1:72 Schwarzlose 0712 Naval (2 Items)

Schwarzlose 07/12 Naval 1:72 — a pair of resin machine guns

An accessory, not a kit. According to the name the package contains two pieces of the Schwarzlose model 07/12 machine gun in the form the manufacturer designates as naval, cast in resin for 1:72 scale. The set serves to swap the plastic weapon from the mold for a crisper casting — in a small scale the difference shows mainly in the shape of the jacket, the mounting and the sights.

The real subject

The Schwarzlose model 07/12 was the standard machine gun of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces. It worked on the principle of delayed blowback with a toggle lever, had a short barrel and an unusually small number of moving parts, which made it a mechanically robust weapon that was easy to manufacture. A range of forms arose for different kinds of service, among them modifications for naval and floatplane aircraft; the designation of this set refers to exactly that group.

Usage and painting tips

Before you start, try to seat the part dry and check that it fits the bed in the fuselage or on the mount — resin can be adjusted with abrasive, but taking plastic off a finished kit tends to be easier. Then wash the parts, clean them up and let them dry. For small weapons a dark base with very fine rubs of metallic paint over it, ideally applied with a sponge, works well in painting. Avoid a glossy silver; a saturated dark shade looks more faithful in this scale. Finally seal it with a matte clear coat so that the pigment does not rub off.

Who the set is for

• builders of First World War floatplanes and naval aircraft in 1:72
• modelers of Austro-Hungarian hardware
• those who want to raise the level of detail without rebuilding the whole model
• more experienced buyers used to resin and cyanoacrylate glue

The accessory is supplied unpainted, as resin parts to be finished. Glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.