Greg Liska’s Marx Colonial Standing Firing Rifle Conversion takes care of a problem. How to make your firing line more presentable. As you know Marx did one standing firing the rifle pose. As Greg will relate in his section he will show a simple conversion he did to correct this problem.
Greg Liska’s Marx Colonial Standing Firing Rifle Conversion Greg’s Words
Ed Borris donated some heads with hats to convert the scores of Marx recast standing firing Colonials. The only standing firing pose in the set has a bandage on his head and you can get enough of that fast. Marx took a little too much inspiration from Norman Rockwell in making these guys, in my opinion. If you look close, the cut lines can be seen on the conversions. This was quick and I did no other touching up since the plastic match almost perfectly. I think they look much better and are barely recognizable from their original form. PS – I’m looking for recast colonial riflemen in blue. I need about 30 and they could even all be marching. 
Greg Liska’s Marx Colonial Standing Firing Rifle Conversion My Thoughts
I think that Greg came up with a great idea. When you look at the Marx Revolutionay figures there is a lot to be desired. While I like to colonial walking with pistol, it is really poor pose. I feel th hand should be up firing. I agree with Greg how many men do you need with a bandage on the head. On the redocat side the redocat charging just seem wrong. I must admit at one time I had 30 of them which I had gotten from the Pennsylvania Dutch find.
Fortunately other makers like Accurate came along so we can expan our armies. What do you think of what Greg has done with these figures?
AWESOME GREG!!!
great idea and once again simple factory change.
Not noticed at all.
By the way what you see wrong in the British advancing poses!?
One note
The British grenadiers by MARX have the Spaniard grenadier same era hat ,not British.Aslo the coat is Spanish French design not British.
I do have paint many as Spaniard to represent the Siege Of Pensacola that was decisive Spaniard victory supporting the America independence war and cause a big shift of forces as it secured the South flanck of south colony impeding any British advance from south north .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Pensacola
They could be used too as Battle of Mobile 1781
Nice Work Greg !!
Thanks, Rich. I’d been thinking about doing this for years. Ed made it possible with his donation of plastic cadavers for the project.
It’s hard to see what’s been done there, Greg.
Maybe shrink the photo’s down in size, so that they become clear.
It just might be ‘new camera time’, although I think the first pic is clear enough to give you about as much as you’d see, anyhow. When in use, I won’t be picking them up and placing them 3 inches from my face to inspect.
Erwin – I never looked real close at the Brits. I like the useful poses, but wish the advancing pose was more of a ‘bayonet forward’ steady advance like they would do in line. That running pose looks like he’s chasing down the ‘rebel militia’ after they broke.
I got it now Greg, yes good point, he looks like extracted from the old metal figures too.
The “mounted grenadier”!? ,not quite correct cavalry era soldier and officer have the stick wood saber so often made in plastic figures too.
But least the set has more action(5 out 6) poses proportional distributed than most Marx sets
I can see all heads from ACCURATE/Imex,lido and Ideal if not mistake from photos!!!!
I think there were a couple Marx too. Recasts of course. The ones I gave him were mostly Accurate.
Accurate, Lido and Ideal were used. Good spotting!
Some great stuff – as usual; I’ve often been tempted to do the same but have only recently been bold enough to apply a knife. As always, inspirational.
Thanks! Get some cheap recasts and just dive in, Wayne. Exacto Knives and blades are pretty cheap.
Talked me into it.
The running Brit is doing his best Atlantic figure imitation. How many people thought the Brit officer was holding a sword? I did the first I saw him.
I did! That had to be most people’s first assumption. I have replaced the officers in my Brit Grenadier unit. That guy has a touch stick for the cannon as far as I’m concerned.
I guess is a punisher stick for bad behavior .lol
A swagger stick or riding crop. Odd that Marx should have done that. A completely possible thing, but just less likely than a drawn sword.
Well IDEAL officer with bicorn has a wood children sword, Marx Prince Valiant pose has a baseball bat.
MARX Paul Revere pose no ones know what it has
So I thing many time they screw up..
For me the stick is just stick and bad done ,the mounted pose has another .so unfortunately changes has to be made if want accuracy .
If don’t care is up to collector of course.
Grenadiers officer carry long saber-curved,Non commissioner officer carry short saber and some times pikes.
Only High ranking British officers carry straight kinghood commander swords-not curved saber, often decorated and more as honorable elite distinction.
One of the British officers at Bunker Hill lead his troops with a swagger stick/cane. His name eludes me but may be the inspiration of the Louis Marx figure.
It was common enough. There’s been plenty of British officers, both notable and obscure, who carried the swagger stick. Just an odd choice for a figure, although it is not a mistake to have given him one.
No just that officers did not carry mitre or grenadier furry hat ,only NCO did.
and there was not mounted grenadier in British army in war .
So either way Marx did it wrong.
My thoughts..
Good job Greg, Great conversions.
Thank you! It was a labor of necessity. I couldn’t stand seeing them doing bad Rambo imitations.
Erwin –
Correct on the officers and mounted men. Although, someone correct me if they know for sure, I believe that officers had a choice of wearing the units headgear or going with the tricorn. I replaced the officers with Tricorn hatted officers and made arty men of the swagger stick guys. The mounted men are used as Dragoons for me. Yes, that takes a little imagination, but at that point is when you have to remember they are toys.