1:72 Soviet ammo boxes with 76 mm ammunition

1:72 Soviet ammo boxes with 76 mm ammunition from Black Dog model

A resin set in 1:72 scale: Soviet ammunition boxes together with 76 mm rounds. It is a modeling accessory, not a kit of a vehicle or a gun. The boxes can be stowed on the hull of a tank, stacked beside a gun, put on the bed of a truck or simply spread around a diorama as part of a supply scene.

The real subject

The 76 mm caliber was one of the most widespread in the Soviet army of the Second World War. It was used by divisional guns as well as by medium-class tank guns, so boxes with this ammunition belong to Soviet equipment of a wide range, from artillery positions through supply columns to loading up at tanks. For a modeler, ammunition boxes are rewarding mainly because they are simple geometric objects that give a scene scale and fill empty areas.

Usage and painting tips

Wash the castings in lukewarm soapy water so that the mold release disappears. Cut the casting blocks off with a sharp saw over a tray, as the parts are small. Sand the resin with respiratory protection and bond it with super glue. The boxes look best when they are not all painted the same: keep the base uniform, but then give each one a different degree of wear along the edges, a different shade of wood and a different amount of dust. It pays to spray the cartridge cases in a metallic shade and tone them down with a dark glaze so that they do not glare. Keep the arrangement around the diorama irregular; one box open and tipped does more than ten lined up.

Who the set is for

• Builders of dioramas with Soviet equipment in 1:72 scale.
• Modelers who want to fill the bed of a vehicle or an artillery position.
• Anyone interested in small resin accessories with experience of cyanoacrylate.
• Modelers looking for a quick way to give a scene a story and a scale.