1:35 RPD-44 Machine Gun (4pcs)

The machine gun that lasted four decades

The design of the Soviet light machine gun for ammunition of 7.62x39 mm caliber came about during the Second World War, but series production got going only several years later. The weapon is told by the flat drum hung under the receiver, in which the belt of cartridges is housed, and by the long barrel with a bipod under the muzzle. It was precisely the drum that gave the gunner the chance to move with a loaded weapon without the belt hanging loose around his body.

Where you will meet it

The weapon spread throughout the Eastern Bloc and from there to Asia, Africa and Central America. In modeling terms it is most interesting in Southeast Asia of the 1960s and 1970s, where it made up the main firepower of foot groups. It is to figures from this period that the four castings lend themselves most naturally.

Working with the parts

The thin barrel and the bipod will stand up only to careful handling, so it pays to separate them with a knife supported from below and not with nippers. After cleaning up we recommend rinsing the part and letting it dry. The finish can start from a very dark base, on which wear is suggested on the edges with a dry brush. The drum and the muzzle of the barrel tend to be the lightest, because the crew touches them most often.

Placement in a scene

Because the real subject is fairly long, it needs room around it. It comes across best laid on the ground beside a prone rifleman or propped against the edge of a trench, where the whole silhouette is visible. Slung over the shoulder of a standing figure, by contrast, it is lost and the work put in comes to nothing. The package holds four weapons, and figures and other equipment are not included.