1:35 US Ammo Box cal.0.3

American ammunition box of 7.62 mm caliber, 1:35 scale

A small accessory from the Czech maker Hauler meant for completing the equipment of a model you have built and for bringing dioramas to life. The sheet-metal carrier for belts of 7.62 mm ammunition was among the commonest equipment of American units during the Second World War and in the postwar years, and it is precisely such small things that turn a model of a vehicle into a scene with a story.

Where to use it on a model

• as a load on the fenders, the bed and the carriers of vehicles
• at machine-gun positions, in trenches and at firing posts
• in views from stores, workshops and supply columns
• as a prop for figures of crews and armorers

Working and painting

Separate the parts carefully, clean up the traces of casting or of the fret tabs and degrease the surface. Resin castings are worth washing in lukewarm water with detergent before painting, or the primer will not hold on the remains of the mold release agent. The base is an olive green shade; the boxes tended to be scuffed on the edges, so light drybrushing with a metal color and a fine wash into the pressings and around the catches suggest themselves. Apply the small lettering only onto a smooth ground. If a box lies in mud or in dust, unify it with its surroundings with a pigment, so that it does not look like a foreign object laid on the terrain.

Who the accessory is for

For modelers who build American equipment in 1:35 scale and want to complete it with a credible load, and for builders of dioramas and vignettes who lack small props around their figures. Working with the accessory is undemanding and is a good first step toward detailing.

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.