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Saturday, November 22, 2014

T is for Two - Metal Machine-gunners

Quick box-ticking one tonight - literally; as it's a couple of boxed sets, photographed in recent months, one last week, the other a while ago;

Britains Set No. 198; Machine Gun Section 'Seated Position' (there were prone sets as well), four figures with Vicker's MG's, each having a little seat on the rearward leg which seems to be a Britains invention.

A hollow-cast expert has come to the rescue with a better explanation...I'll hand you to Mike Niederman;

Britains Maxim-gunners with a Vickers to the far right

"Some info about the set to explain the seat: It was introduced in 1920 with the gun being a Maxim. I've attached a couple of pictures. A very few years later, Britains updated the gun to the Vickers, a slightly smaller gun. They didn't update the gunner, so they had to retain the seat. Why they also left his hands clutching above the firing handles is one of those unexplained (to me, so far) mysteries. The set expanded to 6 units in the late '30's."

  1904 Maxim Gun (with seat)

Returning to a perennial favourite, the Skybirds Set 9; Motor Cycle Dispatch Rider and Machine Gun and Crew, this time a Number 2 on the gun is supplied so hopefully no stoppages!
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2 comments:

  1. Mike NiedermanDecember 3, 2014 at 3:36 PM

    Some info about the set to explain the seat: It was introduced in 1920 with the gun being a Maxim. I've attached a couple of pictures. A very few years later, Britains updated the gun to the Vickers, a slightly smaller gun. They didn't update the gunner, so they had to retain the seat. Why they also left his hands clutching above the firing handles is one of those unexplained (to me, so far) mysteries. The set expanded to 6 units in the late '30s.
    Cheers, Mike.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hugh WalterDecember 3, 2014 at 6:05 PM

    Thanks for that Mike, there was a six-unit set on one of the auction sites a couple of three-days ago!

    H

    ReplyDelete

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