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In-Box Review
135
WWII Soviet Ammo Sets
MiniArt WWII Soviet Ammo Sets
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by: Gino P. Quintiliani [ HEAVYARTY ]

This review covers the following 1/35 Miniart Soviet Ammo Sets
1. Soviet Infantry Ammo Boxes #35090
2. Soviet 45-mm Shells w/Ammo Boxes #35073
3. Soviet 57-mm & 76-mm Shells w/Ammo Boxes #35064
4. Soviet 122-mm Ammunition #35068
5. Soviet 152-mm Ammunition #35076

History

Throughout history, armies have always been successful or not based on their ability to resupply its units in the field. Probably the two most important classes of supply are Class 1; Food, and Class 5; Ammunition, also known as beans and bullets. The Soviet Army in WWII was no different than any other throughout history. Their logistics system was very effective at delivering their supplies and keeping the guns firing. To make this task easier, they standardized ammo cases as wooden boxes with stenciled data on the outside identifying what ammunition was inside. The boxes were used for multiple shell-types for each caliber by changing the internal supports to fit the shell need to be boxed up. It was a very effective system and is still used today by most armies around the world.

Kits

Miniart continues to provide excellent detail and accessory sets that are great extras for diorama builders. Their new ammunition and ammo box sets are great to add extra details to a gun position or to fill the back of a supply truck with. The sturdy card boxes contain 6 sprues each in light gray plastic and a small decal sheet of markings for each box of ammo. The sets are quite simple, but exquisitely molded. Each set builds six ammo cases for each of the calibers listed. The sets are very versatile and can be used in a few different configurations. The wooden boxes are well detailed inside and out so they can be used as empty boxes, open boxes with rounds inside, or closed boxes and separate rounds to make the sets go further.
The instructions are the familiar exploded view style (printed on the back of the box) and are clearly written with good illustrations for parts placement location. Also on the back of the box are a paint color chart and the types of ammunition listed on the sets that include a couple different choices of type or caliber.
The decals look to be in perfect register with very thin film. Marking options are given for at least two types of ammo per set, usually HE, AP, Fragmentary, etc. Markings are provided for both the shells/canisters and the ammo boxes as well. The finely printed decals look very nice and should look great on the boxes and rounds.

Parts

The individual parts on the sprues look to be sharply molded and free of any flash. Each of the sprues has slide-molded sections to render fine details and hollow openings on the canisters and recessed portions of the shells. Each shell is nicely rendered and finely detailed with ogives and orbitrary rings nicely cast.

Details By Kit

Soviet Infantry Ammo Boxes #35090
Builds six metal ammo canisters and six wooden shipping boxes for them. The boxes are detailed inside and out with fine wood grain molded on both sides. The canisters can be displayed in open boxes, or the boxes can be used closed with the canisters to get more out of the set. The wooden boxes also have separately molded handles for extra definition.

Soviet 45mm Shells w/Ammo Boxes #35073
This set builds into six wooden ammo boxes for two types of 45mm shells. You can either build them for the UBR-243 APHE-T (Armor Piercing High-Explosive Tracer) or the UShch-243 Canister Shot rounds. There are also 12 empty shell casings with their ends hollowed out in the set. Appropriate decals are provided for both version for the rounds and the ammo boxes. The wooden ammo boxes are detailed inside and out with wooden dividers and spacers on the interior. All the wooden pieces have wood grain details nicely molded on them as well.

Soviet 57mm & 76mm Shells w/Ammo Boxes #35064
This set makes six ammo boxes for 57mm and 76mm rounds. There are two options for the 76mm; UOF-354M HE Fragmentation shells and UBR354P Armor Piercing with sub-caliber projectile BR-240P. There is also one 57mm option for a Solid-shot UBR-271K with 57mm AP-T shell. The wooden boxes have multiple internal spacers to allow for the different-sized ammunition to be placed inside. There are also decals for each round type and twelve empty shell casings with hollow openings: six long casings and six shorter casings to represent each type of caliber.

Soviet 122mm Ammunition #35068
This set also builds six ammo boxes with ammo inside. There are two shell-type options; the short APHE (Armor Piercing High Explosive) shell BP-471 or the longer OF-471 HE-Fragmentation shell. Markings are provided for the shells, canisters, and boxes for each type. Internal dividers are provided for the boxes as well to allow the differently-sized shells to be placed in them. The six canisters are molded with hollow ends so they can also be used as empty shell casings. This set is listed as a WWII item, but the same ammo boxes and basically the same shells are still used today for 122mm howitzers such as the D-30.

