Though well known for their various diorama kits, MiniArt also has a long line of 1/16 scale historical figures. One of the latest, and quite possibly the most complex, is their Japanese Samurai Warrior. Being somewhat of a fan of the Samurai culture, I jumped at the opportunity to review MiniArt’s kit. Little did I know just what I was getting into.

This is a set of lots of US weapons that will be useful for dioramas or as stowage on vehicles. There are two bags of weapons with a complete set in each bag, contained on three sprues. There is also a sprue of canvas bags.

I built up the M2 .50 cal machine gun on a tripod, the 60mm mortar, and a bazooka. The machine gun has 20 parts and most are pretty small. But we get a highly detailed gun and very nice belt- fed ammo. The mortar has 13 parts and a couple of rounds for it. The barrels are hollowed out, but a little more drilling is needed. The stowage is as good as resin pieces, and the M1 helmets are the best I’ve seen in plastic. The only problem I see is a bent M1 carbine barrel, since there are three sprues packed in one plastic bag.

Here is a listing of what you get:

It wasn’t too long ago that there were basically three manufactures of plastic figures available through common sources. Through them, you could usually cobble together a crew for a German tank, but if you wanted some figures for a US armored vehicle, you were stuck with some very static poses that came with the kit. Dragon broke new ground with the release of their US tank crew several years ago, and they were leaps ahead of anything on the market, but still some pretty basic poses.

Now we have MiniArt among a host of new producers that is not only providing some great new figures, but in poses that we couldn’t even dream about! This release of a US Tank crew in “close combat” is no exception, and provides five figures, all in various poses.

In The Box

Plusmodel released this set of resin U.S. waterproof bags. You get thirteen pieces in the kit. Included are several different sizes of bags and one field telephone.

The bags are produced in a light gray resin and are nicely detailed. There is a decal sheet of stencils for the bags. The stencils are done in a white color. Just my opinion – these should have been done in black and, for the most part, any stenciling that is on field gear it is usually inside.

These bags would make a great addition to loading up a tank or cargo vehicles with personal gear. I highly recommend these to anyone who likes to load up their vehicles with gear.

I would like to thank Plusmodel and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this product.

The M-60 machine gun began development in the late 1940’s. The U.S. Army adopted the M-60 in 1957, and it is still widely used today within the U.S. armed forces.

In the Easy Line / Plusmodel kit, you get enough pieces to make two complete guns. The parts in the kit are of a well-mastered resin with a malleable photo etch brass.

There was minimal flash on the resin, with small manageable pour stubs that connect the resin pieces blocks. Some care will be needed as I got a little heavy-handed and broke off the charging handle. Not a big deal, as it is an easy fix. I used Gator glue to attach the photo etch to the resin with good results.

Upon completion, this is a good miniature representation of the M-60 machine gun and would make a great addition to any diorama from Vietnam to present day. I highly recommend this kit.

I would like to thank Plusmodel and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this little gem of a kit.