Introduction

Recently I had the opportunity to take a new set of acrylic paints from AMMO of Mig Jimenez, or AMMO as we have come to know them, for a little test drive. The set is titled WWII Ammunition Colors (A.MIG 7124). This is a six color set of acrylic paints brought together for the purposes of adequately coloring the ammunition stores used by several countries during the Second World War. We all know that brass and even steel shell casings were used during the war and that the tips of the unused ammunition came in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Answering a need to add a little more detailing to the modelers build, AMMO created this basically universal set which allows the builder to colorize their ammunition to give a more realistic look to the piece they are working on.

The set contains six 17ml plastic bottles of paint. Each bottle contains a small stainless steel agitator for helping to mix the paint when shaken. These are acrylic colors and ready to airbrush right out of the bottle. If thinning is desired, it is recommended that you use the AMMO version of thinner call Mig-2000 Acrylic Thinner. The label also states these paints are for “brush and airbrush”.

Set Includes

• MIG-191 STEEL
• MIG-197 BRASS
• MIG-032 SATIN BLACK
• MIG-048 YELLOW
• MIG-199 COPPER
• MIG-001 RAL 6003 OLIVGRÜN OPT.1

Opening the package we find a mixed bag of colors laid out in a clear plastic tray which slides right out the end of the open box. The set is not only designed for use on larger shell artillery shells but works for coloring smaller ammo and ammunition belts as well. Three of the colors are brand new to the AMMO line of paints; Steel, Brass and Copper.

Getting things ready for a little testing to see how the paints perform, I used some plastic spoons which give a clean plastic platform to start with. First, I primed all of the spoons. I primed five of them black and one light grey. The grey primed spoon was for the application of the yellow color; it is just a better base color to work with lighter and brighter colors. Similarly, the black is an excellent base to work with when it comes to metallic paints.

After a good shake, all of the colors appeared to have excellent consistency and I would suspect the stainless steel agitator did its job aiding in the mixing of the paint as I could hear it rattling around in the bottle and the paint was fully mixed. With a couple of lightly applied applications of each paint, the color built up nicely to what you see in the pictures of the painted spoons. The paint went on smooth and covered very well. I have heard and read comments about the AMMO paints being too thin or not laying correctly once sprayed. To be honest, most of these bad experiences have to do with application. The paint is designed to be applied in thin layers built up which gives a smooth fully covered finish. As I mentioned, these paints do not need to be thinned but sometimes personal preference to the consistency of one’s paint prevails. One drop for every 5 drops of paint should be more than sufficient if the need to thin is warranted. Being that the paint is acrylic, there is now offensive odor associated with spraying these paints and the drying time is within minutes from application. The paints will need a full 24 hours to fully cure.

After putting these paints through the airbrush test, I decided to give the brush testing a go. With some old shells I had lying around, and after a quick priming, I used a few of the colors in the manner they were intended with this set, the painting of ammunition. All of the colors went down rather well with the brush. The lighter colors, such as the yellow and steel, needed a quick second application as suspected; however the first coat was about 90% full coverage which was very promising for lighter colors.

Conclusion

After having a chance to give AMMO of Mig Jimenez’s WWII Ammunition Colors a whirl at my bench, I am very pleased with the set. The colors are indicative of the colors used on ammunition for the time frame they are intended for. The consistency of the paints are excellent and allow for a smooth application either through the use of and airbrush or paint brush. The colors dry quickly and after their 24 hour curing time and can withstand moderate abuse through standard handling. The cost of the set, $22.50 US plus shipping, is a reasonable price to pay for six bottles of quality paint that have several uses even outside the ammunition coloring they are intended for. I recommend the WWII Ammunition Colors set to anyone looking to accurately colorize their ammunition quickly, cost effectively and is looking for an all-inclusive set that covers the majority of ammunition used during WWII.

Highly Recommended

Live Link to AMMO of Mig Jimenez USA - http://www.ammomigjimenez-usa.com/acrylic-sets-six-colors-/363--wwii-ammunition-colors-usa.html