Miniature Figure Review:

25mm Old West

from Guernsey Foundry

by David Barnes

From La Guelle, Mont Arrive, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 2AA, Great Britain

These well modelled figures fill in the gaps on the Townsmen, Cowhands and Shootists lists and give us a chance to see some Apaches and all the Mexicans. The latter can be used as soldiers and peasants of the countries of South America throughout the Victorian period into the 20th century. They can be used for "Maximillian Adventures." The Wargames Foundry do a Maximii range and these Guernsey Foundry figures will complement them. I will list the figures and comment and draw some of them, not to scale.

One really finds it hard to reach for any more superlatives to describe this large and interesting range. You just have to hold such figures as OWS23 Young Gunslinger or OWT18 Homesteader Woman, turn them over and you'll see what lively, understated miniature sculptures these are. Like the best sculpture they "work" from all the way round. The newest list sheet (at the time of writing) has small photographs of 35 of the figures. Price 65 pence each.

Also, the first 18th century models are done. These are Prussian uniformed musketeers, mostly intended for 7YW, but can be used for AWI too of course. The uniform is the most basic as worn by 10, 11, 23, 28, 29, 30, 32, 44, 45 and 49 Regimenter - no lapels or collar. So you can use them for Garrison replacements - 3 groups of models are envisaged - smart, battle worn and finally "messy," battered equipment and some civilian dress - AWI and Freikorps come to mind dressed like that. Also figures wearing the Prussian Militia's frock coat will be included. Varied poses and head types! As I "cut my wargaming teeth" on "Charge" by Brig. Peter Young and Lt. Col. Lawson and "The Wargame" by Charles Grant, I cannot wait to see these - which is why I've gone on about 'em at such length in the middle of another range review!

Townsfolk

OWT15 Uniformed peace officer with shotgun. Muttonchop whiskers, star of office on his chest, bowler hat (derby). He's holding the shotgun across his chest.
OWT16 Ol' Walrus: barkeep with sawn off shot gun. He has what used to be called Dundreary whiskers besides his huge moustache. Apron, thumb in his weskit pocket, watch chain. In his nght hand the sawn off- butt as well as barrels - a real "widow maker" weapon.
OWT17 Hands up! Town clothes, bowler, walrus moustache - open mouth and nervous expression, reaching for the sky.
OWT18 Homesteader woman. Cradling a double barrel shotgun, large bonnet, as worn by my wife's great grandmother. Excellent face and pose.

Cowhands

OWC3a Fnnged chaps and rifle. A Winchester or Henry. Dragoon pistol on his right hip, hat hanging on his back by it's cord. "Light off that hoss a mite easy stranger!"
OWC7 Negro, bareheaded with rifle. Not enough has been seen of how black people helped "open up the West," Buffalo soldiers and so on. A good model. Repeating rifle, fringed chaps, pistol, hat on his back. At the ready pose.

Shootists

OWS11 Two gun enforcer. Moustached gaunt face. Montana hat, badge, watch chain, pistol out in his right hand, drawing one with his left. "Rooster Cogburn."
OWS12 Pinkerton man with rifle, long ankle length coat. Grim face with moustache. Bowler.
OWS13 Enforcer in frock coat which is pulled back behind his six-shooter. Range hat, moustache and goatee beard Striding forward "Whar are them ornery critters?"
OWS21 Beau Branson, gallant Southern gent. Sword in his Aght hand, point grounded. In his leR hand what looks to me like an Augustus Egg Fuzzy Stopper - over and under pistol of huge bore. Handsome - somewhat the same features as a famous airline tycoon.
OWS22 One legged victim. Sour expression and sawn off shotgun in his Aght hand, kepi on the back of his head. A crutch under his left armpit. Left leg gone below the knee.
OWS23 Young gunslinger. Derby/bowler tipped over his Aght eye. Lounging walk. Suspenders/braces. Large pistol on his Aght hip. Sleeves rolled to mid forearm. Butch Cassidy?
OWS24 Longjohns! This gentleman is thus attired, keeping respectability with his range hat on his head. Carrying his gun rig, bare feet. Tin star on his chest. Is he running to the wee hoose or away from it?
OWS25 Ugly Bertrand. Pourquois? One asks to oneself is zee ogly man given ze French name? A tough customer with a sabre size Bowie knife, cigare in his mouth, sawn off shotgun in his right hand. Bearded. Meeting him, you'd feel safe behind a Carl Gustav launcher - provided it was loaded!

Mexicans

A crowd of figures to help you refight "Seven Samurai" - oops, "Magnificent Seven." Populate your village with this lot and add 6 shootists and a young cow hand - 40 odd baduns" of your own choice - and off you go!

