LS models

****Originally posted by claymore****




Ls model's have been mentioned on this forum and although not strictly speaking a modelgun they are a model that those of use of advancing years will remember with fond memories.

Unfortunatly i do not know much about the LS make (history wise etc) all i do know that is in the UK they were about in most model shops and at a price you could afford. There were other metal models and a company called scalemead used to stock most of them but being metal they were expensive and at the time out of my price bracket.

I had a number of LS models all of which came in kit form, which was part of the fun of the model actually building it, even the rounds had to be glued together.

My first model was a S&W model 19 6inch combat Magnum and as that was the first model i owned it influenced me in having a real model 19 as the first gun i ever owned.

Over the yrs i bought a lot of LS models, a 1911 (a really nice model) P38, S&W 29 a colt python ( i think) and many others which to be honest was so long ago i my memory fails me.

Over this period of buying LS models i bought some metal models though i cannot remember who made them but i know that i had a metal Snub nose 19 that had a round you could put a shotgun primer in and fire and a plastic highway patrolman that you could do the same with. But the LS kits still had a certain appeal and although modelguns are better in every respect i wish you could still purchase the LS models as they could not be matched in price.

One thing i do find strange is that modelguns have been around since the 60's yet here in the UK it is only in the last few yrs that i have found out about them, if only i knew about them back then.

For those to young to know what LS models are try this link

http://www.fvpd-guns.com/make.html

Pics only i am afraid but you can see the range of models you could buy.

****Originally posted by mark****




Oh ya, the old LS models!

My first modelgun: the LS Luger!


Then, my second


Third:


Forth:


Fifth:


Sixth:


And my last:

These boxes are mostly all that I still have..Some parts are still in the boxes.

The Colt Detective special is almost complete as is the Colt pocket model.

The P38,Luger,government .45,commander .45 are all gone.

The "combat" magnum is mostly small bits and pieces but for the most part is still there, it's just in BAD shape!

****Originally posted by mark****






I think that the average modelgun enthusiast now-a-days, wants instant gratification and wants to be able to "play" with the modelgun now Not several hours (or days!) later to play with it..

My first LS, the Luger, took forever to dry and I didn't have the brains at the time to use the (provided) ABS glue.

So, I used standard plastic model glue which didn't work as well as it didn't "fuse" the plastic. It was relying on the hardened glue itself to hold it together (which, as you can probably tell, didn't work that well!)

The LS models didn't have the advantage of being able to fire caps either, as the much later Marui modelgun kits. The LS modelgun kits are display model kits only.

The LS kits along with the Marui kits are "true" modelguns in the way that all of the parts are needing to be glued together. The MGC,Kokusai etc. and Marushin "kits" don't require glue to assemble so, in my opinion, they aren't true modelgun kits.

I think that the modelgun kits haven't really ever been popular to most modelgun enthusiasts.

****Originally posted by claymore****




Mark, i cannot belive you still have the boxes for the kits and still have some of the models. You have done well keeping hold of them i am envious.
mine went years ago, i probably through the boxes out (ass) but the guns my brother got hold of and destroyed. He had bought the automag model and so i suppose he decided he fancied mine as well, thing with my brother if you have not used it for a while it's obvious you don not want it and so he saves it from being forgotten and takes it, you of course forget about it for years and when you remember its too late.

Anyway afte that sad story of the demise of my LS collection i still keep my eyes open for models, i missed the one on ebay by a few mins as i got the end of auction time wrong, drat!!

****Originally posted by mark****




Claymore, The main reason that I still have my LS boxes and some of the models is mostly because I kept an eye on them! As they where (and are still) rare.
Also, if I hadn't watched them, my Mother would have thrown them away! As she threw away alot of my models/boxes when she thought that I lost interest in them..
In many cases, she was right and I only realised that I was missing some of them many years later!

My Brother never touched my models as he never has been interested in firearms at all so, they where safe from him at least. Many of my missing LS models where given away to friends or simply destroyed over the years.

Anyways, I am happy to have them still and I intend to display them better in my next house instead of just storing them.

Could this be a LS M16A1. It is on an auction site in Germany right now, seller says he can't tell much about it, it is all plastic, magazine and carts are plastic too, but a real 30 rd magazine and 2 inert carts are there too ...

