I remember those from the late 70's here in the states. Fond memories from my childhood.

 

I've seen Russian infantry weapon sets in the hobby store, and they had a pretty good mix of small arms. 91/30s, M44s, the various SMGs, SVT, Maxims and Degtyarevs...even had Toks and Nagants, one set had little bottles with rags stuffed in the tops!

 

Don't know about the Airfix kits, but the now defunct company 21st Century Toys made a very nice 1:32 scale set of pre-assembled/painted Russians that included a Soviet infantryman with a standard Mosin bolt rifle (and a Molotov cocktail..LOL) a female with a Mosin sniper, 2 enlisted soldiers & 1 officer carrying PPSh submachine guns and a prone soldier equipped with a Degtyarev DP "record player" LMG. It's a very cool set, and very unique for people who are interested in this kind of thing. AKIK they're still available at fairly reasonable prices (around $10-$15) from the usual suspects, ie. ebay etc. To the best of my knowledge nobody makes a pre-painted/assembled set like this @ any price that even begins to approach the quality of the 21st Century set.

Click to enlarge:

 

Thanks for the memory recall. I played with the Airfix 1/72 scale men. Becase you could also get a 1/72 tank or plane and use them with my HO train set.

 

Those are cool.

I thought Molotov Cocktails were thrown at the Soviets?

 

I started buying 1/72 soldiers when I was a kid. Atlantic, Airfix, Giant, Esci, Revell, etc. etc. Some of my best memories from that time revolve around army men. I still have them.....over 18000 of them!

 

Can we please see some of the soldiers from your set for those of us that did not have this type of army men? I had the plastic army men bags of 100 to play with.

 

Alright, fellas...will do...I have to take 'em out and try to figure out how to use Macro in a way to do the detail justice...

but, I will do it over the weekend, and post early next week...:cheers:

 

Here's an excellent site for the 1/72 soldiers:

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Manufacturers.aspx

It covers both new and old sets.

 

Used to build models in the sixties, cars. Started to build German tank models in the early seventies. Japanese made with wired remote control, tracks really worked, cool. Still have them. Tamaya company. But if I had my druthers, would rather have my hundred bag of olive drab USGI's from the early sixties. Made forts and berms in the dirt, and many are probably still in the old backyard.

Remember the "Giant" sets. As in Romans, Greeks, Cowboys and Indians, French, and even Vikings. That was my favorite set. Came with a longship, removable oars, shields, and mast and sail. Even tiny working catapaults. Worked with a little rubber band. Cheap as dirt, maybe seventy nine cents in the mid sixties. And every Christmas, one of these sets was in the stocking, with oranges and pecans. Always went for the stocking on Christmas morning first. Fugeddabout the packages under the tree, we loved our soldiers.

Got a Marx US Civil War set, maybe in '63. One of my all time favorite Christmas presents. Tin plantation house, cannons that worked, small cap gun, and many blue and grey soldiers with hundreds of accessories that you could put on them. Still have some of the soldiers, one thirty second or thirty fifth scale?

Anyway, a 1/32 Airfix British Napoleon era figure that I bought and painted, got the older brother interested into figure painting. He pursued the hobby, and after several years, won many gold medals at shows with his hard work. He was acknowledged as a "Master" after, and has written many articles on the subject, and tutored many men on how to do this fine work. Did a Virginia dismounted cavalry officer for me as an Xmas gift. Metal casting, five inches tall, mounted it on a hand turned English brown oak base, turned by him. Glass bell jar cover. Three dee' canvas, perfectly painted. And the guys that collect his works would pee their pants if they saw it. Family jewel that started with a little kid's Airfix kit.

I'd like to see photos of your army men. Will take some of mine.

LB

 

Photos...

My big army man...can't play with this one...

LB

 

I just took a BUNCH of close up pics of the toy soldiers (army men) in the first five of my Airfix boxes...in the order that I bought them in the 1970's...I started in 1974, and stopped collecting in 1978...

So...tomorrow or Monday, I will post the pics of:

German Infantry
Japanese Infantry
Australian Infantry
Afrika Korps
U.S. Paratroops

...and, a teaser of my Russian Infantry...and...soon more pics also (British Infantry Support Group and German Mountain Troops)...

 

Here is the first group of pics: German Infantry

 

Second group: Japanese Infantry

 

Third Group: Australian Infantry

 

Fourth set: U.S. Paratroops

 

Fifth set: British Infantry Support Group

 

Sixth set: German Mountain Troops

 

...a little teaser...the very rare Gurkhas:

 

...AND...the whole reason I posted this on the Mosin forum!!...The Russian Infantry!!! (only 3 examples so far, I am waiting for my new complete box of Russian Infantry to show up in the mail...so...this is just a teaser...

 

Ah.....memories.

 

Nice poses and detail, good quality.

LB

 

Is it me or is one of the US AB has a Sten

 

Yes, he does. A MKII. I have no idea why. You know, I've had that set for over thirty years and never noticed that until you said something!!! I'm soooo observant!!

 

IIRC the whole russian set has no MN's just SVTs, DPs and PPSH41.

The quality of airfix 1/32 scale soldiers usually got much better through the 1970's, the Russians, being moulded much earlier are quite soft in detail compared to the later US paras

if you choose to paint them I suggest a diluted coating of PVA glue as a primer, the paint will flake otherwise

sorry to be a party pooper on the MNs

regrds

Richard