Introduction

Accurate Armour are well known for their excellent resin models and accessories. They have possibly the best range of British ammunition available for modellers— not the only one, but the widest range of boxes and shells I know of, ranging from sets for the 2 pdr. through to the 7inch howitzer. The most notable omission from their range has been the 25 pdr. box and shell sets, but who knows what’s around the corner! They also have a excellent range of modern artillery boxes and shells.

This is a brief look at set A002 17 pdr. “Steel Ammunition Boxes.” The recent announcement of the Bronco 17pdr. made me pull this one out and take a closer look at it. Accurate Armour also do a 2nd 17 pdr. ammo box set (No. A001) which is the wooden boxes, and a set of 17 pdr. shells (No A003). The Shells were reviewed some time ago here on Armorama by Joe (aka GREATBRIT).

The Set

The boxes come packed in a thick plastic bag stapled to a cardboard backing card that depicts the product and manufacturer’s details. Cast in a light grey resin, the set contains 24 steel 17 pdr. ammunition boxes in two styles: 12 Type C288 Mk I steel boxes, and 12 Type C317 Mk I steel ones. You might be forgiven for initially thinking you have 24 boxes that look the same, but that is just an illusion caused by the fact the finish on both styles of boxes was the same; the difference is in the length of box.

The C228 Mk I type are the shorter of the two sets, and contained APDS, APC, AP, HE and practice type ammunition, depending on how the boxes were marked. C317 Mk I type (the longer ones) contained APCBC ammo.

the review

Both styles of boxes are well-cast showing the carrying handles, indented top and correct end features. They appear free form any damage or major air bubbles, and will just need the use of a sharp razor saw to remove the plugs. Normal precautions should be taken when working with resin, especially the dust from sanding.

To aid in understanding and painting the different types of boxes and their contents, a two-page A5 format information sheet is provided. This sheet appears to be generic to both set A002 (being reviewed here) and set A001 (the wooden boxed shells). On the front is a breakdown of the four styles of 17 pdr. ammo boxes used by the British and Commonwealth forces during WW2. The reverse sheet contains general information on the content of each style of box, painting instructions, a marking guide, and information on other styles of markings that were also used. Special thanks are given to Paul Middleton, Philip Hendry and the Royal School of Artillery on the bottom of page one, so you know the information given has been well-researched and will be as accurate as possible.

Conclusion

This is another excellent set of British boxed ammunition from Accurate Armour. Twenty-four is a nice healthy number of boxes to spread around your gun, vehicle or diorama. The boxes are well-cast, have excellent detail and will require minimal clean up. Unlike some of the other Accurate Armour sets, this one contains no decals, which is a pity. With the recent announcement of the Bronco 17 pdr. AT gun, there is probably an opportunity there for someone. But overall this is an excellent set of accessories that will add to any gun, vehicle or tank you might be building. The set is reasonably-priced, and should be useable by both beginner and practiced modeller alike.