In my opinion that does look like the LS M16 that I remember. I can see the seam lines on the receiver and the bullets also look like the LS bullets.

The main problem I had with the model was tremendous barrel wobble. Also they were lightweight but a solution a clever friend had was to line the barrel and any other areas with modeling clay and lead fishing weights to give it more heft.

They were really fun. It gives you a great mechanical knowledge of how the gun works. I've been looking to find some at some point to put together again!

Ha - yes - looks like the one I had too - I bought the m203 eventually - they wobbled and broke easily!

8ace wrote:

****Originally posted by mark****




Oh ya, the old LS models!

My first modelgun: the LS Luger!


Then, my second


Third:


Forth:


Fifth:


Sixth:


And my last:

These boxes are mostly all that I still have..Some parts are still in the boxes.

The Colt Detective special is almost complete as is the Colt pocket model.

The P38,Luger,government .45,commander .45 are all gone.

The "combat" magnum is mostly small bits and pieces but for the most part is still there, it's just in BAD shape!

There is a lot of very competent guys around here when it comes to repairing Marushins ect.
Re gluing the LS models is possible but requires some nasty stuff.
If somebody is really in pain over their old LS broken up send me a PM or mail, i might be able to help. (I also started out with LS and loved it)

I'm pleased I found this thread, albeit late but it brings back memories. These were brilliant kits. Full size and looked so realistic. No blocked revlolver barrels etc. You could see the plastic bullet heads through the revolver cylinder. I even lightly brushed a few edges with silver paint to make them look like metal.

During the early 1980's I had:

Mauser military m96
Walther P38
Colt 45 Commander
Colt Python .357 4"
AKM assault rifle

My AKM was the last addition. The problem with that model was the rifle butt didn't fix securely because it was slightly weighted. I remember replacing a connecting screw to help. That was sold at a car boot sale in the late 80´s when I had to have a big clearout during a house move. I can remember the man walking off with it with glee.

All the handguns went to a charity shop would you believe - some lucky person got them cheap. Hopefully not children

I had a school friend who got the M16, which was the one I always wanted. He brought it into school to show us all LOL. Imagine that happening today.

I'm starting to see some more information about the company on the web but will dig a bit deeper. I found one blog with some catalogue posters.

As you say, these were relatively inexpensive and a great introduction to model guns. Even though they didn't fire anything, they could still operate to some extent as the originals would. Shame I wasn't able to keep these.

Here's the only remaining photo I have of my old LS AKM kit. I never liked the original orange colour magazine so I painted it black. Very poor quality due to it being a rubbish 110 camera. A teenagers bedroom

On the shelf at the bottom of the photo you can just about see the LS Mauser and my Sussex Armoury replica model Colt Peacemaker. I got the Peacemaker on special offer from Sussex Armoury because it had a sub-standard gun blue. I subsequently stripped it back to metal using wire wool. At first I thought it looked better but after a while I decided I should have left it alone!

Look at what I found! From a UK seller, so no postage fees! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305157798781?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230823115209%26meid%3Dc42f3302c62a45b4b632ad6887b01dba%26pid%3D101800%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D305157798781%26itm%3D305157798781%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2SignedOut&_trksid=p4375194.c101800.m5481&_trkparms=parentrq%3Ad91c30d918a0a8ccb3fa465dffffde68%7Cpageci%3Af0cd5228-5d92-11ee-896c-2614a8e2e530%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage

Hello Deerhunter!

Thank you so much for your posts and for sharing your memories.

I have to admit I felt sad learning how you had to let your beloved collection go. But I was also happy to learn about the golden memories you have preserved.

Also that is a very cool bedroom for any teenager, even today. Mine was not as cool for sure.

Greetings from Germany!

SunHill999 wrote:

Look at what I found! From a UK seller, so no postage fees! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305157798781?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230823115209%26meid%3Dc42f3302c62a45b4b632ad6887b01dba%26pid%3D101800%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D305157798781%26itm%3D305157798781%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2SignedOut&_trksid=p4375194.c101800.m5481&_trkparms=parentrq%3Ad91c30d918a0a8ccb3fa465dffffde68%7Cpageci%3Af0cd5228-5d92-11ee-896c-2614a8e2e530%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage

That reminds me, I had one of those too. I used it for my Vietnam war era webbing set - looked quite good. I don't think I have any photos but will check.