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2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

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  • 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

    I hope this is the right scetion!
    Have taken a while to put this kit together, would like to document it maybe to help others and share ideas.

    I will start with some pics from a game in Jan;
    (start of the game I forgot my helmet)


    (Thompson had jammed so reverted to 1911)















    Pics copyright Kris Roberts (wish he was at every game!)

    Cheers, Dave
    There is always a fifth Sherman!

  • #2
    Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

    So it started about a year ago with buying a KA Thompson and KJ Works 1911 with a bonus from work.
    I got some wood grips for the 1911, spent a bit of time grinding out the area for the metal weights to sit;


    Bottom right is ground out, to the left is in process and top is the original plastic one.
    After varnishing and oiling the grips and steel brushing the gun;





    I was looking to put together a kit based on the Brothers In Arms game (http://brothersinarms.wikia.com/wiki/Brothers_in_Arms) they were from Fox company, 2nd Battalion 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne.
    I already had a helmet I got at Download music festival, it was in Nato blue with Belgian flags on, liner and all intact for £10. This is after I stripped the OD green paint I had put on years ago;



    Stripped bare;



    New OD green (didn't bother with cork in the paint as some didn't have it), 502nd insignia painted and weathered;



    The lucky 13;



    Netting and hessian-like scrims added as per BIA game characters;





    I have recently added the A frames or yokes to the helmet which were missing.

    Cheers
    There is always a fifth Sherman!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

      So the Tommy, the version I bought is the cheaper one with plastic lower receiver and plastic stocks. I got the metal lower receiver from a place in Hong Kong (parents were passing through back from New Zealand - handy!) and installed.
      I also bought all wooden parts from real Thompsons on eBay, much cheaper than any wood kit. The front grip is easy as it is identical on the KA so just screwed it on with minor adjustment, the hand grip and stock on the other hand were not easy!
      The stock is nice, ex British (sling swivel on the top);



      Whoever 'AL' is, I hope he survived any engagement and wouldn't mind me cutting up his stock!
      This is the original backplate end;



      And after grinding a path for wires, space for a battery and fitting the opening mechanism;



      Unfortunately some of the edges had got a bit thin and split.
      Mechanism is bonded in place and plenty of room for battery;





      The hand grip;



      and my plan;



      cut in half and ground out for the motor, then added a 'spacer' (wasn't wide enough to accommodate the motor);



      Bonded together, cut down and cleaned up;



      Covered with wood filler;



      Then had to put a better screw plate at the bottom as it was cracking through the filler;



      sorted;



      Varnished and oiled with the foregrip;



      Then the Thompson after installing all that and brushing with the steel wool;





      Have since fitted a Madbull Black Python ver. 2 inner barrel, Madbull hop-up rubber with customised spacer, SHS air nozzle, currently an SHS M100 spring but after the barrel change has dropped fps I may go up a bit.

      Cheers
      Last edited by TheMarkofZollo; 5 April, 2015, 19:27.
      There is always a fifth Sherman!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

        Rest of the kit: most of it has come from China, a seller named youchunhe2008 on eBay sells this stuff cheaper than over here and puts stuff on bid auctions for cheaper, you just have to be lucky.
        101st Airborne jacket and trousers were £50, the webbing set of belt, suspenders, backpack, grenade pouch and fist aid pouch was all under £30. Shirt underneath is British Army surplus, shoes were a lucky find on eBay, two lace holes short of the full height Corcorans but only £15 Other bits were either cheap from China or bought in UK.
        Instead of buying shoulder pads that Paratroopers wore with the suspenders I bought some brown felt, layered it up and cut to shape;





        First aid kit I made using some beige material I had, cut and bonded two layers then sewed on some herringbone webbing material;



        for the insides (as no-one would know) I just shoved in some polystyrene;



        and sorted;



        Though I should have left the 'First Aid' off, looks a bit rubbish in pen.

        Cheers

        - - - Updated - - -

        Put all the above together and you get this numpty;















        *And after all this posting he trudges off to find friendly lines*



        Cheers guys, give me your thoughts, I'm happy for constructive criticism! My kit is a mix of accuracy (as much as I can be bothered) and practicality. I have a few more touches and things I wish to do. In the process of doing a generic British/American Commando Impression too.

