Hi

How would you guys 'build' and paint damage from a non-piercing ap round from a HMG on a tank?

-Frizze

a soldering iron could work well. youd have to make sure to keep it at a low temperature so as not to really deform the plastic but it would give a bit of a lip of melt around the hit. for a HMG, you might want to attach a blunt pin to the iron with copper wire.

If it was a fresh hit, a light to medium gray should work for painting. otherwise, it wouldve rusted over with time, unless it was in the desert

For a .50 cal I'd go with a heated nail to make minor indentions. It's easy to oversize shot damage and the nail tends to dissipate the heat pretty quick, limiting the mark's size. Another thing are hits to softer sections of a tank such as stowage boxes and fenders. Thin the plastic down with a motor tool from the inside and then make a clean hole. And don't overlook the potential for a shot up water can with its contents leaking out on the vehicle, running down the side, and hitting the ground.

It depends on the thickness of the armour and the angle of impact.

I have seen .50 Cal ball and AP rounds hits on about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick armour plate and there is just a miniscule indentation and a circular mark where the paint was forced off from the impact.

In 1/35 you aren't really going to see any type of penetration from an HMG round.....just the impact splash that blew off the paint.