1:35 Folded M3 Tripod for Browning M2HB .50 cal Machine Gun (1pc)

Folded M3 tripod for the Browning M2HB machine gun, 1:35 scale (MASTER)

This is not a kit and not a whole machine gun but a separate detail part from the Polish maker MASTER: the folded M3 tripod on which the Browning M2HB heavy machine gun was used for firing from the ground. It is a single piece.

The real subject

The M3 tripod served as the ground mount for the 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. When the weapon was carried by a vehicle, the tripod was usually folded and carried strapped to the hull, to a fender or at the rear. That is exactly why a folded tripod is such a rewarding modeling detail: it shows that the crew could take the machine gun off and use it away from the vehicle, and at the same time it breaks up large empty areas of armor plate.

Building and painting tips

The part is small and delicate, so lift it off the backing over a dish or over a mat with a raised edge so that it does not ping away. Try the position dry first and compare it with period photographs of the vehicle, on which the way of stowing it varied. Glue it with a drop of thick cyanoacrylate; on an uneven surface epoxy helps. If you want to secure the tripod with straps, use a thin strip of lead or tin foil, which can be shaped and follows rounded surfaces too. Paint it at the same time as the vehicle so the shade matches, and add more dust weathering than on the vertical surfaces of the hull: stowed equipment gets the dirtiest.

Who the part is for

• Builders of American armored and wheeled vehicles in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who work out stowed equipment and baggage in detail
• Authors of dioramas with infantry and a dismounted weapon
• Anyone looking to improve a model quickly with a single part

The accessory is supplied unpainted and without a vehicle kit and without the machine gun. Glue, paints and the model are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.