A new firm, sister to Wargames Foundry, with which it will produce complimentary ranges, formed by Mark Copplestone and Bryan Ansell, is kicking off with over a hundred models in their first range. All are based on contemporary photographs, not TV or film ideas. They can be used for "Frontier" situations across the Victorian scene Boers, ACW, Peking (Beijing), Paris, S. America - quote "You may need to cut the levers of the Winchesters for European style forces". Next is a Seven Years War range of huge proportions - and reference books and rules for all periods ranges they release will be produced.

Guernsey Foundry figures will only be available directly from Guernsey (details in QM Stores). I will list the samples I have, comment on whatever and draw some of them.

Now - a problem - the samples I have have no numbers on them - tho' the list has of course. I will do my best to fit the figures to the list. Anyway, you can always send for samples and models are 60p at the time of writing.

Townsmen

Townsmen wear standard dress of the period, jacket, waistcoat, bowlers, derby's, caps. All these are inveterate cowards until the hero (White hat) convinces them they can run the town in a clean upright way - after he's been beaten-up, half killed and finally drowned half a dozen pug-uglies in a shoot out. Well, you know...

OWT la. Felt hat firing revolver. Walrus moustache. high buttoned jacket. Leaning well into the shot.

OWT 1b. Bowler hat firing revolver. Curly brimmed bowler, lightly buttoned short jacket.

OWT 2a. Broad brimmed hat firing rifle. Very good aiming position. Winchester rifle.

OWT 2b. Cap firing rifle. Another great aiming pose (also Franc tireus? Peking European?)

OWT 3a. Broad brimmed hat, firing shotgun. Hat slightly on the back of his head. Gives the impression of a laid back character.

OWT 3b. Cap, firing shotgun. Younger man. Good aiming pose.

OWT 4a. Bowler, standing with rifle. Looks just like the photo of William Bonney (alias Billy the Kid).

OWT 4b. Wide brimmed hat, standing with rifle. Walrus moustache, Winchester, waistcoat and watch chain.

OWT 5. Bowler hat and revolver. About to - or just having fired, 'Old Bill" moustache.

OWT 6. Felt hat, advancing with shotgun. Foreboding in every line of this gaunt-faced figure.

OWT 7. Bowler walking with rifle. Young man. Rifle in left hand at point of balance and right hand in his jacket pocket feeling for ammo. Determined expression.

OWT 8. Cap and rifle. Muffler. feet astride - ready for anything.

OWT 9. Concealing revolver. Chop whiskers. Bowler. Waistcoat and watch chain, left thumb in his weskit pocket, pistol in right hand behind his right thigh. Bags of character.

OWT 10. Felt hat and revolver. Weeping moustache. pistol at high angie. Ready to act pose.

OWT 11. Wide brimmed hat, shotgun. Searching for cartridges in his pocket with his right hand, looking ahead. Shotgun at the point of balance, "broken" in his left hand. Mature face.

OWT 12. Not sent.

OWT 13. Old timer with shotgun. Looks like me! tho' he has a patch over one eye instead of glasses. Curly brim round hat on the back Of his head. Muffler round his neck o praps an old cravat. Bent knees, weapon at waist level. Reminds me of my Dad cutting the head off a rat in our chicken run with his shotgun, fired from the waist, long ago.

OWT 14. Uniformed peace officer, Billy club. Star on his tunic and badge on his semi bowler.

Cowhands

"Comatie hy yo! Git along, little dogies, fr' ole wyomin' will be yuh noo home!" and so forth. Wild and, one or two, really woolie (their "chaps" that is ). Chaps kept the cactus from slicing the jeans off your legs as you rode o'er the prairie.

OWC 1. Firing revolver. Bandanna round his neck. He wears what could be an old ACW plastron tunic, leather chaps. Peacemaker pistol. Aiming or just tapped off a round.

OWC 2. In woolies, firing rifle. Not mittens and woolly hat but "chaps" with the wool left on. Bandanna, weepy moustache, over shirt with sleeves rolled up. Winchester waist high. Pecos Bill? Navy or Dragoon colt on his hip.

OWC 3. Fringed chaps and rifle. Curly brimmed hat like Gabby Hayes, bandanna with the knot at the back of his neck ready to keep the trail dust out of his nose and mouth. Six-shooter on his hip - braces (suspenders in USA).

OWC 4. Advancing wilh rifle. Winchester across his body, six shooter on his hip, waistcoat and bandanna, Negro in features great medel.

OWC 5. Woolies and revolver. Ten gallon hat. weskit - big pistol '45'. Holster in cross draw position on his left hip. Rowel spurs very noticeable. High cheekbones and thin face. An ornery cuss.

Shootists Experts

(or those who think they are)

OWS 1. Buffalo Bill. Col. Cody to the life. Long hair, beard, fringed jacket, cravat. Taking aim with an 1860 Colt.

OWS 2. gentleman in flock coat and top hat. Reminds me of a Southern gentleman Mark Twain wrote about in "Huck Finn." The one who shot the mob leader and tossed the pistol inthe dust. "Doc" from the OK Corral?

OWS 3. Shirt sleeves and Bowler. Chop whiskers and snarl. Just about to go for his shoot-in' iron. Bowler hat and big boots. Bully boy type.

OWS 4. Bowler hatted lawman. Rather a Dr. Watson looking type. neat moustache, bulldog jaw. neat suit. Watch chain, knob top walking stick. Star on the left breast of his jacket. Pistol in his right hand the size of a cannon. Dirty Henry? (Not harry)

OWS 5. Enforcer. Flock coat, drawing pistol. Southern flat topped hat. large early colt holster. Menacing.

OWS 6. hanged outlaw. Rope to be stuck to a tree branch or porch.

Apaches

Cochise wish you white eyes not to darken the door of his wickiup!

OWA 1. Firing Rifle Winchester. Chiracauwa style hair with rag tied around it. Breech clout, high boots, medicine bag under his left arm. Ammo in belt around his waist.

OWA 2. Firing bow. Quiver on his back. Dressed like OWA 1. He has drawn the arrow to his ear.

OWA 3. Advancing with rifle. Trousers as well as breach clout and blouse. excellent facial features. Winchester.

OWA 4. Walking with rifle. Wrist bracelets. Two medicine bags on his chest. Chato, a leader of the Chiracahua Apache, one of the six tribes, in 1883 led 26 Apaches through the southwest US and Mexico, dodging 500 US troops and 4000 Mexicans, traveling 75-100 miles per day. They killed 54 troops and lost two themselves. Other Apache leaders did better. This pose, for me, gives the unstoppable feeling of the Apache braves.

OWA 5. Firing rifle from waist. Yelling while so doing. Great facial modelling. You can almost hear the reports echoing around the canyon.

OWA 6. Standing with rifle. Feet astride. Wonderful face, rifle at waist.

The 500 remaining Chiracahua Apache were shipped off to prison in Florida and Alabama. During the next 20 years, most of them died of homesickness or despair. In 1913, the 200 left were permitted to go back to their native mountains.

Bibliography

1 The Book of Cowboys Holling C. Holling. 1938.
2 Everyday Life of the North American Indians J. Manchip White. Batsford, 1979.

Altogether, excellent releases. Lookout, Western gunfight rules! I will now draw some of them, not to scale. I look forward to other releases by this company.

Drawing not to scale

Another Review of the Guernsey Foundry Wild West figures.

Another Review of the Guernsey Foundry Wild West figures.

Also, a Set of Wild West Gunfight Rules and shootout description. --RL