"Early 20th Century armed civilians in 20mm" Topic

After a 30 year sabbatical I am returning to the world of miniatures wargaming, so it's like falling in love all over again.

My first project is an alternative history campaign based on either A World Aflame or Went The Day Well rules set at the end of WW1. I won't go into the background detail, but suffice it to say I need to find a source of 20mm figures that could be pressed into service to represent bands of socialist revolutionaries.

I have some WW2 partisans and I'm converting some OO scale railway workers, but it would be good to find another source of armed civilians in early 20th C British outfits (preferably in plastic to keep the cost down).

Apologies if this isn't the right place or right topic for the message boards, but I'm a newbie to TMP, so please be gentle!

Rolf Hedges (Bandera Miniatures) has a 20mm Irish War of Independence/Civil War range that includes just what you're looking for, although in metal

Irregular Miniatures, do a great range

The Irish War range on Rolf's website (RH Models) has some very interesting items listed (although without pictures sadly).

Only thing is that it doesn't seem to have been updated since 2011. Do you know if he's still trading?

Will check out the Irregular Miniatures stuff too.

Also on the lookout for some late war Brits in plastic. The Airfix ones are early war with caps, although I'm sure I can weave them into the narrative somehow!

Search for RH Models Yola site, this is the more recent site with updates…….

Also have a look at these……

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link

And these….

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They paint up rather nicely and are ideal for head swaps and imaginative trimming!

Look at Emhar's WW1 Tommies……..very nice.

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The Irregular Minis 'constabulary' are very useful for 'Red bashing'!!

I have a box of the Caesar Partisans in Europe. Not sure what to do with the nun yet though.
The Underground resisters have some nice poses, but will need to have their weapons replaced.
The Boers look like they have a lot of potential. All I need is a box of plastic heads with flat caps!

All of which brings me on to another question …. can you get heads, arms, helmets and weapons, etc. separately or is it just a case of "transplanting" from existing sacrificial models.

I have head swopped Caesar Partizans and Underground fighters used airfix railway figures ,cowboys , ACW soft plastics aswell.Not got the Boers yet they will be next ! Try Dan Taylor Modelworks his resin heads work well,Minirions have Adrian Helmets good for VBCW . Can you get Thompsons gangster style anywhere ?

Hi

Lancashire have Western and Eastern European partisans link . Friend or Foe used to have Russian Factory defenders but I can't see them on the Shellhole Scenic website anymore, had a great molotov cocktail set!!

For info on 20mm Interwar/VBCW figures/gear have a look at the old GWP VBCW site – link – lots of good stuff.

Edit: Foundry used to do some French Resistance link
and Mirliton do some Italian partisans link

Red box also has civilian volunteers from their Boxer sets, not great figures but needs must…. link

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

I have some of the Liberation range that I am intending to sell. If you're interested I'll give you first refusal when I place the ad in the marketplace here?

The Peaky Blinders look? You may have already come across the Dapol Railway Workers in hard plastic:

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RedBox also do some 20s style "Gangsters" (again, not all that brilliant sculpts)

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There was a thread here about some 15 mm heads being suitable for 20 mm plastic head swaps……..the 'chunkier' sculpting for that scale fitting with the 'slender' plastics at 20 mm………….

I will see later if Peter Pig heads work on some figures .I used Valiant heads on Strelets and Hat to make portly BUF!

I have the Dapol Railway Workers. Just need to work how to make them look like convincing combatants.

The gangsters look good although there's more flash than body. They look like Ready Brek kids.

Interesting about the head swaps. I suppose it might be worth picking up boxes of cheap figures at car boots for things like that. I don't suppose anyone sells spare weapons (in metal or plastic) do they?

MJ Figures……I have others too but of 'unknown providence'!

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Sgts Mess Minis also does small arms and Vickers guns etc land a nice selection of figures too……civvies,drivers,crews,sailors etc

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Some really great ideas and suggestions. I just hope my painting skills have improved over the last 30 years. It seems unlikely.

Peter Pig heads don,t work unfortunately , can,t think of any one else making 20mm heads .

Thanks for checking. Maybe an opportunity for some budding entrepreneur to appear on Dragon's Den. It's not going to make anyone a millionaire unfortunately, although they should be knighted for services to the modelling community.

What glue(s) is/are best to use for transplanting white metal and/or plastic heads onto different bodies?

Raventhorpe do seperate heads for 20mm…some British tin hats wouldn't be amiss on militia figures…….

I think these were the 15mm heads that 'fit' with 20mm plastics…..

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Gaz0045 thanks for the tip. Will give those a try.
What's the best way of sticking them on?

Another vote for the RH range

The Gzg and Raventhorpe heads come with a peg, drill the body,trim the peg to fit, I use super glue gel as it has some 'filler' effect too…….