smaller miniatures for old west gunfights??

[AllenW]

After being inspired by another post here I bought some Britains cowboys for gunfights.  Nice but scenery is expensive and of course takes up lots of room.  Does Anyone do western skirmish/gunfights using the smaller 1/72 plastics?

Please comment on pros/cons and offer recommendations on figures and scenery.  Pictures please.  I would like to get a feel for the look of the smaller stuff.

[FifteensAway]

Too late for pictures, but might I suggest you look into 15 mm or 18 mm.  There are many sources of figures and some include buildings, here are three: Peter Pig, QRF/Freikorp (Total System Scenic, now I think), and Blue Moon available from Old Glory 25s.  I have some from all three.  Hovels has some, too, as does Minifigs.

Take a look at the Blue Moon in 18 mm, not too much smaller than 1/72nd.  And if cost matters, get an Old Glory Army card, it will save you 40% on every order, including one with the card even.  If you buy the buildings and the figures, you'll probably save enough to pay for the card right there.

You can stay with skirmish or go larger as you prefer. I've gone quite a bit larger - Old West, Plains Wars, and Apache Wars - and maybe even Mountain Men all exist in my collection.

Very versatile period - so much more to it that simple gun fights.  And, please, avoid the 'sillies' where you have seven different factions all fighting each other.  Absurdiam ridiculousium!  

[SteveBurt]

I did wild west stuff for years using 1:72 figures - converted Airfix, ESCI and Revell stuff.
At the time (1980s) there were very few 28mm wild west figures (I think Foundry did their first range after I painted my stuff up, and the only other alternative was Dixon).
Years later, there was loads of nice 28mm stuff so I sold the 1:72 chaps and painted up 28mm stuff instead.

[DS615]

I've used 1/72 for playing cowboy games before, but went opposite from you and switched over to 1/32.

When I did play with them, I used a few HO scale buildings and accessory kits, not quite right but close, and in some instances it didn't matter.  A 1/87 scale fence in a 1/72 scale game is just a shorter fence after all.

Most of the buildings I used for 1/72, and now in 1/32, I made from scratch. But I enjoy making terrain and not everyone does.

I'm actually working on a project with 12mm cowboys too, so I'm kind of all over the place I guess!

[has.been]

Peter Pig do a lot of 15mm Western stuff & some nice rules (Hey you in the jail!)
In fact as I am heavily into 28mm I am prepared to part with my 15mm figures.
Let me know if you are interested. I am in the UK.

[rumacara]

Not much info but i hope it helps.
Mainly, i convert some stuff.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=89647.0