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Soo.... What did you just get???

Dave J

By Dave J
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belugawhaleman

belugawhaleman

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Posted

I recently purchased from different sources two weapon sets from ICM...both the same.

Their WW I Austro-Hungarian Infantry Weapon And Equipment. (35671).

I bought these after noticing that the Machine guns included in the Hobby Boss Skoda Turtle Are Spandau/Maxims not the correct Schwarzlose guns. The Schwarzlose has

a very distinctive large cone-shaped flash hider out front. Czech turtles used a version

of this gun modified and re-chambered  to take the 7.92x57mm. Cartridge while those

used by Austria were earlier guns still chambered to use the original 8x50R cartridge.

An interesting delayed blowback gun. As a very young x-ray tech I met a WW I  veteran

who was on the side of Austro Hungary in a machine gun regiment. He told me he was

17 at the time and remembered using the gun. His opinion of the gun wasn't good and

used some "colorful" language about its designer. I x-rayed him a number of times over

the next couple of years and always enjoyed speaking with him. That was over 30+ years ago. Anyway, I hope I can adapt these to the Hobby Boss kit. If not, I'll leave the guns off.

I saw one of these Turtles as used by the Germans in a picture taken during the war

without the guns. The picture is also noteworthy in that one of the soldiers in front of the

Turtle is quite stout......You would think the wehrmact would have a weight limit.

 

DSCN1080_kindlephoto-54957711.jpg

skoda-pa-ii-zelva-turtle_8_kindlephoto-57041328.jpg

c29ce8062f75e30a387240925601360f_kindlephoto-57509074.jpg

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Clunkmeister

Clunkmeister

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4 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

I recently purchased from different sources two weapon sets from ICM...both the same.

Their WW I Austro-Hungarian Infantry Weapon And Equipment. (35671).

I bought these after noticing that the Machine guns included in the Hobby Boss Skoda Turtle Are Spandau/Maxims not the correct Schwarzlose guns. The Schwarzlose has

a very distinctive large cone-shaped flash hider out front. Czech turtles used a version

of this gun modified and re-chambered  to take the 7.92x57mm. Cartridge while those

used by Austria were earlier guns still chambered to use the original 8x50R cartridge.

An interesting delayed blowback gun. As a very young x-ray tech I met a WW I  veteran

who was on the side of Austro Hungary in a machine gun regiment. He told me he was

17 at the time and remembered using the gun. His opinion of the gun wasn't good and

used some "colorful" language about its designer. I x-rayed him a number of times over

the next couple of years and always enjoyed speaking with him. That was over 30+ years ago. Anyway, I hope I can adapt these to the Hobby Boss kit. If not, I'll leave the guns off.

I saw one of these Turtles as used by the Germans in a picture taken during the war

without the guns. The picture is also noteworthy in that one of the soldiers in front of the

Turtle is quite stout......You would think the wehrmact would have a weight limit.

 

DSCN1080_kindlephoto-54957711.jpg

skoda-pa-ii-zelva-turtle_8_kindlephoto-57041328.jpg

c29ce8062f75e30a387240925601360f_kindlephoto-57509074.jpg

Interesting story on that. 
I was under the impression that most all MGs from WW1, with the exception of the Lewis, was a Maxim variant. Vickers, Spandau, etc.

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belugawhaleman

belugawhaleman

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50 minutes ago, Clunkmeister said:

Interesting story on that. 
I was under the impression that most all MGs from WW1, with the exception of the Lewis, was a Maxim variant. Vickers, Spandau, etc.

No, there were a variety of guns used besides maxim types including the French Hotchkiss 1914 ,  St Etienne 1907 , Chauchat guns. The Americans fielded the Browning

1917 and 1895 guns, The Italians had their Fiat- Revelli. Guns......None of these were Maxim Types. The Danish military had their Madsen  guns in use for several years prior to the war.....I'm not sure if these were used in the conflict. The British, in addition to the

Lewis gun (actually an American design), and Vickers also used a variation of the Hotchkiss called the portative model.....differing from the 1914 Hotchkiss in the locking

system. The Japanese used their own guns, similar to the hotchkiss. A terrific source for info on these is a YouTube channel "Forgotten Weapons"...

highly recommended. BTW the French St. Etienne 1907 and Italian Fiat-Revelli are the most

arcane, overly-complicated mgs ever produced......google these you won't be disappointed! I've added an animation of the Schwarlose gun in honor of

my late freind Mr. Fiesler, late of the Austro-Hungarian MG Regiment.

