28mm Bush Wars

[carlos marighela]

pretty sure the NZ and Aussie ones were wood stocks and handguards.

Ash... have to say everything of yours is.... well....friggn awesome!!

The Aussie and NZ ones? Never used the G-3, only SLRs pre the Steyr.

I may be wrong but I think the G-3 with wooden furniture is pre-production or very early. I think the FPB production models m/961 AKA G3A3 came with a olive coloured furniture, possibly the actual shade varying over time but that may just be the effect of photography and the light.

[Poiter50]

If the troops oiled the stock to prevent it splitting in different climates to that of the production country, it would take on the colour of that oil.

[Earther]

G3 details aside, that's some top-notch paint wrangling there Ash!

They'd look good alongside your 5 Commando mercs.

[carlos marighela]

If the troops oiled the stock to prevent it splitting in different climates to that of the production country, it would take on the colour of that oil.

Oiling plastic and aluminium, doesn't tend to have much effect tho'

[Ash]

Thanks for all the comments and info. I'm going to go with the dark green option over the wood look.



I think the pic I posted with the wooden furniture may actually be a BB/Airsoft rifle!

The Portuguese troops are nearly finished, waiting for some PVA to dry on the bases, then some grass tuft and a last bit of dry-brushing etc . . .

[Predatorpt]

Thanks for all the comments and info. I'm going to go with the dark green option over the wood look.



I think the pic I posted with the wooden furniture may actually be a BB/Airsoft rifle!

The Portuguese troops are nearly finished, waiting for some PVA to dry on the bases, then some grass tuft and a last bit of dry-brushing etc . . .

Ok, I've talked with my father and you did the right choice - they were dark green and in plastic. The first G3 my father used has brown but after a couple of weeks they changed to one with the dark green parts. But the HK21 was always brown.

[Ash]

Here's the first lot. Eureka miniatures Portuguese army:

[Arlequín]

As I understand it the 'wood' G3s (CETME/H&K versions) arrived the same time as the FN FALs for trials (a few thousand of each in 1961 iirc), although even after the G3 was selected, both types of trial weapons were retained in service for some time. The most numerous were the 'synthetic' G3A3s, or the 'Espingarda automática m/963' as made in Portugal by Fábrica Militar de Braço de Prata (FMBP) from 1963, which replaced the 'wood' m/961 after just a year or so of production.

You sometimes see pictures of Portuguese troops with 'wood' G3s and FN FALs, but these are usually early to mid-'60s... hence Predatortp's dad seeing them only briefly.

I've never seen one in real life, but the shade of 'olive' seems to vary greatly with the light in photos, in bright light it seems very olive green, but at other times almost black.

 

[Happy Wanderer]

Lovely paint work Ash.

What rules had you planned on using from your Bush War stuff. What type of actions did you plan on portraying?

Have you got any ZANLA/ZIPRA types painted up yet?

Cheers

Happy W

[Ash]

Thanks Arlequin, bang on about the light in the pictures effecting the colour of the weapon, that and most of the pics being 40yrs old!

@ Happy Wanderer: So far I'm just collecting and painting. Not got any of the Zipra minis yet,I got the RAR blokes to try painting the camo on something bigger than 20mm, plus the sculpts looked really good. I bought the Portuguese chaps purely as I liked the models.

Here are the other three. 28mm Portuguese army from Eureka:

[Centaur_Seducer]

Button counting aside (yes, J'accuse Carlos and Arlequin), those are some fine paintjobs

[Predatorpt]

Wow! Great, great work, Ash! 

[Slayer]

fantastic

[Arlequín]

Button counting aside (yes, J'accuse Carlos and Arlequin), those are some fine paintjobs

Guilty as charged. 

I don't comment on Ash's brushwork any more... I've told him in previous posts how jealous I get of his skills. 

[Earther]

Yeah, what Arlequín said.