OWMA1a Infantry in shako fiAng. Ilp tilted peak - bobble, bayonet, scabbard and ammo box balancing one another. Sandals. Good in-the-shoulder position.
OWMA2a Infantry in shako advancing. Musket leveled, bayonet fixed, sandals.
OWMA2c Sombrero advancing. An irregular or levy soldier. Bayonetted musket, rolled poncho Over his shoulder, shot/cartridge box on his Aght hip.
OWMA3a Infantry in shako attacking. Wears the Mexican equivalent of galligaskins round his shins. Sandals.
OWMA4 Corpulent of ficer with cigar. Shako - bags of character. Left hand in his back pocket next to his sword. A frogged jacket, definitely a Light Infantry.
OWMA5 "En Garde" Mexican officer in semi fencing pose with sword. Point too high for a telling thrust. Spare arm tucked behind his back a la Heidelberg "soupplate of honneur" duel.
OWMP1a Peon in sombrero lunging with machete, straw sombrero, sandals. Good action pose.
OWMPlb Peon with no hat, snarl and a very large machete!
OWMP2a Peon in sombrero attacking with machete, yelling. The machete has a good big heavy blade.
OWMP2b Peon friend of OWMPlb about to chop someone into collops with a similar machete.
OWMP4 Village headman with machete. A bearded wise face. Left hand up in a steadying or beckoning gesture.
OWMP5 Humble peon. Gaunt Indian face. Holds his sombrero in both hands at his waist. Trying to reason with the bandidos whilst his compadres creep round the adobe wall to attack from behind, etc.
OWMP6 Peon, musket. Straw sombrero on top of a head bandanna. Pose: Shall I? or Shan't I? Musket across body.
OWMB 1 Two gun ban&do. Cigarillo in his mouth, sombrero on the back of his head, weeping moustache. Pistol in his right hand, drawing another with his left. He wears vaquero chaparajos.
OWMB2 Bandido walking with rifle. Held across body. Moustache and sideburns - Jack Palance-like face. Cross draw pistol peeps out from under his short jacket.
OWMB3 Bandido, revolver. Sombrero on the back of his head. Vaquero chaps. Spare ammo belt round his shoulder, six gun in his right hand Vamos!
OWMB4 Ragged bandido. Winchester, bandolier over his shoulder, patch over left eye, bandanna on head surmounted by straw sombrero, walrus moustache, sandals. A villain from the Magnificent Seven!

Apaches

OWA14 Top hat. Pistol. A brave with half "white eyes" clothes.
OWA15 Brandishing rifle. Hoka Hey! - or something. Range hat - Winchester. Yelling "Stop digging up my ancestors you white dogs!"
OWA16 War hat. Winchester and holstered six gun. "I think you are right! It wouldn't be a good idea to settle here after all!"
OWA17 Scouting. Kneeling and shading eyes. Indians were supposed to be able to see as far as a white man who had binoculars. "What the heck is John Wayne doing with that stage coach?"
OWA18 Squaw. "Here I am slaving over a hot campfire while you crawl about the dm rock all day!" Great pose, carrying a basket.
OWA19 Revolver and sabre. Oh dear. The trooper was looking the wrong way! Stitch that Jimmie! ! He's also brandishing a revolver and shouting. Medicine amulet on his chest. Some rules are about to issue from the same stable. I will write about those when I've had a go at them.

NEWSFLASH! (at the time of writing!) "Yet more and still later flowers for the bees" sayeth the poet and here are yet more Old West characters, Cowboys and Mexicans and "bystanders" - of which, I'm told, there will be about one hundred in the range. Also, some "test" plains Indians!

Along with these are some tantalizing parts moldings of 7YW equipment and even more intriguing some 10mm 7YW samples that will probably not makeit to the market place. I will write about all these and comment and draw some of them, not to scale.
OWS13 Big John, black gunman. Mike Tyson reaches Dakota Territory! - or something. Large pistol, big boots, braces (suspenders US). Rolled up sleeves over the arms of a Union suit. Ay Chihuahua!
OWS14 Z.Z. Gibbons, Texan gunslinger. If this is the casting I think it is - it looks like it to me- only my beard is twice as long "in metal." Glasses are there. Wearing a range hat and a "duster." He holds a Winchester across his body.
OWS15 The Chico Kid - could be Harpo Marx by his hat, hair, long nose and grin. Town suit, pistol in right hand.
OWS16 Sheriff Earp: one armed shootist. Pistol in his right hand. Left sleeve empty and folded up. Big boots, long hair, gaunt face and "Old Bill" moustache (cf Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons of 1918 war).
OWS17 Injun Joe. Wearing a long duster, braids, a hat with a feather. Pistol in right hand. The face of one who would certainly give Tom Sawyer a bad time.
OWS18 Black henchman with sawn off shotgun. Could equally be a sheriffs deputy. Wearing jacket and cravat. Wary, head on one side. Great animation actually.
OWC1b Rustler with revolver. He has a bandanna over his face. Wears a plastron front shot jacket, leather chaps. Aiming his six gun right handed.
OWC2b Rustler with rifle. Range hat, bandanna'ed face, woolly chaps, gauntlets. Winchester across the body, waist high. Round rowel spurs, Army style pistol holster on his right hip.
OWC3b Ten gallon hat. Even with it on will go thro' a door of a Snapdragon Studio facade! Fringed chaps, holstered six gun, braces. Looking slightly right.
OWC13 (IJnlucky for some!) Arm in a sling, hatless young man, big pistol in his right fist, woolly chaps, holster in cross draw position on his left hip. Quite a character.
OWMAlb Mexican infantry in kepi firing. More a militia type of kepi - ACW kind. Bayoneted rifle/musket, shot/cartridge pouch. Mexican galligaskins - kind of laborers' shin defenders. Sandals.
OWMA2b Mexican infantry in kepi advancing. Musket and bayonet held across the body, waist high. Rather hunched back, droopy moustache, sandals, cartridge pouch and bayonet sheath balancing each other either side of his waist. Long hair, gaunt face.
OWMA3b Mexican infantry in kepi attacking. He wears a Havelock with his kepi, so could do for European Indian Mutiny troops too. They wore sandals sometimes as he does. Snarling, musket and bayonet ready for a lunge.
OWMP3 Peon with musketoon. Wicker sombrero, ancient weapon, probably loaded with scrap iron across his body, long hair, weeping moustache, sandals. Tough hombre!

