French 90mm de Bange Proxies

In 1889, the most common gun accompanying the French Coloniale on campaign was the de Bange 80mm mountain gun, of which Askari Miniatures do a fine model.

At the same time, the most common French artillery piece you would find aimed at the German frontier would be the de Bange 90mm rifled breech loader. Hundreds of these were made after 1877, replacing the Reffye and Lahitolle systems. They were used well into WWI, despite being obsolete, due to production shortfalls concerning the 75mm Puteaux.

Courtesy Musee du Armee

As the competition on Mars heats up, and open war becomes more likely, the Armée de Mars is going to need some 90 de Bange on hand.

I have not yet been able to find a manufacturer who makes or is willing to make this integral cannon, so I've located the next best thing - the sexy proxy.

Old Glory SAW-28

Old Glory make an American 3.2 inch rifled breechloader in their Spanish-American War line.  Since the Americans were being influenced by French design, it's no surprise that this gun has a similar stepped barrel and clean lines. The trail is a little too wide for the de Bange, being designed to navigate wide American roads and not narrow, French lanes in the Vosges, but that's minor and easily corrected by filing down the trail axle and inserting a new axial pin. I haven't done that with the set I've just finished, but I probably will in future.

Miniatures by RAFM and Old Glory

 There are also two upright supports (for a gunshield?) on the Old Glory original. These were easily removed, as the reader will note in the pictures.

Such a Pretty Gun

En redoubt

 Now to find some limbers!

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