Em2 Bull Pup Assault Rifle

19 Responses to Em2 Bull Pup Assault Rifle

1. erwin says:

   October 13, 2015 at 6:16 PM

   Interesting; other British figures appear to have the same weapons too, so apparently was a mistake pass in to others as wells.
   One of such but not same weapon is the odd LSMG in Airfix german infantry that till today I had not idea what was in the artist head as not even resemble a Tommy gun or else .Incredible the uniform and rest of the figures of same set are very well done in uniform/gear and weapons same with all airfix rest armies sets.A better work was tryied by Match box similar pose but again the MP40 had a very odd cannon barrel size.Marx figures of WW2 American and germnas are not far back with many post WW2 in Gi’s and not well done in germans. Incredible Marx Japanese,French, British and Russian all have correct weapon choose but in some cases underscale. At the end back in the era when most were “toy” soldiers. Not historical accuracy was taken in consideration and it was fine do as such.With exception of airfix and matchbox more pro hobby-historical related as advertised and era coming were mistakes were in my opinion bad samples

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   • Markus says:

     October 14, 2015 at 4:11 PM

     Yes, seems AIRFIX did absolute wrong on the guy firing
     submachine gun in their German Infantry set.
     Think they confused German Erma/EMP MP or “redesigned” it.
     Plus doing a repeat mistake at the Afrka Korps set giving the submachine
     guy either a MP 41 which has maybe never issued for frontline sure and almost never ever with Afrika Korps or an italian modelo 38/42 which came finally into German hands in Italy, not in North Africa.
     At least to the rescue of AIRFIX, still kind of my favorite maker, they made up for it in their German Paratroops and Mountain Troops sets. To me side by side with Gurkahs, US Paratroops and Napoleonic Imperial Guard still unbeaten in number of poses and detail. Absolute masterpieces even compared to the standard of today, 40 years later.

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     • erwin says:

       October 14, 2015 at 8:47 PM

       Yes most airfix set are super great in design, anatomical art making, poses and gear.(Even with their small shortness in weapons and size/scale between sets-figures).
       I agree Napoleonic French grenadiers with the extra two poses releases after so many years too ,the Gurkas, British support, German alpine ,German and American paratroopers are one of my favorites in poses choose. Interesting too are some of the poses never release and in prototype show in some PW issues magazines too. There is some speculation as originally some other set released in 7 poses were to be in 12-14 poses but rush to sale let to be done in small poses sets. This has been mentioned by some in the airfix forum ,but not a concrete information on it. Neither I attest x it.
       About airfix German LSMG the same issue happen in the Britain poses infantry too, doing what appear to be an MP 41 with wrong cannon barrel. Very rare mistake as Britain even did a odd(not combative pose) with the very rare
       S-18/100 20 mm Anti-Tank Cannon Rifle. Meaning they were good in searching the weapon used during WW2 by armies.
       Only in my opinion match and in some cases(as German infan and American paratroopers) set were match in quality with airfix but done much later were the ESCI sets.
       Airfix multipose-kit sets are now been reissue (with exception of rare Japanese infantry)If you get along one they required very minor gluing – not hard to put together kit at all and could do nice poses. In their case the German M40 was corrected done.
       In true 1:32 scale with flat base and match with early solid poses set airfix sets.American inf,marines,british inf,brit tropical,AK and Germans inf sets)

       Reply
   • erwin says:

     October 14, 2015 at 8:51 PM

     About the EM2BULL figures with it I pass them as later with SA80 soldiers from any modern army ,any how we got all those Marx GI’s from battleground set with post ww2/Korean war weapons.

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2. Don Perkins says:

   October 14, 2015 at 5:21 PM

   I agree with you, Markus. I was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in the 82nd Airborne Division (3/4 ADA Battalion) when I first saw the Airfix 1/32 scale French Regular Napoleonic Infantry in a toy store inside the big Mall there, along with boxes of the Imperial Guard. The boxes of Highlanders and British Regulars were also there.

   But I still remember thinking how neat these new figures were. And yes, even today the Airfix Napoleonics are as good as they come. I’ve got at least two sets each of the original four sets, and with the reissues in red, blue, green, and white, I bet I’ve got at least 500 of them.

   A few years back, when I was in a selling mood, I thought about selling them at Joe Saine’s Michigan Toy Soldier Show. But while looking at them the night before the show, I couldn’t bring myself to part with them, and still have them today.

