# Confederate Raider



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Im surprised not much has been made of the kit's release. I got mine Friday. The kit is pretty well done and looks like a lot of fun. The box is nice and sturdy (about like the Moon Bus) and the repro instructions are a nice touch. Plastic colors are a bit different from the original (light grey and orange), but the molding is nice and clean. The kit is LARGE and once you get the parts out of the box, its hard to get them back in. I did notice a lot of broken parts... probably due to the parts not being protected or supported by big sprues. Most of the thinner straps and reins are broken in shipping, but should be easy to fix. Replacing all of them with lead tape/foil/flattened solder is a good idea also... you can shape it realistically.

I am a Breyer horse dealer and the kit horse looks very close to many of the Breyer pieces. Since all the tack is molded seperately, you should be able to swap horses if you want a more dramatic/different pose. For example, one of the new Breyer "Bonanza" TV horses is in a pose very similar to the kit box. The kit itself is not posed the same as the box art...


----------



## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

I had no broken parts when my kit arrived, so it's hard to say which is the norm. As I always have trouble getting all those parts back into the box, I usually cut down and toss out much of the sprue, leaving enough still attached to the part so I can use it as a handle for painting/cleanup. Once that's done, the parts all fit nicely.

I never had this kit as a kid -- it came out long before I started building -- but am looking forward to doing it.


----------



## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

I give Frank and Co. big thanks for this kit. Until recently I didn't even know this kit existed. Mines on the way and I can't wait to get started once it arrives.


----------



## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

Got mine on Tuesday, ordered a second on Saturday. Looks like a great and challenging kit. Thanks Moebius!


----------



## wolfman66 (Feb 18, 2006)

I got mine in the mail the other day and started on it earlier today:thumbsup:


----------



## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*It would be nice if those of you that recieved the kit , would post photos.*

*Z*


----------



## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

See post # 28 Z, for a few OOB pics.
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=279390&page=2


----------



## Mitchellmania (Feb 14, 2002)

This may sound blasphemous, but I'm gonna make him into General Ursus.


----------



## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

Blasphemous? Only turning him into a Yankee would do that (which is just what I'm gonna do! Heh heh!)


----------



## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

^ I've thought about doing that very same thing, too. I should look up what the Pennsylvania troops wore during that period. 

Sean


----------



## Dave Metzner (Jan 1, 1970)

The cut of the uniform might be pretty much the same on both sides -differences would be in details... rank badges and insignia - Head gear would also be an area of major diffference depending on the particular unit you want to depict!
Also I believe that the uniform as on the kit represents a general officer -
I think that it's possible that the kit was originally intended to be J.E.B. Stuart.. 

I doubt that the uniform would be the same for lower officer ranks on either side...
I'm pretty certainly it's not accurate for an enlisted man's uniform either North or South
My understanding is tha enlisted personel would not have worn a frock coat - rather a short jacket if any coat was worn at all.
Be interesting to see conversions depicting various Civil war cavalry units... Horse furniture would be similar for both sides - uniforms and probably weapons carried would be the major areas of work..


----------



## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

I'm not an expert but Dave Metzer is correct that this is not an enlisted mans unifrom coat. The weapons - rifles and pistols specifically - were remarkably similar with the Confederates using British made Enfield's and the Union employing Springfield's; which I have one hanging in my living room - with bayonet. Except to someone knowing subtle differences they look a lot alike. The Confederate rifles are also at least 10X more valuable now because of thier relative scarcity. The rifle with the kit does not look like either; more like a percussion-cap Winchester (No such thing BTW), but again I'm no expert.


----------



## wolfman66 (Feb 18, 2006)

Zathros said:


> *It would be nice if those of you that recieved the kit , would post photos.*
> 
> *Z*


After get done sanding some more on the seams of the horse and he is primed will try and post a pic of my progress tomorrow.:thumbsup:


----------



## aurora fan (Jan 18, 1999)

I want to thank the Moebius team for bringing back this classic. I've always wanted one and at last can own this great kit and look forward to purchasing one. 

It brings to mind questions and comments though...

The comments in the posts by Dave and Louspal cause me to wonder if the figure is meant to be a Confederate soldier or a Raider? 

The kit name "Confederate Raider" implies (to me) the figure is not regular army but a renegade, like "Quantrells Raiders", or for the Union, the "Yankee Red Legs" like potrayed in "The Outlaw Josey Wales". I'm sorry if I have my Civil War history screwed up by being a fan of that great movie. 

Also, I wonder did Aurora every intend to create a Union counterpart to this kit? 

This a great time for model builders. I can't believe the figure kits available to build! Never saw anything like it!


----------



## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

Looks Gooood!


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The kit title is not really accurate. It should be something like "Civil War Cavalry Officer". It's really generic for the most part. It is not really a "raider" per se, but someone like Stuart.


----------



## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

My question is this one.Is the uniform too far off to make a general Custer out of him.If the Apache Warrior would be issued,it would be interesting to put them in the same diorama.On the other hand,I don't remember which american indian tribe Custer fought,and if not against the Apaches,could that Apache Warrior be modified to look like he came from the proper american indian tribe.


----------



## Dave Metzner (Jan 1, 1970)

Custer is best known for wearing Buckskins - Uniforms for 7th Cavalry on the Plains would be greatly different from Civil War Confederate General Officer's uniform..
To Do Custer at the time of Little Bighorn you'll need to really make big revisions to the uniform coat - The Boots are also a problem in my mind as I've not seen the Knee high boots depicted on the kit in images of the 7th Cav on the plains...
Horse furniture might work for Custer with some work... Rifle and rifle scabbord probably needs work...
I think you could build Custer out of the kit but it would be a MAJOR conversion


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Custer also fought the Sioux IIRC

You can not easily make Custer out of the Raider kit as aside from the sword, you probably can't use ANY of the figure...


----------



## Dave Metzner (Jan 1, 1970)

Oh I think you could use the figure to do Custer but I'm sure that you'd spend an awful lot of time removing and replacing the uniform details..
Then too, you'd better have a little sculpting talent because George Custer's likeness is well known and doccumented - Confederate Raider's face doesn't look much like G.A. Custer!


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

It would be harder to try to use the kit figure to make Custer... Since every part of it needs to be 100% reworked, it would be easier to make a wire armature and start from scratch with sculpey and epoxy putty. Since Custer did not fight at the Little Big Horn on horseback anyway, its sort of moot. You could make Custer in his Civil War attire.


----------



## Mr. Franz (Apr 17, 2009)

I got a Raider for myself and one for a friend who hasn't built a kit in a decade but who has a strong interest in the Civil War. Thought you might enjoy his reaction: 

I opened the box and everything looks fine, nothing broken that I can see. Glad to see that “Bedford” (as he will be known from now on) is equipped with a captured Yankee repeating rifle. A few more of those and things would be very different today! Massachussetts boys would be building kits of that famous Yankee raider, Tecumseh Sherman, last to surrender in 1866.


----------



## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

Well,if Custer is out of the picture here,the famous Civil War generals are not.If a sculptor is clever enough to capitalize on this Civil war soldier kit reissue.Sculpting several optional replacement heads,which would consist of several of the famous officers from both sides.From general Lee to Grant,etc.


----------

