Riich Models 1/35 British Army 6 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun W/ Crew
By Jacob Russell
The Gun
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6 pounder cwt, or more simply 6 pounder, was a 57mm gun. It was Britain's primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War Two and also the main weapon for a number of armored fighting vehicles. The United States Army also used it as their primary anti-tank gun, under the designation 57mm Gun M1. The 6 pounder was replaced in front line service by the 17 pounder. It was smaller and more maneuverable than its intended replacement. The British consequently kept it in service, not only for the rest of World War Two, but for another 20 years. The 6 pounder was produced from 1941 to 1945.
The Model
The kit comes in a sturdy cardboard box with decent artwork of the gun and its 4 man crew. It consists of 165 parts on 4 plastic frets, plus 33 parts on a single fret, 2 tires and some string. The plastic parts are very well molded. They are virtually free of flash, with well placed attachment points. But these points are somewhat large. I think that more than 1 type of sprue cutter will be necessary to remove the smaller parts, or perhaps a scalpel, because in the case of the smallest parts their attachment points are bigger than the parts themselves!
The 4 man crew is also well done. Each figure is composed of 12 pieces, with separate torsos, arms, legs, heads and helmets. The heads are well molded and have a certain amount of individuality. They're also among the few parts with any flash, around the ears.
The photo etch fret is also nice, but some of the parts are so small that I question their usefulness. I envision them disappearing into the ether the moment they're cut from the fret. I guess there's only one way to find out...
The decals come in a zip lock bag along with the photo etched parts. There are 2 sheets, each with a protective piece of tissue paper. They are well printed, legible and in register. The decals are for the figures and ammunition.
I thought the tires were rubber at first but they're actually hard plastic. They're of the same quality as the other parts, with legible "Firestone" logos. The string is, well, string.
The instructions are very good. They include a parts map and full color pictures of the gun, crew, and the ammunition. They are well illustrated with a logical build sequence; Revell of Germany could learn from Riich Model's example, but I digress. Color callouts are for Gunze (both Aqueous and Mr. Color), Model Master, Humbrol and Tamiya. My impression of this kit is that it is a quality presentation.
Conclusion
NFL legend Paul Hornung used to say, "Practice, Practice, Practice." If you want to become adept at building and painting figures, then build and paint some figures. I think this kit will make a natural diorama, and for more interest you could add the truck that tows the gun...
I recommend this kit and I would like to thank Riich Model for providing the review sample.
References
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_6-pounder