POST PAK 40 & NEW HALFTRACK FINDS AND DISCUSSION HERE!

kevrut · Post by **kevrut** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:58 pm

I found the very last PAK-40 at WM in Terra Haute IN.

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:36 pm

The LA area is once again a gem! I found the pak-40, pioneerwagen, and M-16 quad in the WM at Chino Hills. The only one missing was the Zu Fuss. I'll be checking several more WM's within the next few days.

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:07 pm

Got my M16 in today. First problem, two of the .50 cal barrels were bent. I was kinda nervous with the brittle plastic but I gently bent the barrels by hand and held them there for a while. It seems to have worked.

I was just comparing the M16 with my M3 and noticed on the M16 that the top and sides of the hood aren't painted. It's just raw plastic with the invasion star applied. On the rest of the model there seems to be an inconsistant amount of paint, good coverage in one spot with the plastic showing through in another. To top it all off, they went over the right side of the model with the greyish "weathering" airbrush but forgot to do the left side.

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:09 am

Remember earlier in the thread threetoughtrucks mentioned the notches in the M3s that were converted into M16s to enable the ammo cans to clear the sides of the hull? Well I was messing with the M16 and was wondering why I can't get my turret into the position shown on the box. And then I looked at the small picture on the box and noticed this...

Whats up with that 21st Century? How come we don't get the notches that the model on the box has? If the model pictured was some prototype or something then why did they use that picture for the final products box?

parrish333 · Post by **parrish333** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:12 am

Rowsdower wrote:Got my M16 in today. First problem, two of the .50 cal barrels were bent. I was kinda nervous with the brittle plastic but I gently bent the barrels by hand and held them there for a while. It seems to have worked.

I always like to soften the plastic up in hot water before bending --- prevents snapping it if the plastic is too brittle. I seem to remember someone else suggest using a very hot hair dryer. Granted it's often hard to dunk certain parts of vehicles in hot water, so maybe I'll have to invest in a hair dryer

Anyhow, it works like a charm but you have to find a way to hold the piece in its new shape until it has cooled off -- holding it under cold water to "set" the new shape helps.

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:22 am

Thanks.

I also thought of the hair dryer but luckily just bending carefully by hand seems to have done the trick. The barrels/guns feel like they might be styrene as used in model kits. Now that they are fixed, I have to say the turret is very nicely done and really cool.

flpickupman · Post by **flpickupman** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:35 am

It's not uncommon for 21C to use the paint master for the box photo. The paint masters are smaller than the production model, often 1/32 scale. Thus the reason for the photo having the notches, and the one in the box without. That being said, I wonder how difficult it would be to create a template/guide you could lay on the side of the vehicle for Dremel trimming purposes. TTT or anyone else, do you have a schematic that could be scaled down for that?

BTW, I'm kinda displeased with the hokey hollow tombstone drums in the bed.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:13 pm

You may also notice that in the pic from 21C which has the notched top sides that only are the packs not on the finished model, buit the mine racks are not present in the picture.

Notice the hinges for the drop down side tops. The final model went with the idea of a converted M-3 and skipped the "pure" M-16.

I think the pic was a prototype and when final production came they grabbed the M3 previously produced and nobody thought to remove the mine racks.

Normally M-16's did not have the mine racks and the finished 21C model is authentic as a M-3 converted to M-16 without the drop sides or the notches and with the left over mine racks.

TTT

flpickupman · Post by **flpickupman** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:26 pm

Well sure! But the notches make it a heck of a lot easier to play with.

Thanks again for the good intel (as always

).

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:17 pm

Yes thank you TTT, your knowledge of the real articles is always appreciated.

I just think the notches would have really enhanced the movement of the turret which is pretty limited and I was left scratching my head (not unusual) after seeing the pic on the box.

My only other gripe is the paintjob. I took some pics before my stupid rechargable batteries went dead so hopefully you guys can see what I mean and not think I'm completely nuts.

Here I marked out the haphazzard paint application on the hood. first I thought that since the hood is a seperate piece is missed getting painted, but a small area of it is crudely painted. The middle of the hood and the passenger side is in fact raw plastic.

