Saturday, September 3, 2011

Two More Field Guns Arrive To Join The Fray

The forces have grown by two more field pieces, both classic.
The first is yet another Barclay BC-2, as it is known. Unlike my rebuilt one, this one is complete and in fairly decent shape except for the finish; it shows signs of being worn from use. Nothing wrong with that at all, really; that simply adds charm and a history. I'm not quite sure how I'll approach refinishing the piece, whether or not to paint it in the style of my first piece, give it a tan color or go with its original colors. Either way, it will serve alongside its stablemate in the field of battle.
The other piece is a bit more interesting and a bit older. Earlier, I wrote that the Britain's 4.7" naval cannon is the ultimate toy cannon, my favorite. My favorite real cannon, though, is the M1897 75mm gun. And that need has been met; this is an M1897, labeled "S.R. Depose" and very close to 54mm - 1/32 scale (in fact, it appears to be 1/30).
While it is complete, it is in some need of repair. First and foremost, one of the wheels needs to be repaired. Carefully. It is bent and has broken spokes. Of lesser concern but still important, the firing mechanism has been gutted from the barrel. This should be an easy repair; in fact, compared to the extensive repairs on my older Barclay, this cannon should be a relative walk in the park. Its original colors were blue gray, very close to French horizon blue, though somewhat darker. It will be finished in its original colors.
The 75 offers many more possibilites, but more importantly serves as the perfect excuse to build again. This time around, a Jeffrey Quad portee. After all, how else to transport the piece?
UPDATE: 3 Sept. 2011 - 
Not just two more guns, but a slew of them! Also, "S.R. " is "Simon et Rivollet", and I now have not one... but two of their 75mm, which in fact are closer to 1/30 scale. Then there is the matter of... well... I post more later.

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