1/6 scale, they are models but are meant as equipment for their 1/6 line of soldiers. I have built two others - the M2HB .50 cal and the M-14 Rifle, both as reviews for iPMS/USA a few years ago.
They aren't ideal Blitz kits because of the instructions. I found several flaws on the ones I reviewed, so I checked these two and sure enough, they have the same flaws. Both have a couple parts mislabeled, both forget to point out the location of a couple parts, and neither gives you an assembly sequence -- just some built-up shots with the aforementioned issues. Color call-outs are sporadic at best, in fact without the box art, one might be lost.
On the other hand, neither of these kits seem to have the out-of-round and seam issues the previous ones did, although there is an abundance of sprue gates to be trimmed off.
There is a new wrinkle in that there are no decals for the ammo box - the lettering, which is only approximately accurate, is raised, just like 50 years ago ! The ammo belts appear made of a more flexible plastic, good for positioning, maybe not for paint. At first blush they look like .30cal web belts with the feed tongue, until you try to fit them and realize that the "web" side is really the underside and the upper side are rather simplistic metal links. Bummer, .30's in WW2 were more webbed than linked. Of course I could clip off the tongue, turn the belt over, glue the tongue back on the other end and paint it like a web-belt.
There are also detail omissions, such as the chain on the T&E on the M1919 tripod. I have a couple references to help me along, although in a Blitz, I shouldn't be doing a lot of agonizing over this stuff.
Why these and why two ??? Well, because I can rattle-can the paint -- Tamiya Gun Metal and Olive Drab and some touch up. The rattle can dries quickly. And these are two kits I need to get out of my stash, but are also expendable once I found they weren't as detailed as I wished, in fact they are getting less so with each release.
As with any Blitz, some pre-planning and organization will help -- I effectively have 2 guns, 2 tripods, 2 ammo cans, 2 ammo belts, and 1 water can to build then put together. That leaves lots of drying time as I move from one to another, etc ….
Unless something happens, I intend to Blitz Friday 8 Feb and Saturday 9 Feb, 12-hours each, with a break between. Probably start about 9am EST each day. I know there will be a few distractions …. Looks like Sissel and I will be on about the same time, a half-world away ….
