Guernsey Foundry Reviews

Second and Third Old West Releases

by Richard Brooks



Guernsey Foundry, La Guelle, Mont Arrive, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY 1 2AA, Channel Islands, Great Britain. 01144-1481-714241, fax 01144 1481-714905. Received was the Second and Third Old West Release. The Second Release (all 34 figures) can be had for $35 including postage. The Third Release (all 17 figures) can be had for $20 including postage. Since these are sold only through GF you should know I got these in seven days, a letter takes five to seven days so this is very good but follow their ad and figure on two weeks. If you are interested Wargames Illustrated issue 102 has photos of unpainted figures from the first release on page 56. Think about the cost of these figures, they are about a $1 each but that includes postage from England not a bad deal at all.

First, we'll start with the Second Old West Release.

Cowhands: It's really tough to pick out favorites, there are so many great figures.
OWC 6 - Cross-draw, in chaps, neckerchief, vest and is wearing gloves. There are vest ties in the back and he sports a little goatee, one mean looking dude.
OWC 7 - Black with Winchester, in fringed chaps, wide brim hat, with pistol and belt. He's got one eye brow raised and looks pissed.
OWC 8 - Wide brim hat, fringed chaps, neckerchief, with and whiskey bottle in hands, yelling, another drink and he'll fall over.
OWC 9 - Wide brim hat, cross draw pistol, neckerchief, wide chaps, walrus moustaches, ties on chaps are detailed, with rifle.
OWC 10 - Fringed chaps, firing rifle, wide brim hat and neckerchief.
OWC 11 - Wide brim hat, fringed chaps, walrus moustaches, belted vest, neckerchief, cross draw and firing pistol, a real gem.
OWC 12 - Wide brim hat, duster, spurs, pants tucked in boots holding rifle up, pointing, this looks like Sam Elliot. The duster has details on the inside.

Shootists: Again it's hard to pick favorites.
OWS 7 - Holding hat, in a jacket, holding pistol up, walrus moustaches, and boot straps.
OWS 8 - Peace officer, wide brim hat, walrus moustaches, tied vest, cross draw, and holding sawed off shotgun, is this Kurt Russell?
OWS 9 - Wild Bill Hickok, looks just like him, long hair, wide brim hat, moustaches, frock coat, with two gun firing one.
OWS 10 - Wearing duster, with mustaches, and firing pistol, another gem.
OWS 11 - Peace officer, holding one gun up, drawing other, wide brim hat, and boot straps. OWS 12 - Pinkerton man in bowler, long coat, with rifle and moustaches.
OES 13 - Wide brim hat, frock coat, ready to draw, boot straps, and long sideburns, goatee, and mustaches.
OWS 14 - Pinkerton man in bowler, frock coat, and firing pistol. Townsmen:
OWT 15 - Peace officer in bowler and jacket, with shotgun.
OWT 16 - Barkeep, large walrus mustaches with sawed off shotgun, and thumb hooked in vest.

Apaches: Not a smiling face among this group, keep out of their way.
OWA 7 - Kneeling in only breech clout, knife, firing carbine, bracelet.
OWA 8 - Fully clothed, conch tied neckerchief, with pistol and firing bow.
OWA 9 - Wearing breech clout, vest,bracelets, advancing with carbine and conch tied neckerchief.
OWA 10 - In breech clout, firing pistol, holding war club, nice belly button.
OWA 11 - In breech clout, shirt and vest, with pistol, and firing carbine.
OWA 12 - In breech clout, shirt, vest narrow brim hat holding carbine, with cross draw pistol.
OWA 13 - In breech clout, pants, troopers jacket, advancing with carbine and knife.

Mexicans: The officer is a masterpiece, with a beard it could be me, and that's pretty scary.
OWMA 1a - Infantry in shako with up turned brim, firing musket with strap.
OWMA 2a - Infantry in shako with up turned brim, advancing, musket with strap.
OWMA 3a - Infantry in shako with up turned brim, attacking, musket with strap.
OWMA 4 - Corpulent officer, mustaches, shako with up turned brim, sword, cigar in one hand and with the other hand in a pocket.
OWMP 1a - Peon in straw sombrero with wide blade machete in one hand and fist.
OWMP 2a - Peon in straw sombrero with wide blade machete attacking.
OWMP 4 - Village headman in sombrero, with machete and beard.
OWMP 5 - Peon with straw sombrero in hand, and head bowed.
OWMB 1 - Well dressed bandido, holding gun, drawing gun, sombrero, with mustaches, and smoking a cigar, Lee Marvin?
OWMB 2 - Well dressed bandido, sombrero, walking with Winchester, I've seen him in one of the "Magnificent Seven" movies before but can't remember his name.

Third Old West Release

Shootists: Someone has a great sense of humor with some of these lead throwers.
OWS 13 - Big John, bald, black gunman, firing pistol, sombrero, boot straps and suspenders.
OWS 14 - Z.Z. Gibbons Texas gunslinger, in duster, with Winchester. Gee, this guy looks familiar, didn't he sing with ZZ Top?
OWS 15 - The Chico Kid, Marx that is, holding pistol, from "Go West".
OWS 16 - Sheriff Earp the one armed shootist, narrow brim hat, boot straps, mustaches, long hair, holding pistol.
OWS 17 - Injun Joe, in duster with buffalo collar, holding pistol, hat with feather, and long hair with braids.
OWS 18 - Black 'Henchman'?, walking with sawed off shotgun.

Cowboys:
OWC 1b - Rustler, masked, chaps firing pistol.
OWC 2b - Rustler with rifle, didn't get this one.
OWC 3b - In chaps, with Winchester, and ten gallon hat.
OWC 13 - In woolie chaps, arm in sling holding pistol.

Mexicans:
OWMA lb - Infantry in kepi firing, didn't get this one.
OWMA 2b - Infantry in kepi, advancing with musket.
OWMA 3b - Infantry in kepi, attacking with musket.
OWMP 3 - Peon in straw sombrero, with musketoon, is this guy Charles Bronson?

While I didn't write much about the last two groups it doesn't mean they are bad figures, these are good as any others.

Bystanders:
VB 1 - Doctor with bag, looking at watch, wearing glasses.
VB 2 - Local drunk, looks like Harpo from "Go West".
VB 3 - Pugilist, with rolled up sleeves, could be black or white, nice pose looks like Marquis of Queensbury rules time.

I have seen Harpo and Chico, where's Groucho? If I really put my mind to it, fat chance, I could probably give a name to the faces of a third of these lead shootists, from various lead slinging movies and with more Mexican bandidos one could refight the "Magnificent Seven" movies. The Mexican soldiers, as with the Peons, from both releases could easily be used for the Mexican, French and Austrian mess of the 1860s. I couple of figures I would really like to see are the Cisco Kid and Poncho and Laurel and Hardy from `Way Out West'. Hi Ho Silver, away!!!!

I rarely find time to paint figures from my stash of old lead colonials and new Irregular Sihks, now here's Guernsey Foundry trying to twist my arm, Ow! stop, and make me take time off from work to paint these cowboys up and start a game. Hmmmmm, may be I can get away without painting them, nah, that would be like back in the fifties before I learned how to paint figures. I'll be ok as long as there's no lead slinging western movies on TV anytime soon. What's that noise. I hear a muffled calling. It's coming from my paint brush box. No, No, No. The brush sirens are calling to me, I must paint now before it's too late.


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© Copyright 1996 Hal Thinglum
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