Colonial Artillery

[Major Weenie]

Some time back I started a thread on 'What color an Egyptian Field Gun Should Be.'  After much helpful advice, I actually painted it.  Here's the image




And, on another thread there was talk about the Wargames Foundry Boer War British MG.  Out in the garage I found one, and painted it up.  The figures look OK to me, but the gun just seems wrong.  In this period would it be unpainted metal?  And thus a bit more steel (lighter) and a bit less cast iron (darker) ?  Thanks.

[jamesmanto]

I would hit the barrel on the Egyptian gun and the maxim with a black ink, so it's black but still metallic and shiney.

James

[Calimero]

Nice work

[Plynkes]

I believe those 1890s Maxims did come in a shiny metallic finish, but it wasn't steel:







Though I wonder if in the Boer War (where not being spotted was at a premium), they might not have done something like this with them:

[Tommy20]

I don't know what color that Maxim should be, but the crew is gorgeous!

[VonAkers]

Hi
I agree, the way you have done the white is quite subtle ,but very effective well done.
Cheers

[carlos marighela]

I suspect that the jacket of any Maxim, was most likely painted atillery grey if any colour at all. Initially machine guns were viewed as a form of light artillery and it would also match the colour of GS wagons, limbers etc.

Incidentally the Russians' early Maxims had bronze waterjackets, which made them particularly heavy, Whether these were painted or not in the period in question, I know not.

[chicklewis]

they look flat out gorgeous, Major Weenie.  A little black wash on the gun will make it look even better. 

[former user]

crews and maxim are fine

cannon should be black

[Major Weenie]

Many thanks for the compliments,

I'll have a go at a black wash, maybe "The Magic Wash," on the Egyptian gun barrel.

Is that a brass water cooler and fiddly bit on the MG photos? In the later photo the cooler seems painted, but the fiddly bit has just been allowed to tarnish?

I also have a, partially painted, Copplestone BoB British MG, but that's easier.  It looks more modern and I suspect that it will end up a sort of forerunner of Western Desert Tan.

Regards,
MW

[jamesmanto]

I believe later the guns had a canvas sleeve over the water jacket which would be an appropriate desert tan or olive green green. Not sure if this was already being done by WW1 though.

[QuietWarrior]

For guns I've been having some luck mixing metallic gunmetal with black, so you get the black finish with a bit of metallic reflection. Just one thought.

[Major Weenie]

Right,

So I, finally, had a go at 'improving' the gun barrel.  Here's the new version.  It's not quite black, but much less silver.



And here's the old one again.

[Galloping Major]

Very nice 



www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[rjandron]

Some excellent reference material. My own 15mm artillery pieces are considerably lighter in colour but still a blue-grey/cool grey shade as you have here. I may have to repaint them a bit darker after seeing your pictures.