Bystanders

About 100 of these will appear eventually, civilian models that can be used throughout the Victorian period and into the 20th centuly, not only in the Americas - ACE, Colonial skirmishes, Boxer Legation Siege, Boer War - suggestions to Guernsey Foundry for your ideas - Hurdey Gurdey man and monkey? Four piece German band, my uncle and mother sucked lemons in front of to make them salivate into their instruments! Knife grinders? Have a think.

VB 1 Doctor with a bag and a fob watch. Gladstollc bag in his hand this bespectaeled MD consults his timepiece. Small beard and moustache - looks more like me than I do! Time for a quick one?

VB 2 Local Drunk. Top hat. joker face. Iarge bottle waved in left hand, right hand in pocket - two steps forward, one step back "Tha's wot I seddle. diddle I?"

VB 3 Pugilist. Look out Mike Tyson!! Massive shoulders. Sleeves rolled up. Shaved head, big boots. right fist in supination as in old style boxing.

Plains Indians

Hi yo! Hi yo! Hi you witchee na yo, hi yo, hi yo witchee na yo, hi yo! Hi yo witchee na yo! Eh! Hey! Yo! Wee! (clap hands twice) Contmue this Plains Indian song of welcome until you get tired. Two samples of original American natives and a horse - sorry, pony - model. Production models in 10 weeks time. Well, here's Frederick Remington's West brought to life again by the look of it.

The first model carries a stone-headed war hammer, has braided hair with eagles feathers, a breast plate and small befeathered round shield. On his left hip sits, a trifle incongruously, a six gun in a cross-draw position. He also wears a breech clout and moccasins. cf. photo of White Swan, Crow warrior (with round shield and war hammer) p 124 "Everyday Life of the N. American Indian," Manchip White, pub. Batsford, ISBN. 07134 00439. For a large breastplate representation p. 94 ibid. A Sioux chief.

The second model is firing a carbine to the left with his right hand. He has a roach and feathers. A feathered rawhide shield on his left hip and a long knife sheathed on his right with a bag on his thigh - for cartridges or "medicine." His right wrist has a double thonged quirt hanging from it. He seems to have a bearskin breech clout and moccasins.

The ponies are identical except one has a feathered Indian hackamore and the other a simple bridle lacking a throat strap. Excellent modelling and action. Bibliography:

  1. Manchip White (as above).
  2. "Letters and Notes on the Manners and Customs and Conditions of North American Indians" George Catlin. Dover. 2 vols.
  3. "Red Hawk's Account of Custer's Last Battle" P&D Goble. Macmillan.
  4. "Lone Bull's Horse Raid" P&D Goble. Macmillan.

Now, one or two equipment items from the forthcoming 7YW range. A grenadier's mitre and a fusilier's cap, cartridge boxes and a cowskin bag and knapsack. A grenadier's sword. Very fine detail and crisp casting. Three 10mm 7YW figures. A hatman, a grenzer and a grenadier. This scale could be the answer to sizable armies and ease of painting at not too great a cost. Excellent figures for their size, but the public domain is not contemplated at the moment.

I like 25's too much, personally. Renaissance figures are floating around in a "might be done" way. I'm impatient for the 7YW range myself. Now some drawings. If you don't see what you'd like, send for samples. I would say these models lead this field.

Illustration:

Top row (left to right): OWS23, OWT18, OWS24, OWS14, OWS16
2nd row: OWMB3, OWMP1b, OWS25, OWMP3, OWS13, OWMA23
3rd row: OWA15, Indian pony, other head, OWA (no number), OWA (no number)
Bottom row: OWT16, OWC3a, OWT15, OWMP5, OWMA4, OWMA1a.

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