Heres a pic from the front. There are other areas there the paint is very thin and as I said in my last post one side is weathered and the other not. I really don't blame this on 21st but rather poor quality control at the factory. This is actually the first 21st vehicle I've had real problems with.

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:52 pm

It doesn't look that bad. Sort of gives the vehicle that battle damaged look.

grunt1 · Post by **grunt1** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:19 pm

Row, I checked your serial number in the database. Looks like that one went down the factory line Friday at 4:57pm.

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:42 pm

grunt1 wrote:Row, I checked your serial number in the database. Looks like that one went down the factory line Friday at 4:57pm.

Lmao!

I think you may just be right!

exether_mega · Post by **exether_mega** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 12:22 am

So I can guess mine went down at 4:58pm

As you can see, no paint at all on the hood.

Here you can see another problem. Don't know why but there is two holes on each ammo drums. Another job for Mr Putty. Also, I have already cutted the mine racks on both side. If the right one was easy to cut out, the left one was heavily glued. Once again, another job for Mr Putty !

phil

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 12:25 am

grunt1 wrote:Row, I checked your serial number in the database. Looks like that one went down the factory line Friday at 4:57pm.

Or Monday at 4:30 am

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 7:15 am

Exether...:

The holes in your amo drums are correct. They are the holes in the drum where the ammo belts come out and feed into the guns.

The only problem is your drums are glued backwards.

Boy, you sure have a toy assembled when the factory folks were in a rush to go home.

TTT

exether_mega · Post by **exether_mega** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:54 am

thanks for pointing out the problem with the ammo drums TTT

Do you think I can complain to 21st for such a mess and hoping for a replacement ?

I cannot correct this myself as all drums are heavily glued on and I don't want to brake pieces.

phil

grunt1 · Post by **grunt1** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 9:36 am

You should contact their customer service folks.

It might be a while before they actually have replacements to ship out though. Seems like they are last on the WM distribution list. Walton 4:11

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:19 am

Well exether_mega I guess I can take comfort in the fact that I'm not the only one who got a FUBAR M16! After reading your post I took a look at my ammo drums. The right side is ok.

But as for the left side..... DOH!!

How does the replacement process go, do I have to pay to send this thing out to them?

exether_mega · Post by **exether_mega** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:54 am

Well, Rowsdower and I plan to open a Club...

More seriously, I think mine has been made just after yours

If we are more than one to complain, maybe 21st will do something for us.

So, if you are in the same situation please post here.

TKO211, can you tell us if we are right in expecting something from 21st ?

phil

MK · Post by MK » Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:02 am

That reminds me, does anyone have some good shots of a quad 50 being towed by a Jeep? That should be an interesting project.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:04 pm

Two mounts. The first more common than the second. But I've seen the second towed by Jeeps........raises the question...where is the ammo carried??

TTT

FieroDude · Post by **FieroDude** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:28 pm

Exether and Rowsdower--I believe yours are configured for the "supply your neighbor's ammo" formation... Seriously though, I would think that if it is clear that this is more than a one-time thing (and who knows how many more are out there like this that less-informed buyers won't even realize are wrong), 21st would be willing to make it good. When one of the track welds on my M41 was bad right out of the box, they were very good about replacing it. We may not be their largest customer (the faceless masses at Walmart that will never see this forum are), we are the ones who represent their core clients and the real future of the line. And after talking to the 21st Century guys at the Chicago show in October, it is clear that they do value our input and loyalty.

Quixote511 · Post by **Quixote511** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:59 pm

TTT: is that second Quad pic from the Buldge Museum in Luxembourg?

Rowsdower · Post by **Rowsdower** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 6:21 pm

FieroDude wrote:And after talking to the 21st Century guys at the Chicago show in October, it is clear that they do value our input and loyalty.

Yeah I've heard good things about them. Though I'm kinda afraid to take my Pioneerwagen out of the box now.

As for the towed quad mounts, one is featured in Band of Brothers, in the episode The Last Patrol.

Small Scale Military Headquarters

POST PAK 40 & NEW HALFTRACK FINDS AND DISCUSSION HERE!

xd