Unboxing Empress Miniatures Vietnam Marine Recon

Now, for something moderately different....

The Vietnam conflict is not nearly as prevalent in wargaming as most of the wars that preceded it, and as such, finding figures, vehicles, and other materials to use requires a bit more searching, but they're out there.

One such manufacturer is Empress Miniatures in the UK, whose US stockists include Age Of Glory Historical Miniatures in Baltimore,  MD, the source for these being reviewed. I placed my order for "NAM16 Marine RECCE Team" (as pictured on AOG website)

described as follows:

"Marine RECCE Team

This pack represents a standard recce 

Marine unit....Figures contain a leader, scout, 
corpsman, radio, with a mix of weapons M16, 
Sawn off shotgun, M14 and Grenade launcher. 
M1 carbine. as well as side arms and 
personal weapons and equipment"
Huzzah! Mail delivery. Let me run out and
get....

Opening the box reveals...
and then...

a bag of 6 white metal figures. You can tell 
these are closer to true 28mm than the
common "heroically sized" WWII figures.
For comparison: Empress grunt (left) and 
Warlord Waffen SS (right)

Let's take a look at each sculpt. 

Separate arm with m-16 (damaged but 
repairable). All figures appear to be in Jungle 
Fatigues with m-56 or m-67 web gear and
Tropical rucksacks with multiple canteens.
This is a reasonable outfit to cover
US Marine or Army forces for the mid to 
late part of the conflict.

This grunt appears to be our medic, carrying
the extra bag on his left shoulder.

This m-16 equipped GI looks to be the radio
man, given the long antenna bag on the
right side of his ruck, and a hole to 
insert the antenna on top. In this rig,
the radio is inside his ruck rather than
exposed on a separate carrier.

This Marine has a separate arm holding
his m-16, and what appears to be a
shotgun with a sawed-off stock through
his ruck.

This kneeling/firing m-16 equipped grunt
is aiming downrange, his boonie hat brim
up and out of his sight.

This Marine carries an M-14 and wears a 
Marine fatigue cap rather than a boonie.

The final man in the squad carries a
slung m-16 in his left hand and (best guess)
an m-79 blooper (grenade launcher) in his
right.
The casting have little flash and should
clean up well. I'll get them on 25mm
bases, straightened and primed, and report 
back. Stay tuned!

  
    
  
Under way....