BAM Paras and 101st - metal too soft?

[ErikB]

Has anyone had problems with the BAM figures in terms of them being too soft?

I just got a boxed set of WWII Paras and 101st Airborne.

The figures are, for the most part, beautiful, but almost all the weapons were bent.  Usually, that's not an issue, but this metal felt so soft that I was very nervous about bending them straight.  They also made a soft popping or tearing sound when I bent them.

The weapons look alright now but I've never worked with such soft metal.

Is this typical?  This fragility makes me not want to use them as gaming pieces.

The Artizan figures felt much more robust to me.

[poulppy]

Has anyone had problems with the BAM figures in terms of them being too soft?

I just got a boxed set of WWII Paras and 101st Airborne.

The figures are, for the most part, beautiful, but almost all the weapons were bent.  Usually, that's not an issue, but this metal felt so soft that I was very nervous about bending them straight.  They also made a soft popping or tearing sound when I bent them.

The weapons look alright now but I've never worked with such soft metal.

Is this typical?  This fragility makes me not want to use them as gaming pieces.

The Artizan figures felt much more robust to me.

I had got the same problem with mine. I think the problem is more the package than the metal : the minis can move in the box, it's not good.
But I agree, the metal is not of a good quality

[ErikB]

I'm tempted to stick with Artizan over BAM despite the nice BAM detail and postures.

[Dan]

I had some Artizan Arabs sent lacking the foam packing they normally have . Most of the weapons were bent out of shape . So I think its more the packaging than the metal.

[redzed]

have the casters changed? BAM used to use Griffin.

[brigadegames]

The clinking sound probably means they have a higher tin content and lower (or no) lead. This is typically called pewter. You can get an idea if it is higher tin pewter or higher lead/tin alloy by shaking a bunch together - more of a clinking sound is lower lead pewter. It will also be lighter when compared to the more "solid" sound of a higher lead content alloy.

The crackling when bending weapons and swords back should not be a problem if you are careful.

Many BAM weapons are thinner than Artizan (at least the older Artizan) and as with any blistered/clamshelled item, if not secured with foam or peanuts and rattle around and get bent.

[ErikB]

Let's see how they paint up.  They're nice figures.  Faces are a bit strange compared with GW's excellent faces but that's alright.  I'll learn to paint something slightly different.

They are still so soft that I'd be afraid to use some of them as game pieces.  That's alright - I've painted up at least 1,000 little guys and never played a single game - GW, FoW, anything.  At least, not yet.

So that popping is tin?  It reminds me of the sound of wood breaking as it bends.  It gives me the feeling it won't bend back and is getting closer to breaking with each bend.  Is this true?  Is this how the material works?

[Gibby]

I got the Paras, and a few of the rifles were bent. Gently bringing them back to the right shape sorted it, and they seems sturdy enough. I tend to handle all minis as though they're made of glass so they should survive games, etc.

[M Blakey]

i was worried that their rifles would just snap off in the draw but they are fine there hopefully but they are stonking figures the detail is superb

[Remgain]

I had the same esperience witha box of US paras.
Unfortunately all the weapons were badly bent: rifles, bazzoka, LMG, everything.

I bent back the barrels in the right position, but I broke a couple of them.
Needless to say that the guys at Warlord promptly sent some replacements!
Probably it is a packaging problem.

Marco

[ErikB]

It's not that they are bent that worries me.  It's that they are so soft. 

I'm afraid to bend them back much and worried they'll be bent again, then I'll have to un-bend them, and if this goes on too many times they're likely to break off.