1:48 Heavy Machine Gun wz.30

Heavy machine gun wz.30, 1:48 scale (Toro Model)

An add-on set for modelers and diorama builders in 1:48 scale. It is not a kit of a vehicle or an aircraft but a stand-alone model of a weapon, used as a detail in a scene, as an addition to a piece of equipment or as gear beside figures. The small dimensions in this scale put the stress on clean work: the part is glued and painted without the clutter of surrounding elements, so that its characteristic silhouette stands out.

The real subject

The wz.30 was a Polish 7.92 mm heavy machine gun, built in Poland as a licensed derivative of the American Browning M1917. It was a weapon with a water-cooled barrel, recognizable by the cylindrical cooling jacket, and it was used on a tripod mount as an infantry support weapon. Versions in the same caliber were also built for armored vehicles and for anti-aircraft use. In the Polish army of the 1930s and of 1939 it was among the standard types in its category.

Building and painting tips

First wash the parts in warm soapy water and remove the remains of the casting blocks; with parts this small, work under a magnifier or with good lighting. They are glued with cyanoacrylate glue applied in tiny drops with the tip of a toothpick. Spray the primer in a thin coat so that the engraving does not fill in. The metal parts look better in a dark shade than in pure black; final drybrushing of the edges and a faint graphite sheen on the exposed places give the weapon a look convincing for the scale. Try straight away how the gun sits beside the figure or in the diorama, before you glue it permanently.

Who the set is for

• Diorama builders in 1:48 scale.
• Modelers who add period weapons to equipment and figures.
• Collectors who focus on Polish equipment and weapons.

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted and is not a vehicle kit in its own right. Glue, paints and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.