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3. erwin says:

   October 14, 2015 at 9:03 PM

   Don. I ended with hundred of Napoleonic figures too;especially after the reissue in so many colors .But once HAT ,Italeri and AIP release their more action drill poses sets I start reducing my collection of Airfix Napoleonic, specially because the few poses (clubbing,butting ,banner ,drummer,etc) come too repeated and no way to change them . So now I kept an ordinal of each set with box and some amount of reissues in desire poses . I also had paint quite a lot of them.
   In the late 90’s some cloned down sized Airfix Napoleonic appear ,I got a lot of them too. Wonder where they come from as not mark at all? Plastic was good quality, detail a bit poor with flashes but work fine for increasing the battle formation.
   In general I think Airfix was the one start the hobby of historical toy soldiers base in more much historical detail than any games/movie or else. Giving us the future of what is in most cases now the new release figures by any company. Britain did help too but the metal base in them and less detail in weapons was a killing in my view.

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   • admin says:

     October 15, 2015 at 12:07 AM

     Erwin
     The downsize Napoleonic figures came from Mexico. I think the name was Ditec, but not sure. I believe Delson sold them.

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     • Greg Liska says:

       October 15, 2015 at 8:17 PM

       I DO recall it was Delson who sold them.

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     • erwin says:

       October 15, 2015 at 10:09 PM

       Thanks admin, I did not know who copied them, I got mine from CTS not TSc and another batch from a dealer at small show in Armonk NY, that I think is not longer done. For some reason I believe they came or sold before the new reissues appear as back them when I bought the original vintage large stock from CTS that they carry a lot,they offer me these for much less and I took the hook.
       Another detail I notice in most ww2 original, detail is much better than reissues ,specially last reissues in gloss colors and now hard plastic. But in Napoleonic the ballonet of many vintage come with a very short mold finish defect .The reissues did not and that was A PLUS in a reissue; to manage it plus do the right blue and red colors that airfix for some odd and not that odd reason did not
       I’m talking about 1996-97!? aprox

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4. Greg Liska says:

   October 14, 2015 at 11:08 PM

   I have read some of the article he posted, but it does nothing to explain how toy manufacturers grabbed onto it, unless it was WAYYYYY in there. He stated he believed it was because of the publicity, but that doesn’t establish any connection. There were plenty articles about the M-14 / M-1A but that doesn’t tell me how the Marx GIs ended up with them. Once again, I might have just not read far enough.

   Love the Airfix figures. They are my personal favorite WWII figures. You guys missed (or I missed you stating it) the US Paratrooper on all fours with a Sten Gun. Also – smaller point – the folding stock weapons were not as widely issued as shown. Most jumped with the far more powerful M-1 Garrand in its full sized bulkiness. That M-1 Carbine fired a pistol round, so it was not really an alternative to an infantry rifle.

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5. erwin says:

   October 15, 2015 at 12:52 AM

   Greg, yes I saw same in the article, not connection. So may be we both are blind.
   About the US para with Sten I pass not to mention as any how was a real WW2 weapon, used by allied and indeed by British paras. I know not supplied to US forces at all , but chances are they got some in the field from their fellow BP over dropped stock !.So in my original point I was referring to wrong depicted weapon as accuracy-history of weapon detail(don’t now what it is ) the rare German LSMG of infantryman, from there we all jump to others.
   Yes I agree;Many US paras carry the M-1.It is the same error depicting so many Germans with MP40 in every set that is based in erroneous depicting at film too.
   About the folding stock in M1A1 was specific designed for the paratroopers forces .(The folding-stock version of the carbine (the M1A1) was developed after a request for a compact and light infantry arm for airborne troops. The Inland Division of General Motors manufactured 140,000 of them in two product runs in late 1942. They were originally issued to the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions but were later issued to all army airborne units and the US Marine Corps. Here is an interesting article about it.
   http://www.rjmilitaria.com/m1carbine.htm

   Some experimental Thompson(less than 10 000) with a butt stock similar to MP40 but flip over were done too and supplied for the delivery to partisan forces in France, later some used in US paratroopers too. Rare item, few still are around .
   Incredible neither the Airfix British or American paras were done with the supplied antitank PIAT or Bazooka . Specially the 14 US paras were one pose could had well be spare for to carry it. Paratroopers were often supplied, specially by 1944 with the best light anti armor weapon available as always under power and drop far from reinforcement at any near moment.

