The following is a brief overview of several (but by no means all) of the manufacturers in this scale. Over time I may add more photo comparisons and details for these and other manufacturers. I have also included some plastic figures for completeness. The scale lines in the background are at 10mm, 20mm, and 25mm height.
This group we are looking at, from left to right, are:
Rv – Raventhorpe: An Italian Gun Crew Figure in Sun Helmet.
Hc – Skytrex/Hinchliffe: 2 Figures from Italian & US Figure ranges.
Bt – Britannia: 3 Figures from 8th Army range.
Ht – Hotspur (now Combat Miniatures): 2 Figures, Late War German & British.
AB – AB Figures: 2 Figures from 1944 British range.
Es – ESCI (now Italeri): Figure from 8th Army plastics.
Ax – Airfix: Figure from ‘new series’ Afrika Korps plastics.
Mb – Matchbox (now Revell): Figure from US Infantry plastics).
SHQ – SHQ Miniatures: 2 Figures from 1940 BEF range.
Hc – Skytrex/Hinchliffe: Italian Figure from Gun Crews range.
SHQ – SHQ Miniatures: Supposedly Italian Gun Crew Figure.
Lib – Liberation Miniatures: 2 Figures from Axal/Bandera Italian Bersaglieri range.
Unknown: Possibly Combat Miniatures as look similar to Hotspur: 2 British figures.
See also Friend or Foe Figures post.
This is very useful, thankyou! Can anyone do this for other periods?
This is very useful, thankyou! Can anyone do this for other periods?
Wayne – Yes there is a 25mm/28mm comparison at Ian Croxall’s Red Shadow/War Flag website: http://www.warflag.com/shadow/cast/figuresize/figures.htm – but other than that I have only seen the odd small comparison of 2-3 manufacturers (hence why I did the 20mm one above several years ago).
The Liberation Miniatures (Now RH Models) Italians and such were actually the old Axal & Bandera ranges from the SCW Society many years ago – and I think the chap originally of Hotspur (Dave someone?) actually sculpted them – while the newer Liberation stuff (Modern ranges and some WW2 packs) may be a different sculptor…?
P.S. sorry for the slow response – over-looked it somehow… 🙁
John
Did you take into account the heights of the bases when making your scal line chart?
Dick Bryant
Hi Dick – no I didn’t, the lines are there solely to provide a relative guide for viewers – you can see from the photo(s) if any figures have especially thick bases (e.g. see the Romanian bases in the related Friend or Foe Figures post) – in this case though few if any do. 🙂
HI Dick – my name is Shaun Robinson and I’m new to Auckland and keen to hook up with some wargamers fr0m your club as I live near central Auckland. I cant come to weekend meetings but if the Thursdays are still going that would be great (though I cant make next week) or I would be keen to have home games on week nights.
Sorry to be contacting you this way but I cant find any contact details for the club on your website. Can you email m shaun.robinson07@gmail.com to givme me someones contacts to sus this out. I may even have met you as I have played at your guys hall in some BF tournis
Hi Shaun – I think you mean to be looking at the AWC Website: http://awc.wargaming.info/
If you follow the Contact Us/Executive Link on the right menu at the AWC Site you can click on the Executive Members names (as marked on the site) to email them… And yes the Thursday meetings are still operating at present…
HTH, Cheers, John.
P.S. Dick’s in the USA, so I don’t think he’ll be much help! 😉
Years ago, I was considering putting together a website with Barrett measure (named for Toby Barrett of Virginia, who developed the system) comparisons of as many figure lines for which data could be obtained. I haven’t given up the notion, but still haven’t got the free time to do it (may change in the next year or so, as I get my dissertation out of the way).
Hey Ken – that sounds very interesting but also a potentially endless & thankless task? So what’s the “Barrett Measure” – a combined factor of height, girth, & anatomical proportions or some such?
The Barrett Measure was a system developed for The Courier Magazine where in the height meaurement was taken from the BOTTOM OF THE FOOT (i.e. top of the base) to the eyes. and three “HEFTS” were given: Light, Medium and Heavy. Yhe latter three are somewhat judgmental as in “I’ll know it when I see it”. But it was very effective. Light could not mix well with Heavy-even if of the same height, but the other combinations were ok.
Tony Barrett owns Thoroughbred Miniatures. http://www.thoroughbredmodels.com/
It gives me great satisfaction that people are still using this fine method for comparing figures.
Dick Bryant (Fmr Editor)
Thanks Dick.
The unknown figures are platoon 20. Thanks for the very useful comparison