cast, with the windows painted in and then weathered.

Dust Tactics and HLBS 40mm size comparison

My quest for compatible figures continues - this time using the Dust Tactics 1/48th scale figures. I managed to pick up a single figure from a seller in China.  On reflection, the dynamic pose might not have been the best for a comparison!
The figure is a pretty good size match, although of a more slender build despite the armour and gas mask. When the figure turned up the shotgun was bent, but has straightened out fairly easily as it is a softish plastic.  (The body is sturdier and a lot less flexible). Not sure what I will use him for - a militant probably, with the improvised body armour and gas mask inspired by the Ukrainian Maidan protestors. Tempted by more from the same set,  possibly as some sort of police or paramilitary unit.  Some of the other figures from the range might make good paramilitaries too - although probably not the guys firing water cooled machine guns from the hip!

Some almost finished 40mm moderns

I have actually based these chaps since these pictures were taken,  but I thought after the last couple of waffle-y posts it'd be good to get some actual gaming stuff up.

These guys are Eastern European milita, all HLBS, and should be good for the Balkans to the Caucases . Most of the uniforms (if you can call them that! ) are fictional (the cream base with large green and brown blotches was taken off an action man camo scheme!) But I have tried to keep them believable...

Current WiP stuff

Just a quick post with a couple of views from my painting desk - currently working on (yet more) milita and some government forces. The dark green clothing on the milita will be getting a tiger stripe scheme using calthan brown and desert yellow,  and I am currently planning to leave most of the lighter greens as plain fatigues.  I'm not sure about the grey jacket on the guy with the helmet and RPK. It was inspired by JNA uniforms which were floating around during the Balkans wars, and I had toyed with doing it in a camo pattern instead- although I don't think the cut of the jacket would suit?

The government troops are about half way through recieving their knock-off Alpenflage camo...

1/48th vehicle Assets

Just a few snaps of some of the stuff floating around  my desk at the moment.  The models are (in no particular order) a RAFM USX drone, a kitech T72,  a pair of slightly converted kitech btrs (one with a SA-9 SAM turret inspired by a BTR60 somewhere in the real world. The SAM turret comes with the kit, and is designed to fit behind the machine gun turret in a slot which I have filled in), a Corgi (?) Land rover and a Burgaro jeep. The 28mm figure is a Brittania Malayan emergency CT, who is about the same size as a Foundry figure. 

HLBS and The Warstore 1/48th compatibility

I have been looking for potential sources of additional figures to bolster my forces, such as the Dust figures or the Graven Images range.  There is a company (I believe the War Store) which has recently been advertising 1/48th civilians on eBay,  some of which looked like they would have potential as milita or armed civilians.  The test figure I ordered is shown in the centre of the picture.  It came with a slotta base which I removed and replaced with a Rendera plastic base. The casting and sculpting are both good, and from my perspective they fit well with the HLBS stuff.  I added a weapon from TAG, which fits fairly well with the HLBS weapons as I showed the other year.  Overall, very pleased and will probably pick up some more at some stage :-)

Recent 40mm acquisitions

Just thought I'd pop up some pictures of my more recent 40mm acquisitions - some were duplicates (the 90s GIs and most of the Russians) but hopefully I can do some conversions to get them to fit in :-)