Special Hobby Small Arms for Volkssturm Set 1 (P35001) 1:35

[Mike]

Small Arms for Volkssturm Set 1 (P35001)

1:35 3D Print by Special Hobby

 

 

During the closing days of WWII, the people of Berlin and the surrounding areas were pressed into service as make-do soldiers by the desperate hard-core Nazis, and when we say people, it was mostly old men, teenagers and those that had been injured and invalided out of service previously.  Some women even took part, and there’s a famous piece of film of a German lady being taught how to use a Panzerfaust by a soldier with a nervous smile on her face.  They were given basic training, often no more than on how to operate the weapons they had been given, and sent off to die to delay the Allies from reaching the higher-ups.  The weapons were often old and outdated, so overall they stood little chance of giving a good account of themselves against hardened troops and armoured tanks.

 

 

This set from Special Hobby is part of a new range that is using direct 3D printing using light-cured resins, which is a technique that is rapidly becoming suitable for making realistic models, even at the budget level.  These sets are being produced on more high-end machines, and no layers were visible to my eyes, even with magnification!  It arrives in a standard blister pack with orange branding, and lots of foam within to keep the parts safe during transport.  The instructions are in the rear, sandwiched between the blister and the card header.

 

Inside is a single printed block of parts that are printed in a light orange resin with lots of support struts ensuring that the freshly printed parts don’t sag under their own weight before they are properly cured.  There is also a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) for the rifle slings, which should be annealed in a flame to soften it before use for your ease.  At first look it looks like a messy Christmas tree, but on closer inspection you can see a number of weapons within that should be removed with a pair of sharp-nosed clippers, being careful that you don’t accidentally also trim a barrel or stock tube as you go.  Care is the watchword here.  Once released, you can see that there are four guns, as follows:

 

2 x MP3008 2nd Production (wood stock & tube stock variants)

1 x 6.5mm Karabiner 409(i) (originally Italian Carcano 91)

1 x MG81 Machine Gun

 

The rifles are recipients of the slings, and the instructions show where they fit.  The two MP3008s have different stocks and the tube stock variant also has a perforated barrel shroud, giving it a more aggressive look.  The 3008 was a last-ditch design for a cheap, easily produced sub-machine gun, so it is apt that it appears in this set.  The MG81 consists of three parts, with separate cocking handle and bipod to be glued in place, and no sling.  This was a development of the MG34 used primarily by the Luftwaffe when they moved away from the MG15, and again it was an attempt to reduce costs and material use toward the end of the war.

 

 

As this is a first from Special Hobby, as indicated by the product code, I decided to cut the parts from the supports, as you can’t see them very well half-buried in a forest of self-coloured resin.  Cutting them with a single-edged nipper worked well, but take care with the stock tubes and barrels, as they are delicate due to being scale accurate.  I managed to snap the barrel on the Carcano 91, but I suspect that was my own fault.  Take care though, as they’re too nice to ruin.

 

 

Conclusion

Special Hobby have taken full advantage of the advances in 3D printing here, and the results are exquisite, if a little delicate if you’re a fat-fingered goon like me.  Take care when handling, and you will end up with a superbly accurate set of arms to add to your next Battle for Berlin project.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of