A Battery of Artillery in progress from the Duke

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Lately, after having picked up about ten kits of various artillery pieces, I’ve decided to build up my Artillery arm. I started out with two of ACE’s little gems. Now I have them painted and it looks as though I’ll be finishing these up in no time.

This one is ACE’s M-101 105mm artillery piece:

Now for a bit more modern piece. This is ACE’s M102 105mm lightweight gun:

Both of these were painted with Tamiya Olive Drab in a spraycan that I had left over. Thought I’d just try and finish that can off. I still have some.

Next is Italeri’s “90/53 gun and Servants” ( Love that title! :smiley: ) I got it all painted up in WWII Italian camo green by Polly Scale. Neat little model even though it’s all semi-soft plastic:

I had also started a German gun but hadn’t gotten enough progress done to justify pics. Next post.

Well, that’s about all I have to show for now. Maybe I’ll have more finished by tonight. Meanwhile, comments are welcome. Thanks all for looking…

2

nice looking. any plans to weather them up?? just curious. to me artillery isnt artilley unless its caked in mud and dust!!! (just my experience). [:-^]

3

Naturally! This is why these are only shown as in progress. Thanks my friend for the comments; I also agree that artillery ain’t artillery till it sports dust and mud from use!

4

Duke - I have not seen you here in a while…OK…lets talk artillery, especially M101A1 and M102 since I commanded a battery of each!!

M101A1 - Having the breech block painted is ok but most active guns the outside of the block was gunmetal or steel color. The inside and the block should be shiny silver.

Take out the old pencil and where the trails come and lock, the paint should be worn off

The recoils slide should also be shiny silver. The sight in the first picture (the pantel) the very top flat section looking forward shold be shiny (for the mirror inside) and gloss (for the outside glass)

Find some thin wire and fabricate a lanyard. It connects to the firing lock which is on the right side (looking from the rear), in about the middle of the breech block.

Inside the lunet should also show some paint loss

M102 - The version you have is the “late” 80s version with the air drop roll cage on it. If you were technically correct, it would be 3 color NATO camo. The VN era M102s did not have the roll bar and were OD.

The wishbone trail of the M102 is all aluminum. Paint on edges had a problem. Drybrush the edges and raised details on the carriage with silver.

Breech block…same as above

The build is in the travel position. The case on the trail is for the sights and was more US Dark green and not OD.

The base plate up front has 8 holes around the outside for stakes. Inside the holes and all around the edges should show ware and metal

If you want a lanyard it also goes on the right but on the slead just ahead of the breech should be a small round detail. That is the firing lock and connect to that.

Same on the lunet here.

Remember, artillery, PSGGB…Pull String Gun Go Boom.

Weathering - If you are going to do dirt, remember, these are towed. The barrel and recoil sled will usaully be covered when traveling and will at most have a light dust. Trails can get dirty. Sights are removed during trave and so should be perfectly clean.

Hope this helps.

Rounds Complete!!

5

Just to add to what Redleg said from another redleg who’s crewed and chiefed both the M101 and 102:

M101:

The donkeydick needs to come off the left trail. It’s a shin-buster (especially at night) and the first thing a crew does after the gun’s laid & safe is throw it back into the section box. An aiming post section goes into the lunette for the same reason.

Next, the ramming staff never gets stored on the gun… Those clips are so rinky-dink that they’ll pop open with a dirty look… They get stored in the truck since we don’t use 'em for anything but cleaning and extraction… If you decide to use 'em, you need three sections.

M102:

The ramming staffs again, although this time they’re ok… They just need painted aluminum. The roll-bar gets taken off after a deliberate occupation also… AS was pointed out, the gun’s in travel mode… The wheels get raised to lower the baseplate onto the ground to be staked, and the traversing wheel under the rear of the trails is rubber. The box on top of the trails is a dark grey-green plastic with metal edging around the halves and hinges. It contains the pantel (gunner’s sight) and direct-fire elbow sight (Assitant gunner’s sight) when the gun’s being moved.

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Thanks for the info guys. I’ll get these done this way. I really appreciate the advice very much. Time to print everything out so I can get all this done. BTW, What is the lunet? Where would it be located? Thanks!

7

Sorry, shoulda explained that one… The lunett is the “tow-bar” on the right trail of the M101 and at the end of the wish-bone trail of the M102, the angled-thingy with the round loop that hooks into the towing pintle (Army-speak for a Hitch) of the prime-mover (the gun-truck)…

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Thanks Hans! I’ll do some of what you mentioned, but as I don’t want to break any of these fragile models, I’ll leave on what’s already molded on. Next time I assemble one of these again, I’ll be able to remove the stakes and rods you mentioned. Unfortunately when I got your previous post, I’d already gone past the point of my pics. So I guess I’m exercising a little ‘artistic lisence’ even though it isn’t fully accurate. I’m also leaving on the roll bar since it makes this gun look so distinctive. Next one though will be more accurate.

Thanks gain for the info on the lunette. Once I set these on a base, I’ll add the bar inside ther one on the M-101 like you mentioned. Until then, I’ll leave it as is. I’ll try to get pics posted in a day or so. Thanks again, you’ve been a big help.