Reviresco 2.95 Inch Mountain Gun and Crew - Painted

These were finished about a week ago - it took me some time to settle down and post piccies.

Reviresco minis seem to paint up remarkably well for figures that are two decades old or more. These are painted in duty smocks and tropical kit.  I must needs go back and paint in the eyes on the crew - also, a standing figure in tropical kit went missing during the painting process, which turned up a day or two ago.

Must flock those bases on the pack train. And order another two sets.

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Reviresco 2.95 Inch Mountain Gun and Crew

I'm looking to do more Colonial miniature wargaming, but I'm tired of Zulus and Mahdists.  Also, I'd like to use my new French Tirailleurs Seneglais if possible, along with my British Askaris.

This essentially narrows my choice to the Great War and the East Africa Campaign. Here, the German colonies found themselves surrounded by the more populated colonies of the Allied Powers - Britain, France and Portugal.

This would also dove-tail nicely into a Great War on Mars campaign - something I've wanted to do for years.

I picked up the 2.95 Inch Mountain Gun and Crew from Reviresco, with the foreknowledge that John McEwan's minis are sometimes too small when compared to modern ranges.  I was pleasantly surprised to find this particular set scales well with the old RAFM (must we start using this term with RAFM as well...sigh) Space 1889 miniature range, and not too badly against the Old Glory colonial range.

Courtesy: Reviresco Miniatures

As for the detailing - well, the gun is very nice, though the older mould is showing the beginnings of wear. The gunners are fair-to-middling, though they paint up alright. Included in the pack are three pack horses and two pack mules.  The loads they carry are customisable - nice touch.

Courtesy: Reviresco Miniatures

There are two guns included - both may be assembled, though one is clearly intended to be attached to the pack train and transported disassembled.

Reviresco 2.95 Mountain Gun Crew
Animation: 3
Detail: 2
Proportions: 5
Variety: 4
Overall: 3.25

Reviresco 2.95 Mountain Gun Pack Animals
Animation: 3
Detail: 3
Proportions: 4
Variety: 4
Overall: 3.25

The 2.95 Mountain Gun wasn't adopted by the British Army - it was purchased by some Colonial authorities and taken into a few of the Colonial defense forces, especially British West Africa and Egypt.

I hope to have pictures of the finished, painted figs up in a few days. For now, pics from Reviresco will have to do.

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Reviresco British Gun Weasel

What follows are some pictures sent to me by John at Reviresco Miniatures.  Apparantly my doddling about (q.v.) with his Fate Racing Car inspired him to do some conversions of his own, and here is the result.

Photo courtesy of Reviresco Miniatures

Photo courtesy of Reviresco Miniatures

Photo courtesy of Reviresco Miniatures

John added smaller seats and tracks from the Lenin Rolls winter set.   The solid wheels are extras from his automobile line.  The new sides and longer fenders were made from .03 plastic card. The gun is from the 6lb Quick Fire Set and the crew from the British Pith helmet artillery crew. The caterpillar tracks are from his Racer modification kit.

This makes for a distinctive tracked gun carrier that would do any Space:1889 wargamer proud, operating on Mars, Venus, or the Western Front, especially if you were considering “Weird War One” or (as has been suggested on TMP) Very British Civil War.. 

I think, in the general climate of Happy Meal/Jumble Sale vehicles that seem to be saturating the Victorian Science Fiction genre these days, John’s Gun Carrier, Mk. 1 “Weasel” offers a unique, yet reasonable addition to General Wood’s #1 Column advance on Œnotria.

John tells me that if there is enough interest in this model, he'll kit it up for sale.  Visit his website and let him know..

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C.G.V. Automitrailleuse Blindée

Charron-Giradot-Voigt Mk. 1 -1902 - Wikipedia

The first of the armoured cars, the Charron-Girardot-Voigt was introduced in 1902. Designed by the Georgian engineer Mikheil Nakashidze, the Russians were unable to produce it at home and thus it was contracted to the French automobile company Charron-Girardot-Voigt.

The Mark1 weighed 3000 kg., featured a Hotchkiss machine gun in an armoured cupola, and could achieve 50km per hour.

What follows is my Space:1889 fictional addition:

The Mark 2 weighed 4500 kg, features an Improved Lenoir Combustion Engine driving a dual rear drive-train, a Hotchkiss 3-pdr Revolving Cannon (later, a Hotchkiss 1-pdr Pom-Pom cannon) and could achieve 45km per hour.

The model was converted from the Reviresco  Six-Wheeled Racing Car.  The first caveat is, while listed at 28mm scale, it's closer to 22mm, being in the scale I refer to as "Old 25mm".  The kit has a lot of parts, many of which aren't needed for this conversion - canopy, baggage rails, valises,etc. which can go into the bits box.  I'll ceratinly be able to use the valises later for travellers on Mars.

 The 3-lbr H.R.C. came from the old Houston's Ships line, available from The Virtual Armchair General.  The armoured cupola is from the Reviresco Starguard line - it has lain in the bits box for a decade.

The rear side panels were cut from plastic styrene card - you can see the gap in the picture to the right where I didn't get quite flush. The front fender was converted from the rear luggage rack.  The twin engine was dremeled down a bit to provide more space for the gunner.

Shown with RAFM British Officer kicking tyres for scale

When I first unboxed the mini, I must confess I was a trifle disappointed with the size, but having muddled through, it's not quite as bad as I thought.  I was very set on matching the shape of the original C.G.V. bonnet/hood, and Reviresco's car was almost spot-on.

I still need to find a driver and convert a gunner.  I'm looking for the old Houston's 25s Zulu War Ox Wagon Driver in Pith Helmet, as the space in the front seat is tight.

Shown with RAFM British Officer for scale

Back to Space:1889:

The French have produced several prototypes – two are in Metropolitan France where they are undergoing tests. One has been sent to the Russian Tsar, who has expressed an interest in further armoured car projects. One has been sent to Algeria, and one has been sent to Idaeus Fons, Martian Colony, where it patrols the caravan routes along the old canal beds to Niliacus and Chryse along the edge of the Xanthe desert..

Movement: 4

Weight: 4 Tons (Metric)

Reliabilty: 4

Fuel Consumption: 1/4 ton Diesel

Crew: 3 Driver, Gunner, Commander/Spotter

Armor: H:1, RG:0, Crew:1*, Gun: 1 (front arc only)

*Crew get the armour rating as an addition to their saving throw.

Using the C-G-V Mk.II in Space:1889 presumes a slight acceleration of the historic technical timeline. The technology for an armoured car was certainly there, but the necessity was not yet quite clear. Etienne Lenoir had patented an internal combustion engine (albeit running on coal gas) as early as 1860, he sold the patent rights to the Compagnie Parisienne du Gaz.  Subsequent developers introduced petrol, and hey! Presto...

...Automitrailleuse Blindée!

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