PST Russian M-30 122mm howitzer kit

The 20mm WW2 Russian army for Spearhead has been in its final throes. In the context of the Russian army in Spearhead, artillery is not very flexible in terms of its immediate response to battlefield needs (as distinct from pre-planned fire etc). Consequently I tend to take artillery s on table rather than off table. This means that at the very least judicious positioning can mean that the guns at least see action, and so scenario army points aren't wasted. To do this I had to model two on board artillery regiments (the number I'd need for the largest 'Attack' list I have tried so far), in Spearhead terms modelled by two stands of 76mm guns, and one stand of 122mm howitzer.

The only kit we could locate for the latter was the PST kit, so I bought one to give it a try. This may not have been my best buying decision. The kit parts often didn't fit, there was  a lot of brittle detail, and for some reason the plastic didn't seem to glue as well, meaning that I would have to glue one part, leave it to harden for a day, and then try the next etc. When assembled, the gun position was really only suitable for the towing position rather than appearing as deployed, and so I had to doctor up a base with a hump at the front in order to try to represent an even partly reasonable firing position (it's still wrong though). I began assembling this single gun before Christmas, and have only just finished it mid January. It feels as if I've been making this one gun for an age!!! As the average teenager might say, 'I'm so over it!!'.

All in all, I'm unhappy with the end product, and won't buy a second kit. For 'gaming purposes I'll proxy something  else.

Anyway, here are a few photos. The 122mm M-30 on its own, and then in the GOOD company of the UM 76mm guns.