Not quite Armour - full size kit of Colt 1911?

[neilh]

I remember as a kid building plastic kits of a Colt model 1911 ( the automatic) and a Navy Colt ( percussion cap revolver).  Can anyone remember who made these? I have never seen any in the piles of second hand kits at shows.  Wonder if they were a victim of the handgun ban ( they were quite realistic - the automatic even had a slide action and a removable magazine.)?

[noelh]

L&S. I Had quite a few of them. P38, Luger, Colt. 45, Magnum. 44. An AK47 and an M16 and others. I used to hang them on the wall. There was another manufacturer too I think. Pyro made some antique guns but they weren't as good. 

 

They were quite delicate though but they could look very realistic. 

 

I don't know what what happened to the range. 

 

Dunno if they're banned. You can buy extremely realistic airsoft pistols these days. Full metal and nearly impossible to tell from the real thing. 

Edited September 11, 2019 by noelh

[thorfinn]

I was able to find two of the LS Walther P.38s a few years ago on Ebay--one 'standard' military version, and one 'spy' version with an extended barrel. I hope to convert one into an 'U.N.C.L.E. Special' from the old Robert Vaughn TV show.

[JackG]

The laws on fake guns depends on your region.  Here in Canada if you owned something of the nature before Dec. 01 1998, it is fine.  After said date, you cannot legally obtain such an item.  A few exceptions, entertainment industry (movie sets for example) or if a qualified instructor wanted to use one for teaching purposes ... but here too, the way it is put forward, the procurement can only be done by way of a loan, and not purchased.

 

Different company altogether, they make replicas from metal, and are constructed such that they can be field stripped like the real thing, but the barrels are solid.

http://www.collectorsarmoury.com/

 

regards,

Jack

[Arild Moland]

https://www.scalemates.com/topics/topic.php?id=2063

[noelh]

Turns out it was discussed here before in 2011. I even replied. I'd really forgotten. 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2019 by noelh

[neilh]

Yes thanks for the comments- once noelh identified them as L & S a google search picked up the previous ( long) thread from here on Britmodeller.  Interesting read. would like to try to get one again at some point.

[Kingsman]

No longer available in UK, and something eBay would refuse to sell in the UK.  Importing one might lead to questions from Border Force.  Once assembled and convincinly painted they could be considered as a Realistic Imitation Firearm.  The other manufacturer of plastic kit firearms that I recall was Marui.  Theirs were more substantially made of ABS and worked with special brass cartridges and percussion caps to give realistic semi-automatic cycling.  The caps were always banned.  LS also made an M16, XM177, Sten, Thompson and AKM as well as several types of hand grenade complete with stencil decals.

 

As pointed out above, very many good (and many not so good) replica handguns are available as airsoft weapons - although much more costly than the plastic kits.  Noting that you're in Bristol, where I lived until a few months ago, Marcruss Surplus on Hotwells Rd and Antics in town sell them.  But neither will sell any that aren't brightly painted to anyone who isn't a UKARA member.  When I moved to Weymouth I found 3 shops in Weymouth and Dorchester who are quite happy to sell certain types openly and I am now looking at a black Glock 17 in a frame on my wall ( I was one of the MOD team responsible for its procurement for UK forces in 2012).  I ended up buying another to plink with in the garage.  Using it outside in the garden is likely to lead to blue flashing lights, a muzzle-end view of an HK416 and the words "armed Police - show me your hands"!  It makes quite a bang, the action cycles and you can change mags: very convincing.

 

It seems that spring and gas-powered airsoft weapons (which covers IIRC pretty much all handguns) are classed as air pistols as long as they have less than the legal max 6lb/ft muzzle energy.  So anyone can buy them without a licence or the need for bright painting.  This directly contradicts their appearance as a Realistic Imitation Firearm.  I worked daily with firearms in MOD for several years and served in the Army Reserve, and I wouldn't argue with someone pointing my own airsoft Glock at me unless I could see the end of the brass sub-calibre BB barrel down inside the main barrel, which you can only see when staring directly down the muzzle.  So I understand why some sellers feel the need to brightly paint them to be assured of staying on the right side of the law.

 

Strangely, long guns which are spring or gas powered don't seem to be classed as air rifles even if thay have less than 12lb/ft muzzle energy.  Most are electric.  You might find someone who will sell you a brightly coloured one as a non-UKARA member, but most sellers seemt to sell these only to UKARA members.

 

Long story short, and as noted earlier, the chances of finding any plastic firearm kit in the UK are pretty much non-existent.

[neilh]

Yes, I know Marcrus Stores and Andy the Manager of Antics is a fellow club member of IPMS Avon. I recently bought one of the brightly coloured airsoft pistols from Antics to scare off the foxes who are looting our food recycling bins nightly, as I didn't really want to shoot them and damage them with my full sized air rifle- they are just trying to feed themselves.   I too was surprised when I looked into buying the airsoft pistol how easy it seemed to be to buy a very realistic air pistol that I certainly wouldn't argue with the business end, yet airsoft equivalents are very tightly controlled for sale.