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   • Brian Johnson says:

     October 15, 2015 at 2:44 AM

     The “First” set of Airfix British Paratroopers had a prone figure with bazooka.

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     • erwin says:

       October 15, 2015 at 7:46 AM

       Yes Brian. But those looks very odd in gear,uniform and other weapons more like post WW2 plus never released in big quantities, were discontinued soon after released. Beside is a modern bazooka, not PIAT. Still could well be used if you do not mine the incorrect things. I often set them back the scenes. I do have a lucky set, the only pose I like is one shooting up. I guess to his own friend by mistake!?

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6. Markus says:

   October 15, 2015 at 2:57 PM

   Yes, by looking at the AIRFIX plans and prototypes I wrote Paul Morehead of PW how much he tortured me by showing the Pictures of the three Prussian Waterloo Infantry (in fact Landwehr) figures made in metal as pattern for next Waterloo set.
   Also the other plans mentioned from Partisans up a German Infantry Support group. Erwin, thanks for hint on Britains Deetail German firing (wrong) submachine gun.
   Maybe Airfix took those as pattern for their Afrika Korps pose.
   Never had any Britains WW II as a kid. At least for the price of 5 I could a buy a Airfix box of 29. So no question for spending my pocket money on Airfix.
   Looking at the two German Deetail guys carrying anti-tank rifles think those are based (and not bad for a toy) on the Panzerbuechse PZB 38 or 39. Of course from 1940 on of little use against enemy armor but somehow a standard weapon. Think no other maker ever did figures with anti-tank rifles though the Soviets used them with good effect which led to the development of the well known German armored skirtings. Also used in numbers by Poland, Italy, Japan and Hungary. So still the honor of bringing this kind of weapon to 1:32 goes to Britains leading 2:0. Wish they had done a firing pose.
   Coming to PIAT antitank device at least 21st Century came out with a para firing this weapon.

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   • Erwin says:

     October 15, 2015 at 6:29 PM

     Markus you are right it is the PZB38.I mix confuse names complete. My bad. Sorry.

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7. Markus says:

   October 15, 2015 at 3:26 PM

   Just a small add up.
   Don, think you were wise to keep your AIRFIX Waterloo. Still a better investment than several stocks on stock exchange market. At least as long as our generation is breathing on the collectors scene. I still kick myself into ass for they day swopped away my self painted Airfix 7th Cavalry and Cowboys. Sure a lousy paint job but some of my best childhood memories.
   Coming back to anti-tank rifles of course still surprised no British maker ever did a pose with Boys 0.55 / Stanchion.

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8. Greg Liska says:

   October 15, 2015 at 8:12 PM

   I end up taking the extra (because there is just too many for the normal TO&E of a WWII company) Bazooka guys from the Airfix GIs and give it to the Airborne boys. For the Brit Paras, I do have 2 of the prone bazooka firers and just have to pretend they are PIATs. I’ve kept some of the Airfix ‘Modern British Infantry’ AT guys to add to it, as well. Yeah, I little pretending to make it all go right. I still wish the GIs (both Airborne and ‘Leg’) had M-1 Garrands. I do some pretending there, too.

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   • erwin says:

     October 15, 2015 at 10:48 PM

     Greg;Yep the lack of M1-Ga in both sets was an odd error. Ironical the multipose kit set had them . I think ESCI did same on paras too. Good point.

     Markus there is a very resent soviet infantry set made in China by (SUNJADE INDUSTRIAL TOY CO) that has a pose with antitank rifle(very short version done) not firing but advancing only and carring in one hand(almost real impossible task as this was very heavy); it come with some revised poses and cloned from italeri soviet infantry set plus some new poses sold by many different distributor too such as BMC.SUPREME,etc.
     It is true even thought the antitank rifle lack any stopping power versus most post 1940 armor, still was a lethal weapon used against light armor, the tracks/rear engine or more heavier and against bunkers as good range precision to hit small window with Machine gun spot. The Russian model was the heaviest I think, but need least two soldiers to operate it.IT has been neglect by most toy soldiers maker, even in most HO sets too.

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     • Markus says:

       October 16, 2015 at 10:37 AM

       Erwin, thanks for hint on Supreme. When I bought she back I thought that guy is holding a light machine gun.
       Only later I realized it was a downscaled version of an AT-rifle.
       Just forgot.
       So its 2:1 for Britains today. 40 years till next 1:32 pose turned up with an anti-tank rifle.

       Reply

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