introduction

Archer Fine Transfers has a large & growing selection of stencils for stowage items like food boxes and ammunition that bring a touch of the superb to any build. Archer has been bundling a wide range of items (e.g., ammo box stencils) with a little bit of many things on one sheet.

Another set that modelers of British armor should appreciate is that one featuring a variety of ammunition sizes, including .30 cal, .50 cal, and two types of 25 pounder containers.

the decals

Inside the usual Archer glassine envelope is a 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" sheet of black stencils for:

20 .30 cal magazines
42 stencils for .30 cal boxes
49 50 cal magazines
10 sets of stencils for the 25 pdr cartridge box
10 sets for the 25 pdr shell boxes
4 sets of 25 pdr wooden shipping boxes

the review

These three calibers pretty much cover British light & heavy machine guns, as well as their most-common small artillery round. I can't think of a tank, AFV or truck in almost any theater of war where these stencils wouldn't greatly improve things. After all, kit manufacturers routinely ignore stenciling, leaving things to AM suppliers like Archer.

The decals are printed by Cartograf, so you know the quality is excellent.

The photos at right show the decals used on some resin ammo boxes by Resicast. According to the instructions & painting guide included, Canadian ammunition was supplied in dark green/OD containers, while those sent to British forces were a kind of chocolate brown. As you can see from the photos, the stencils really "pop" and give the items are real touch of realism in miniature.

conclusion

Given the amount of excellent "stowage" resin sets coming on the market from Resicast and Value Gear, I'm thrilled to have these Archer ammo stencils. Well done as usual.

Thanks to Archer Fine Transfers for this review sample. Be sure to mention you saw the review here on Armorama when ordering.