What about a Japanese company called"L&S"

Back when I was a schoolboy, L&S started selling 1:1 plastic (i.e. polystyrene) models of pistols - initially a range of two; the Walther P38, and .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. They'd have been in most model shops (at affordable prices) around 1970 onwards. Their range slowly expanded - it included a.25" Colt pocket pistol, a S&W "Chief's Special", Colt Detective...and then, out of the blue, they released kits of an M16A1, XM177, AKM, and AKMS. I bought one of each, and subsequently also bought a cheap "Lomo" Russian camera, which (to get the hang of it) I quickly put a couple of rolls of 35mm film through, and dropped off to be printed. The following day I received a visit from Special Branch (no, REALLY) who were now in posession of my prints - including some really nice closeups of a Kalash and an Armalite both assembled and field stripped. What had particularly caught their eye was the vacuum-plated (fake) ammunition which came with both weapons.

L&S had a rocky time of it: I understand that at some point, their factory burned to the ground, and they had to start again from scratch*. But - as vouched for by my visit from the local cops - some of the kits that they made were VERY good indeed. I STILL own several of their pieces, and - amazingly (considering their age!) - they're still in pretty good condition. As the decades passed, they moved from producing detailed self-assembly kits of weapons that could be field-stripped into "Airsoft", and a strange intermediate (and apparently long forgotten) stage of long-arms that fired bright orange waisted plastic pellets that looked like a typical airgun round. I still have a Mk2 STEN, and a 1928 Thompson made by L&S whichfired these strange projectiles. As a kid, MGC guns were objects of much desire to me... but not really affordable. L&S kits however.... They also brought out a range of cheap "extras" - working Colt 4X scopes for the Armalites, a bayonet an scabbard for the M16, a USAF pattern pilots' survival knife (with a silvery vacuum-plated blade) plus both American AND German grenades.

It's kind of sad that they've been totally ignored here; they were historically significant. They were the "Woolworths" which (later) allowed Tokyo Marui to be "Harrods".

* Their early S&W revolver models had accurately rendered cylinders. with stops set into them to lock the cylinder when the round is aligned with the barrel; after the fire, they clearly needed new moulds; the newer ones were missing the engraved stops, which had been replaced by a less realistic small ridge.

Thank you for all that information!
L&S was not so much ignored, as less known (at the very least for me when writing these seed posts). Your contribution helps a lot :-)

Ron, welcome to the forum. LS models have not been ignored they have been brought up a few times, its just theres not a huge amount you can discuss on them once you have spoken about them, pretty much like Denix replicas.
modelguns, as they can fire have all sorts of problems in firing, damage, spare parts etc etc, as they can be used there is more to share on how to improve them maintain then etc. LS i would think bring back a lot of memories to many UK members (not sure if they were as popular in other countries), i hade a good many of them as you say they were affordable and were very accurate.
I have been tempted at times to pick up some old kits when they come up on some sites but the cost usually goes to high, close to what what a better constructed working model can be bought for sometimes and to me an LS kit is not worth that much.
Most of us i would think no longer have any models left for one reason or the next so as you seem to still have a good number put some pics of them we all love a bit of nostalgia.

Cerwyn wrote:

Welcome to the Forum Ron.


Here's a couple of links to information on here about the LS models which may be of interest to you

 https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t192-ls-models?highlight=LS+Models

https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t1960-ls-light-sportssells PICTURES of LS boxart!

Thanks very much for your added info too. It's really appreciated 

Having stirred my own memories (Beatties for Marushin, but a small model shop on the A38 called "Nobby's Hobbies" for L&S stuff) I reached for Google, and was amazed by just how MUCH information there is out there about a long defunct maker of plastic models.

I too found some excellent links - a Spaniard who's clearly obsessed with L&S, and has a blog about their products, a link to a Japanese site which seems to be a clone of the original company's website, and even a nutcase who sells photographs of the boxes in which the kits were sold.

Sadly, due to forum rules, you'll have to wait for 6 days before I'm allowed to share the URLs, or any snapshots of my OWN collection. I had forgotten just how MANY different fiirearm models LS made: well over 100!

So I'm able to post the links!

Firstly, a Spanish collector with a blog about LS kits:Spanish blog

Secondly a Japanese site, with tons of photographs of the kits, and even the catalogues!Jap site

Thirdly a HUGE collection of snapshots of box art, unmade kits.... [url=public.fotki.com/mdlrk/models-/model-kit-reference/11-weaponry/]Photo gallery[/url]

Looking at the old catalogues, and kits reminded me of just how seductive these inexpensive kits were... and how fragile they were. I must have owned most of them... and later threw most of them out because you really CAN'T make a good copy of something that was originally steel out of polystyrene: it just doesn't have the structural strength. But I still DO have a handfull, (which have survived several decades.) R.I.P. Ron Clarke, the proprietor of "Nobbies Hobbies".

Ron Walker wrote:

Cerwyn wrote:

Welcome to the Forum Ron.


Here's a couple of links to information on here about the LS models which may be of interest to you

 https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t192-ls-models?highlight=LS+Models

https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t1960-ls-light-sportssells PICTURES of LS boxart!

Thanks very much for your added info too. It's really appreciated 

Having stirred my own memories (Beatties for Marushin, but a small model shop on the A38 called "Nobby's Hobbies" for L&S stuff) I reached for Google, and was amazed by just how MUCH information there is out there about a long defunct maker of plastic models.

I too found some excellent links - a Spaniard who's clearly obsessed with L&S, and has a blog about their products, a link to a Japanese site which seems to be a clone of the original company's website, and even a nutcase who sells photographs of the boxes in which the kits were sold.

Sadly, due to forum rules, you'll have to wait for 6 days before I'm allowed to share the URLs, or any snapshots of my OWN collection. I had forgotten just how MANY different fiirearm models LS made: well over 100!

Hi Ron, I´m really flattered that you refers to my blog and I really had fun reading you qualifying me as obsessed    (there is some truth in this, especially by childhood memories it brings to mind). The truth is that I have this blog neglected for lack of time. Also, the high price at which they are selling these models, is stopping me when acquiring new old models. Occasionally  I consult auctions in Japan(http://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/v430527060?lang=en), despite having to pay import taxes, the final price plus taxes, usually is cheaper than what is currently offered on eBay.
I also appreciate very much the explanations that you have offered on the evolution and end of the Brand.

A very cordial greeting.

I have yet to find time to assemble these kits:



In these years I could only ride this Japanese hand grenade, type 97:

I can't understand WHY somebody would collect plastic kits and then not assemble them!,although with hindsight having already assembled most of the range, I'd not bother doing so again with the S&W Chiefs Special for example. (It really WAS both a poor and inaccurate model) I have only ONE surviving pistol kit from the LS range, and that's the Colt Detective; it still looks as if it's a real pistol. But I have lots of surviving rifles and SMGs - pretty good, if you knew how many times I've moved house since buying them!

Thanks for the link to the auction site! I'm going to spend AGES browsing it, and will eventually place a bid, and discover how hard/easy it is to ship what looks like it might be military hardware to the Isle of Man.