For those of you who don't know, the Bersaglieri were the Italian equivalent to Panzergrenadiers - well-equipped motorized troops who accompanied the armor into combat. My four samples include an advancing machinegunner, a grenade thrower, an officer, and a trooper holding a flag. Generally, uniform details are nice, with good, subtle, wrinkling. The grenadier is the best of the lot and is 22L Barrett Measure. He is just winding up to throw and has his rifle slung over his back detailing on this one is good throughout and so is proportion. The officer rates a Barrett Measure 22LL (he's skinny!) - the grenadier probably outweighs him by 40%. The officer also has short arms - by about 12% - and it shows.

The machinegunner is well proportioned and is a Barrett 22M. He seems to have been sculpted by somebody else, as his details are somewhat chunkier - his ammo belt is quite thick and the gas mask (!) he wears around his neck is also heavy. He holds his MG in a very awkward pose extended from his waist. I tried this with a shovel and found it impossible to walk more than a few paces before I had to put it down. The standard bearer is a Barrett 22L and is reasonably detailed - his rifle is nice and his web gear is quite subtle. He, too, suffers from noticably short arms. I found his pose to be the least attractive; he's 'in-line', with rifle, head, feet, and standard all on one plane. He's quite usable, but seemed a bit unnatural.

Generally, painted, these figures will look quite ok on the gaming table, though you will want to take care when mixing them with other manufacturer's figures, due to their heft (or lack thereof). They come packaged five to a pack for $4.95 or 12 to a pack for $11.70. Oh - Mirliton also makes a variety of Itailian Alpine troops, though I've not seen them. Available directly from the importer, G.K.G. Gaming, at 86 Regan Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877. - BILL RUTHERFORD