 

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Clunkmeister

Clunkmeister

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9 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

No, there were a variety of guns used besides maxim types including the French Hotchkiss 1914 ,  St Etienne 1907 , Chauchat guns. The Americans fielded the Browning

1917 and 1895 guns, The Italians had their Fiat- Revelli. Guns......None of these were Maxim Types. The Danish military had their Madsen  guns in use for several years prior to the war.....I'm not sure if these were used in the conflict. The British, in addition to the

Lewis gun (actually an American design), and Vickers also used a variation of the Hotchkiss called the portative model.....differing from the 1914 Hotchkiss in the locking

system. The Japanese used their own guns, similar to the hotchkiss. A terrific source for info on these is a YouTube channel "Forgotten Weapons"...

highly recommended. BTW the French St. Etienne 1907 and Italian Fiat-Revelli are the most

arcane, overly-complicated mgs ever produced......google these you won't be disappointed! I've added an animation of the Schwarlose gun in honor of

my late freind Mr. Fiesler, late of the Austro-Hungarian MG Regiment.

 

Along with the various Maxim designs, I’ve had the honor to be able to play with a water cooled Lewis gun, and all I can say about it is that it’s one seriously arcane and complicated rig, with cams, springs, timing mechanisms, etc, all looking to gum it up.  And Magazine changes are seriously complicated. 
I forgot about the Browning belt guns (shame). I guess I was more thinking of aircraft guns… same with the Hotchkiss. And then there are the Russian designs. 
Those people who restore those old WW1 designs to functionality have my greatest respect. Some of them are so complicated and such a precision machine that how they were able to function in the first place is wonder enough, but to be able to do so in the heat of battle, in a filthy, muddy trench, and by a 17 year old conscript is beyond me. 
I used to think it’s be cool to make a Lewis or Hotchkiss gun run right, but it’s way, way beyond my interest or, as John says, “cuss factor”.

Things have come a long way from those to the MG34,42, MG1, MG3 rifles and various offshoots of today.  Going back to that old stuff gives me the cold sweats. 🤣

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BlrwestSiR

BlrwestSiR

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Just got back from the Heritagecon show. The show was packed. Shortly after arrived they had to open overflow parking for visitors. Lots of deals on Border Lanc kits. Seemed every shop had at least a couple to sell. $800 CAD ( about $580 USD)  tax in was the best I saw. 1/200 Arizona was $200 CAD and the same scale Bismarck was $300 CAD. Debated the last one until someone else saved me the divorce and bought it. 

I didn't come away empty handed though. 

PXL_20230326_191737781.thumb.jpg.28674327433327dd47fcfb78a1a4b5c9.jpg

PXL_20230326_191725032.thumb.jpg.845d7cd031eb52968419237c99ef38e1.jpg

PXL_20230326_191658499.thumb.jpg.a788bbd0d6d397b090684b6aa201b828.jpg

My sons both came along and picked up some stuff too. Edward got a giant goldfish. No, that's not a typo. 

PXL_20230326_192248219.thumb.jpg.09e2af77cf111875898e84aea92f7627.jpg

In the time it's taken me to write this, he's already built it. 

PXL_20230326_192639475.thumb.jpg.73b45cecc48d9ccc7a5c718976cfd956.jpg

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BlrwestSiR

BlrwestSiR

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30 minutes ago, harv said:

Looks like you and the boys had a great day. Thanks for sharing....harv 

Harv, it was a lot of fun. It's great having the show surrounded by aircraft. I sent one pic to Martin and he saw that the museum's Dakota was in the background and asked for some pics of it. Easy enough to oblige when there's no ropes around them and you can basically just walk around and underneath the plane.

Here's my sons standing in front of it. 

PXL_20230326_163140014_MP.thumb.jpg.107e5197636da21a333da2419c8e764a.jpg

I was hoping to get pics of their Canso for Chris but they had it in the center of the vendor section surrounded by tables. 

 

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BlrwestSiR

BlrwestSiR

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Just now, harv said:

I'd be in heaven!....harv 

Harv, it's a great place to visit. They're restoring a Bollingbrook and Spitfire. The Lanc is opened up for service getting it ready for the flying season. They have the Canso and Dakota and a couple Harvard's I think. 

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Bomber_County

Bomber_County

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Carl, great haul. The Lancs at the price are a complete bargain to this side of the pond, almost a 25% off. Be intrigued to know why in US and Canada retailers can do them at discount, but saying that it’s probably the rip off UK economy………there is a Red Fox IP laying there too.

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