Soviet 152mm Ammunition #35076
This final set also builds six ammo boxes filled with ammunition. There are two options for the shells; either OF-540 HE-Fragmentation shells, or G-530 HEAC (High Explosive Anti-Concrete) rounds. Markings are provided for the shells, canisters, and boxes for each type. Internal dividers are provided for the boxes as well to allow the differently-sized shells to be placed in them. The six canisters are molded with hollow ends so they can also be used as empty shell casings. This set is listed as a WWII item, but the same ammo boxes and basically the same shells are still used today for 152mm Russian and former Soviet-bloc howitzers.

Conclusion

I highly recommend these kits. The parts are well molded and free of flash. These sets are most-welcomed and can add life to a heavily loaded supply truck or a gun position for a WWII to modern scene. They are invaluable for diorama builders to add that extra bit of realism. A winner for Miniart!
SUMMARY
Highs: Great detail and excellent decals for each part of the sets; shells, canisters, and ammo boxes. Ammo boxes also have internal bracings and parts to show them open as well.
Lows: None that I can find in the sets. The $16.00 average price may be a bit high for some modelers since you only get six ammo boxes per set though.
Verdict: Highly recommended. These sets will add great detail to a gun position or supply diorama. Another hit for Miniart.
Percentage Rating
88%
  Scale: 1:35
  Suggested Retail: $16.00
  PUBLISHED: Mar 01, 2010
  NATIONALITY: Russia
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.79%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 85.88%

Our Thanks to Dragon USA!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Gino P. Quintiliani (HeavyArty)
FROM: FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

Retired US Army Artillery Officer, currently a contractor at MacDill AFB in the Tampa, FL area. I have been modelling for the past 40+ years, really seriously on armor and large scale helos (1/32, 1/35) for the last 35 or so.

Copyright ©2021 text by Gino P. Quintiliani [ HEAVYARTY ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Great review Gino, what is the wood like on the boxes?
MAR 01, 2010 - 12:06 AM
Thanks Martyn. The detail on the woodgrain is very good. It is hard to see in the below pic, but it is finely engraved detail.
MAR 01, 2010 - 03:17 AM
Your more than Welcome Gino, Hopefully it does the review justice. I am still learning the editing/posting review process.... Jeremy
MAR 01, 2010 - 10:49 AM
Nice review. Is the 122mm ammo for the A-19 gun or for the howitzer? I couldn't tell from the review. Thanks
MAR 02, 2010 - 01:58 AM
You got me. It doesn't say anything about what gun they are used for on the box and I don't know the difference either. My guess is that the ammo can be used by either, but thats just a guess based on Soviet practices of making ammo common for many different systems.
MAR 02, 2010 - 02:38 AM
Hey Gino, I picked up the 57mm and 76mm set the other day and was pleased with it for the most part. The odd thing was the set only provided one type of 57mm round while MiniArt's 57mm anti-tank gun kit provides three types. Thanks for the review. Cheers jjumbo
MAR 02, 2010 - 05:31 AM
Hi Gino Thanks for that review; very useful. Question; is the 152mm ammunition suitable for a resupply of an ISU-152 self propelled gun, do you know? I'm building Tamiya's new kit. Also...i don't know if I read the infantry ammo box review section right so if I've misunderstood I apologise in advance but...the metal containers are for DP light machine gun pan magazines and the wooden boxes for loose 7.62x54mmR ball ammo. The inserts aren't provided for the crates which is a shame. The metal containers aren't intended for the wooden crates. See my review of the kit here LINK which as some useful reference pictures. Martyn
MAR 02, 2010 - 11:27 AM
Just like the 122mm Ammo, I am not positive, but I believe it would work for any 152. There are no indications on the box which gun its for, but the Soviets did try to standardize ammo for many systems. Thanks Martyn, I missed that. I assumed they went in the wooden boxes like the other sets.
MAR 02, 2010 - 11:57 PM
Hi Gino I think thats the beauty of these sites we can share info...I made the mistake of saying the DP boxes should be pressed on both sides even publishing photo's to that effect then saw them on Discovery Channel exactly as per MiniArts kit M
MAR 03, 2010 - 11:05 AM
   
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