1:72 Gatling Gun

HäT 1:72 Gatling gun with its crew

A set in 1:72 scale from the HäT brand. The package holds four complete Gatling guns, a full crew of six figures for each of them, and several ammunition crates on top of that. The parts are supplied unpainted and have to be assembled. From a single box you can therefore build a whole machine gun detachment of a colonial campaign.

The real subject

The Gatling gun was a multi-barrel weapon driven by a hand crank, which could avoid overheating by rotating the barrels. The British army put it into action in colonial campaigns, among others in Sudan and in southern Africa, where it made a devastating impression against dense infantry attacks. Its weak points were its weight and the jamming that occurred when it was fouled by dust, and that is exactly what led to the later arrival of recoil-operated machine guns.

Building and painting tips

Line the parts up dry first, above all the seating of the barrel cluster in its fork and of the wheel on its axle. Darken the barrels and go over them lightly with graphite; the metallic shine then looks natural. Place the crew according to the logic of the work: one turns the crank, another passes the magazine, the rest cover the position. Ammunition crates scattered around turn a static weapon into a scene.

Who the set is for

• for builders of dioramas from the colonial wars
• for wargamers who need fire support
• for collectors of early automatic weapons
• for complementing the British colonial sets of the same range

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.