LS Japanse Kit Guns

[CaptChunkyChew]

So I picked up a box at an antiques market yesterday marked for £20, and opened it to find an untouched plastic Smith & Wesson M19 kit gun from the 80's or 90's, however I can't find any info anywhere online about it. I know it could genuinely be worth money, but I REAALLLY want to build and paint this thing...
Pics to follow. Branded LS M19 combat magnum.

 

[nivektunk]

Good find my friend. I used to collect these as a young man in the late 70's and 80's. £20 is a steal of a deal. I've been picking them up off ebay for significantly more ($150 - $300) so enjoy building it.
Cheers,
Kevin

 

[19narvik40]

I had most of those kits way back, turned them into sci-fi blasters about ten years ago. You can see the five blasters here in this thread, Ray Gun Show Off Thread!
Some of the LS guns have been sporadically re-releasedby a Korean model company in the last 5 years or so. The LS kits go for big money on evilbay and other collector sites. LS still makes some single shot airsoft guns like the Sten, Thompson, M-16 and M-16 with grenade launcher.

I had the S&W M-19, it was a great kit. Just a heads up, the kits are not styrene but ABS plastic so make sure you use the proper glue. Don't use superglue as it doesn't flex and you'll find yourself regluing any of the moving parts like the hammer. Here are a couple of flyers that used to come with the kits.

 

[CaptChunkyChew]

Good find my friend. I used to collect these as a young man in the late 70's and 80's. £20 is a steal of a deal. I've been picking them up off ebay for significantly more ($150 - $300) so enjoy building it.
Cheers,
Kevin

Exactly the thing, I am at a point in my life where I could use £150-£300 much more than I could use a model Smith and Wesson... dilemma

 

[joberg]

Great thread...I had forgotten about those ABS weapons. Question for the experts: I had a 1:1 Winchester (plastic kit) but, despite Web research, I haven't been able to find the brand (they also made all of your fav 1:1 Western guns) Anybody?

 

[terryhimself]

The rifle was a Winchester 1873 lever action, The manufacturer was Pyro. You might find one searching E Bay.

 

[skiffy]

Wow - talk about a history trip! I had a few of those kits in the 80's - the Vienam era M16, the 357 Python, Colt 1911, Walther P38. Probably others I don't remember.

I made the M16 into a blester rifle back the day, sadly no pics exist.

 

[19narvik40]

Exactly the thing, I am at a point in my life where I could use £150-£300 much more than I could use a model Smith and Wesson... dilemma

Cptn',

It may prove to be more difficult to sell the kit than to keep it. I'm sure you are aware of all the regulations and restrictions regarding even replica firearms in the UK, they might just get in your way should you post it for sale. No point having HM government seizing it as an illegal piece.

 

[Krel]

Those flyers don't show all the kits they had. Back in the late 79's/early 80's, I once saw a P38 with a silencer and U.N.C.L.E. Special type grips. I would have bought the kit, but it appeared to pieces missing.

I wonder when, and why they quit selling the kits.

David.

 

[19narvik40]

Great thread...I had forgotten about those ABS weapons. Question for the experts: I had a 1:1 Winchester (plastic kit) but, despite Web research, I haven't been able to find the brand (they also made all of your fav 1:1 Western guns) Anybody?

This is what one of the releases the Winchester kit looked like,

Pyro also made three 'western' revolvers, the Colt Civil War Navy .36

the Western 44,

and the Peacemaker 45.

 

[19narvik40]

Those flyers don't show all the kits they had. Back in the late 79's/early 80's, I once saw a P38 with a silencer and U.N.C.L.E. Special type grips. I would have bought the kit, but it appeared to pieces missing.

I wonder when, and why they quit selling the kits.

David.

David,

By the late '70s, early 80's companies like MGC, Marushin and Hudson had started to release their plug fire cap kits and the older LS kits couldn't beat them. The new models where made of tougher ABS and had metal moving parts. You could disassemble then just like the real version of the gun. When you put a cap into the brass rounds that came with the kit, you could 'shoot' them and if it was a semiautomatic, the slide would be pushed back and the shell ejected. I have a dozen or so of those types.

 

[CaptChunkyChew]

Cptn',

It may prove to be more difficult to sell the kit than to keep it. I'm sure you are aware of all the regulations and restrictions regarding even replica firearms in the UK, they might just get in your way should you post it for sale. No point having HM government seizing it as an illegal piece.

There is a small community of PFC gun enthusiasts in the UK, and I have seen a couple of the LS models sold on ebay recently, however you do have a point, I could do without the long arm of the law coming my way just for trying to sell it. It is however in disassambled kit form so i have no idea.

 

[incrediblefruit]

Made a pulse rifle out of my old Thompson...

 

[joberg]

This is what one of the releases the Winchester kit looked like,
View attachment 1530817

Pyro also made three 'western' revolvers, the Colt Civil War Navy .36
View attachment 1530821

the Western 44,
View attachment 1530819

and the Peacemaker 45.
View attachment 1530820

Yeah!! That's it Thanks for those pics 19narvik40...memories!!

 

[sstnickg]

This is what one of the releases the Winchester kit looked like,
View attachment 1530817

Pyro also made three 'western' revolvers, the Colt Civil War Navy .36
View attachment 1530821

the Western 44,
View attachment 1530819

and the Peacemaker 45.
View attachment 1530820

I had the "western 44", I loved it- eventualy tried to turn it into a sci fi gun [epic fail], but pre dating Firefly by about 25 years [at least].
Long gone now-ah the memories!

 

[19narvik40]

There is a small community of PFC gun enthusiasts in the UK, and I have seen a couple of the LS models sold on ebay recently, however you do have a point, I could do without the long arm of the law coming my way just for trying to sell it. It is however in disassambled kit form so i have no idea.

Being in kit form may make the difference. Your best bet would be to quietly check the regulations just to be sure, it never hurts to be informed.

 

[Rook 3]

Man, I remember those from the old Collector's Armory catalogs in the 1980s! Never bought one but always wanted to. Especially considering how cheap they were back then.

 

[chazzychaz]

David,

By the late '70s, early 80's companies like MGC, Marushin and Hudson had started to release their plug fire cap kits and the older LS kits couldn't beat them. The new models where made of tougher ABS and had metal moving parts. You could disassemble then just like the real version of the gun. When you put a cap into the brass rounds that came with the kit, you could 'shoot' them and if it was a semiautomatic, the slide would be pushed back and the shell ejected. I have a dozen or so of those types.
View attachment 1530824

Marushin oh this brings back good memories. LS and crown were good too.

 

[Krel]

David,

By the late '70s, early 80's companies like MGC, Marushin and Hudson had started to release their plug fire cap kits and the older LS kits couldn't beat them. The new models where made of tougher ABS and had metal moving parts. You could disassemble then just like the real version of the gun. When you put a cap into the brass rounds that came with the kit, you could 'shoot' them and if it was a semiautomatic, the slide would be pushed back and the shell ejected. I have a dozen or so of those types.
View attachment 1530824

I have that P38 model, but no caps. They also had a set of different length barrels, which was always out of stock when I ordered it.

David.

 

[19narvik40]

"Marushin oh this brings back good memories. LS and crown were good too."

Chazzychaz,

LS and Crown were total assembly kits. Marushin kits are more like replicas than kits. Later Marushin and the other companies offered them prebuilt.