New models from Denix

Just spotted this while browsing the net. It looks like it's due for release in December:

http://www.sodeco-new.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4281





If these photos are of the replica it looks much better than anything they've made so far!

And a Webley MkIV has recently been released too!



http://www.zib-militaria.de/epages/61431412.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61431412/Products/14004

A bit cheap and cheerful perhaps, but not a bad price for what it is.

Any opinions guys?

Joe

Interesting

That M1 looks quite good (from the photos) and with the wood stock it should hide some of the possable poor quality casting (but a bit pricey at 230 euros )

8ace

Thanks for the interesting info.
I' think about placing an order for a Webley from my local supplier with a view to making it more realistic perhaps.

KG

Rifle looks nice. I guess this is in large part thanks to wood covering metal, as mentioned before

Good to see that Denix enhances their line of modern gun replicas.

Well I DID place an order for a Webley from my local dealer, and it is due here in a couple of months; and when it does I'll post a review!
Even though it's a Denix - it's a Webley! Yeehaa!

My model and replica gun addiction surfaced in The New Year with my ordered Denix Webley arriving on Thursday this week.
And from an outward appearance, as expected, it is a pretty reasonable replica – and might be, with a few modifications, be made to use PFC modelgun cartridges.

Compare photos of a real with the Denix, and it’s a pretty good representation.


True to expectations we’ve grown to expect from Denix, the internal workings are badly designed.
The internals of the Denix have a spring loaded-ball bearing that locks into “dimples” in the cylinder face when you dry fire the replica.



So be warned when you release the frame lock “spur” to open the cylinder – the cylinder (which has a spring inside the spindle) lifts up, and the ball bearing (which also sits on a spring) take off with a rush. If you’re luck you’ll hear it drop onto the un-carpeted floor. If you have carpet on the floor, then you might not hear where it landed and have to spend some time trying to locate it again!

When I opened the action on my revolver, I was fore-warned about the ball-bearing, so that wasn’t a problem. However the cylinder spindle spring was absent – so I made one from out of a Biro-type ball point pen, cut to size. It needed more tension, so I used a double-spring.


That seemed to give enough tension to prevent the cylinder from over-rotating each time I dry-fired the action.

If you compare the Denix to my Marushin PFC Enfield revolver, you can see why the Webley & Scott Company ended up taking Enfield to court and successfully won a financial settlement for “borrowing” from their original designs.

Transforming into a MODELGUN PFC version:

One of the first “mods” I shall do is to replace the spring loaded ball bearing with a spring loaded pin, which won’t fly off into space! And the revolver can be opened without drama for loading PFC cartridges.

Three main issues here:
1) the diameter of the chamber is a about one millimetre too small to accept the Marushin Enfield PFC carts.



2) the Denix hammer does not have a firing pin at all – so it needs a mod to take one; and




3) the hammer lies against a flat piece of zinc alloy, so it will need to be drilled with a hole to allow the firing pin access to the PFC replica round.


Because the cylinder is free to “wobble” as it rotates, I expect the occasional mis-fire to happen; but I’ll be pleased if it will detonate at all!

Here are a number of photos comparing a REAL STEEL Webley Mk4 on the left and the DENIX on the right.






Of course I shall update with progress made – and IF it in fact works!!!! I have no illusions about the weak zinc metal Denix appears to use in these replicas!

Probably remove the black paint and "stress" the metalwork if it does work, and make it look more "real".

But I’ll be happy, even if it doesn’t, ‘cause the Denix Webley ain’t all that bad and I’ll have had fun trying! And it's not THAT expensive to buy.

But any comments would be appreciated - even if you think it's a bad idea!

Kiwigunner

Nice review! I am looking forward to see if modifications make it a better model :-)

Yes indeed, a very nice review

It'll be interesting to see how successfuly you can modify a Denix revolver to fire PFC cartridges.
Although Denix haven't the best reputation for quality, they do have a large range of revolvers in their catalogues.
This project might inspire many more

In the past, I've modified Denix percussion cap revolvers by drilling a 1mm hole through each of the nipples. ''

That allows you to grease the nipples and place a percussion cap on each one. They make a good "bang" similar to PFC caps!
I haven't ever tried a PFC cap, and being thicker than a percussion cap, it might not work.