        - - - Updated - - -

        Some really weird thing going on here, different posts being lumped under previous as updates. Hope you can still see it all :D
        There is always a fifth Sherman!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

          well done ,i especially like your diy attitude to making some of the kit, i have a similar outfit myself and preffer them to modern kit to be fair keep it up.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

            Not a massive fan of older type kits but this is really well done!! Great work and nice to see the effort you've put into the whole look. The black and white photos add to the effect too.
            Catch me on Instagram @Weaponhit_Robson

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

              I'm similar to a few others in the way that I tend not to like older style kit, but you've nailed this impression! Good job!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                Cheers guys. I have a huge interest in WW2, really chuffed all this kit is available. I do like modern stuff too but not as much.
                I did look into re-enacting a few years back but it can be a lot more expensive because it is often more strict with regard to specific uniform etc. In airsoft I can wear the kit how I like and shoot people
                If I think I can make something for cheaper than buying it I often do, sometimes works out good but also is more of a pain in the arse
                There is always a fifth Sherman!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                  Amazing work on the Thompson and the First Aid packet. Only criticism I have is ditch the Sgt chevrons,they are Vietnam and after and a different colour to the WW2 era chevrons.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                    Originally posted by Terry Mcann View Post
                    Only criticism I have is ditch the Sgt chevrons,they are Vietnam and after and a different colour to the WW2 era chevrons.
                    I always thought they were a bit 'bright'. Thanks for mentioning, will sort that
                    There is always a fifth Sherman!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                      Love the kit buddy. Hope you dont mind ive done a bit of an edit on one.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                        Ha, nice one! Aside from the damn safety glasses that looks pretty good
                        There is always a fifth Sherman!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                          I'm loving this. A really nice, solid impression. It doesn't have to be perfect but I love the effort you've taken with your weapons.

                          One of my first load outs was WWII 101st, and I wasn't too bothered about getting everything perfect. I did, however, shell out on genuine Corcoran boots and my god those things were beautiful; so comfortable too.

                          Here's me and the one token Jerry at a game about 12 years ago.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                            I have expanded my kit :D ;



                            This is B.A.R.bara



                            Presently running a Guarder 6.02 500 mm barrel with Maple Leaf concave hop spacer, accuracy and range is pretty damn good though I hope to improve it. Using an old 7.2 v 3800 mAh NiMH that I bought for my RC tanks, ROF is a bit more realistic and it'll run for days solid!



                            And this is Maria;



                            This came with a Madbull 6.03 barrel and standard hop but accuracy seems to be better using the standard barrel and now a Maple Leaf concave hop rubber.

                            The Thompson has changed internally a bit some due to parts failure, Madbull 6.03 barrel and SHS air nozzle still but now RWA hop-up rubber, Lonex M110 spring, SHS standard gears, SHS piston with steel teeth, hybrid OE/Guarder piston head, ASG Ultimate cylinder head and a spring guide (can't remember which one). Accuracy is pretty good for this but been playing up for a while and only just got running again.

                            All my primaries;



                            So I now have slight alterations on kit depending on weapon: Triple mag pouch for Thompson, small riggers pouch for B.A.R. and cartridge bandoleer for Garand, all aided by the general purpose ammo bag.
                            Dorky grin after getting hit;



                            I'm on the right :P;



                            Found this awesome gun mount in a tower at that site, fits the end of the B.A.R. and traversed with it so I had a great time spraying the enemy team's advance but they couldn't hit me behind the shield;



                            Cheers
                            There is always a fifth Sherman!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: 2nd Bat. 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne in Normandy impression

                              Forgot about this thread! Thought you guys might be interested, last year a photographer friend offered to do a photoshoot with a few other WW2 enthusiast mates. I managed to wrangle the founder of the company where I work to bring along his Jeep (actually a Ford GPW) and do it at our company test track. This was at Culmhead airfield which is just up the road from Upottery (now Smeatharpe) airfield where a lot of the 101st Airborne took off from on D-Day.
                              Unfortunately it ended up just being me and Will (with both his British Airborne and Wehrmacht kit) so it looks a bit odd but we had a good laugh and got some great shots. Enjoy.





































                              All images courtesy of Kris Roberts Photography, his site here: http://krisroberts101.wixsite.com/kr...aphy/portfolio
                              There is always a fifth Sherman!

                              Comment

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