Flintlock ‘Pirate’ Pistol 1:1 Scale Lindberg Model Kit #78001 Review

RoR SnapShot Review 20130707*  
Flintlock ‘Pirate’ Pistol 1:1 Scale Lindberg Model Kit #78001 Review
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Review and Photos by Frank MacKay

Research on the internet reveals that this particular pistol was modeled after a magnificent matched pair on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of art (www.metmuseum.org). They are carved from single ivory tusks with sterling silver fittings and are the work of master gunsmith Leonardus Graeff, who worked in Aachen 1675-85. Blackbeard and other famous pirates are pictured on the box art but have no connection to the actual firearms whatsoever.

For the Modeler: This is a 1:1 scale, skill level 2, Lindberg Flintlock Pistol #78001 kit. There are four pistols currently on the market in this series, this one being the ‘Dutch Flintlock’. Although they are back on the market to cater to the recent pirate movie craze, these are in fact very old kits. They were first released in the 1960’s by Pyro, then by Lifelike, Revell and now Lindberg. This kit is fairly basic, comprising two trees with approximately 20 white plastic parts with instructions and no decals. There were some significant sink holes, flash and ejector pin marks on my example. Assuming you don’t want to paint it like the original ivory tusk, there is a great deal of latitude in color preference. Building proceeds from the inside out; there is a simple trigger mechanism inside which looks like it was once meant to be functional, but several pieces have been omitted. Mating the stock to the barrel was the most difficult part of the build. The fit is poor and lots of gap filling and sanding are required. You may wish to insert a .45 cal plastic or paper tube inside the barrel to hide the fact that the entire model is hollow. The lock and frizzen are beautifully molded and realistic. The flint supplied is just a plastic block and requires quite a bit of work to make it look rock-like. I recommend replacing it with an actual stone chip. Curiously, there is no touch hole in the pan, so you have to drill one into the side of the barrel. I filled the pan with scale coal soaked in white glue to simulate the coarse gunpowder of the day. The worst part of the build was trying to fit the ramrod into the two brackets under the barrel. They must be filed paper thin and the groove must be enlarged to get the rod in. Note that the tamper at the end has been omitted from the box art illustration because the modeler couldn’t get it to fit. It can be done but with much effort.

Overall: All things considered, I can recommend this kit for anyone who is looking for something unusual as a change from their normal modeling diet. It will afford you the opportunity of practicing metal and wood finishes and weathering them on a much larger scale than on any other model. I found it an enriching and educational project, but your coping skills will certainly be put to the test. It’s truly a shame that manufacturers are unwilling to produce more 1:1 scale firearms kits. There would certainly be demand for them and sadly, these Lindberg kits are currently about the only ones on the market.

About the Builder: Frank MacKay is an Ontario, Canada based builder that loves a challenge. While normally making contest quality figures and aircraft Frank took a break to produce this stunning representation of an unusual subject. We’re glad he did!

 
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