Post by leswhite on Aug 29, 2019 11:54:38 GMT
WW1 Machine guns are a problem in this scale, although there are options out there it does depend on your hobby budget to fill this gap.
I don't think there really is a inexpensive option but if you have the ability to model and convert figure poses here is an idea.
The Ukraine model company ICM have a 1/35 scale model of a German '08 MG with all ancillary equipment without crew.
It would be possible to convert a couple of the kneeling figures from the AIP WW1 Pickelhaube German set into a crew. The draw back is that this is a detailed plastic kit so it may be a little delicate for wargaming but if properly based could work quite well, especially built as a gun only with no crew, this way you could use the gun with different crews - Stahlhelm Germans, Turks, Mexicans, etc and only need to outlay for one machine gun.
The same company does a Russian Maxim Gun only and with a two man crew, Austrian Schwarsnose MG with two man crew at present but since they are constantly adding to their WW1 range keep an eye out for British and French Machine guns for the future.
For the British the old AIRFIX British Infantry support set, currently available from CTS, has a Vickers machine gun with two man crew. The gun doesn't look too different from the WW1 version and the crew can be converted into WW1 by using parts from the AIP WW1 British in Steel Helmets set or WW1 Scots in Kilt and glengarries. You would need to convert the heads of the regular British into peaked caps for early war of course.
The TIMPO action pack WW2 British 8th Army set has a single piece casting of a Machine gun with gunner, which could convert into a WW1 version.
The SCALE LINK company in the UK does metal castings of WW1 machine guns, without crews, they are 1/32 scale and using the same principal as described above for converted crews could be a cheaper options than having to buy the gun with a two man crew in metal.
Is this any help ?