Maybe someone has done so and can tell us what happened??? ''

Haven't tried out the other Denix revolvers myself .... yet! But a few local fast-draw re-enactors have got some Western Colts to fire blanks!

Re the Denix Webley modifications;
I have finished all of the work ready to make & install the firing pin.

Will post the details shortly! j''


Kiwigunner

I had a look at both the M1 Garand and the M1 Carbine today, and I actually thought they were real guns until I was told they were Denix.
I must say that I was very impressed with the look and feel of them, and I am tempted to maybe purchase one of them.

That's good news!

I might get one too!

Kiwigunner

Denix have certainly improved with their quality, but their hand guns are still debatable.
Since the AK47, Thompson and MP40, they started to improve with their quality.
The M1s are just that much superior in my opinion.

A mate of mine bought himself a Denix M1 Garand recently and let me have a look and take some photos.
I must admit that from a distance, even a few feet away, it did look good. Woodwork has a nice colour to it, it looks good and solid.
Closer inspection shows it to be a pure display model, great as a prop, or wallhanger, but incapable of doing anything other than drawing the bolt charging handle back to cock it, then dry fire to hear a "click"
The breach, magazine area is empty, just a plain empty box which was a dissapointment for me personally.
He's happy enough though, which is what counts after all.

Here are some photos:

Thanks Cerwyn, I never took as close look at it like you did.
My general impressions were that it was nice and heavy and felt good, but never looked that close at the mechanism and details.
Maybe Denix still have a lot to learn, as they need to function too.

I'm currently using the Webley in a show. Got it from amazon.com for $88 Canadian, which included next-day delivery to a friend in the U.S.
It only needs to fire twice per night, once each act. I'm using a tiny bit of a UHU style stick glue to attach a 5mm Marushin cap where the top of the hammer meets the frame. Gives a good report and sparks at the hammer, with nothing projecting forward towards another actor. A new cap is then put in place over intermission for Act II.
It's a nice looking gun with good weight, but doesn't function like a real Webley. The action-release lever on mine doesn't move far enough to allow the action to open. Probably on purpose, so you don't lose the ball bearing. When I remove the lever to access the cylinder, there is no extractor function at all.
For my needs, it makes a great looking prop on stage, that the audience believes can fire.

I bought one of their Garands recently and am trying to what I can do to it in order to make it more realistic (at least in appearance). I'd like to disguise all the screws that are in the wrong places to start with. I'm also not very impressed with the muzzle as the foresight is not very detailed at all, and a genuine bayonet doesn't fit (though it may do with a little modification).

I see that Denix have now released an 'early type' M1 Carbine as well, which I may have to buy too once i get the Garand sorted..... Glad I didn't buy the first version they released!



http://www.denix.es/product?id=396&content=30&lang=en

Hi Joe



I have a genuine Garand bayonet which fitted my friend's Denix Garand perfectly. Maybe the casting on yours needs cleaning up a little

You might find this link useful or helpful.

http://www.paratrooper.be/reviews/reproductions/denix-m1-garand-review/
Looks like a successful modder .....
The question most people ask about this replica: “will it take a genuine bayonet?” The answer is no. But with a little patient filing away wat the pot metal, it can work. Most of the filing is needed at the bottom of the bayonet lug. A bit less at the inside of the bayonet lug at the sides and at the front. A lot of filing is also needed on the barrel shroud. In the photos you can tell by the blank metal where I have filed. The trick is to be patient and to keep trying to fit the bayonet until it easily slips on. The last part I filed at was inside the front of the bayonet lug, so now the bayonet even clicks in place as it should. In the pictures below you see the result. Click on the photos to enlarge....quote/unquote


Kiwigunner

Hi Cerwyn and Kiwigunner,
I've done a bit of filing and can nearly get the bayonet on, but I think the dimensions are off too much for the bayonet to sit 100% straight. You can see what I mean in the 2nd last photo of the paratrooper.be review.