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On models do you like to see drilled/open gun barrels?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
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On models do you like to see drilled/open gun barrels?
Yes
No
I dont think it is important
Other (write in)

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Made in ca
Ghastly Grave Guard





Canada

I think it looks a lot better and I do it with all of mine now, though I didn't always. Mucking up a barrel is always a fear and it's happened to me a few times. Bolters and bolt pistols aren't a big deal but rarer weapons like combi-meltas really hurt when you bugger the whole thing up with the drill.
   
Made in us
Hardened Veteran Guardsman





Texas

I've drilled out some Heavy Bolters with just a drill bit (no handle, I still have cramps) so if you don't want to take a rediculous amount of time drilling every barrel in your army, I don't blame you at all. Just paint the tip black and voila.

"We have lost the element of surprise, and they do not fear us. Perhaps they will appreciate our devotion to the Emperor and our ruthless efficiency." 
   
Made in us
Flashy Flashgitz




Armageddon

I've seen too many barrels break over time because of it. I dont want that to happen to my minis. If its aint broke, dont drill a hole in it.

To many people here are too uppity and annoying about it though. I've had numerous experiences where I'm at a game store, showing off my cool newly painted (to a good standard) model, and some guy walks up, looks at it and says "drill out the barrels" Like no comment on the paint job or conversion work buddy? This has happened like 5 times already.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/07/02 05:28:51


"People say on their first meeting a Man and an Ork exchanged a long, hard look, didn't care much for what they saw, and shot each other dead." 
   
Made in us
Douglas Bader






Always drilled, at least on weapons that should have gun barrels as opposed to lenses/invisibly tiny holes/etc. A model with un-drilled barrels looks like , and takes a trivial amount of effort to fix the problem.

There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. 
   
Made in au
Grizzled Space Wolves Great Wolf





 Peregrine wrote:
Always drilled, at least on weapons that should have gun barrels as opposed to lenses/invisibly tiny holes/etc. A model with un-drilled barrels looks like , and takes a trivial amount of effort to fix the problem.
A model with an off centre drilled barrel looks even more IMO

I'm OCD when it comes to things that should be circular and concentric being slightly off, I have a pretty good eye for such things, so I tend to not drill my barrels because I can't live up to my own standards Many gun barrels on miniatures aren't perfectly circular when they're cast, so even if you drill a perfect hole in them, it simply highlights that the gun itself wasn't circular to begin with.

The times I have drilled barrels and been happy with the results, I wouldn't describe it as a trivial amount of effort.

I voted "I dont think it is important", though I do think models with perfectly drilled barrels look better, I err on the side of it not being worth the effort.

On a display model it's necessary to have hollow barrels, but that may very well be achieved by replacing the entire barrel. For model tanks, aircraft and ships there's a niche market of people making machined metal barrels to replace the plastic ones that come in kits as it makes sense if you have a display model that you're putting several hundred hours in to that the gun barrels are perfect and the best way to ensure that is have them machined out of metal.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/07/02 18:19:29


 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Outer Space, Apparently

I'd drill the barrels for all of my models if I had the correct tools. Sadly I don't have them as of yet

Personally I voted yes in the poll, but I've never really been so attentive to a model that I'm looking at that I check any weapon barrels to see if they've been drilled.

G.A

G.A - Should've called myself Ghost Ark

Makeup Whiskers? This is War Paint! 
   
Made in gb
Hooded Inquisitorial Interrogator






I do it on all of my own models (including metals), but I'm not bothered if others don't.

The biggest problem is that the ends of gun barrels are often very awkward places for getting the drill dead centre; so while I personally don't like to see my own models without drilled gun barrels, seeing them with off-centre holes is just as bad (worse even, as they're nothing to do about if you don't have a spare).

Fortunately on plastic it's fairly easy to mark the centre as a guide, but metal's a lot harder and I still have a ton of older metal models.

   
Made in sg
Troubled By Non-Compliant Worlds




Salamandastron

Models looks much better when they have have drilled barrels, but a similar effect can be achieved by just painting a black dot on the barrel, and that takes less time and doesn't affect the model's durability in any way.

Revenge is a dish best served with mayonnaise and those little cheesy things on sticks. 
   
Made in fr
Long-Range Land Speeder Pilot





Clermont De L'Oise

I like to see them drilled. Failing that a black dot is OK. I hate to see the end painted gun silver. All my bolter barrels are drilled.

TIP. You don't need a drill to drill out the end of a gun. I am talking boltgun size and up in plastic.
Just take a 1mm drill bit and twist with your fingers. Works great.

For metal. I wedge the 1mm drill bit in my scalpel handle for that extra torque.

Cheers, Vim

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Made in us
Damsel of the Lady





drinking tea in the snow

I honestly never even notice.

realism is a lie
 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Moustache-twirling Princeps





Gone-to-ground in the craters of Coventry

 amazingturtles wrote:
I honestly never even notice.
On the table, yes, barrel holes are usually overlooked.
But, if you showcase your model, the extra effort of drilling shows through.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/12/08 15:21:42


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Made in us
Ultramarine Librarian with Freaky Familiar





Southern California, USA

I personally can not stand the look of a barrel with a huge, flat end. But I also can not stand barrels that are even slightly off center. That's why I drill my bolters before I glue them on and buy some spares to boot.

Thought for the day: Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.
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Made in us
Damsel of the Lady





drinking tea in the snow

 Skinnereal wrote:
 amazingturtles wrote:
I honestly never even notice.
On the table, yes, barrel holes are usually overlooked.
But, if you showcase your model, the extra effort of drilling shows through.


For me, I'm not lying when i say i don't notice it unless someone takes the time to point it out. it definitely does look nice with them drilled, i'll freely admit that. but it doesn't really bother me at all if they aren't

realism is a lie
 
   
Made in us
Norn Queen






I drill mine on my nids/necrons. But I don't care about what anyone else does.

It stands out more with my armys because the gun itself tends to be a big contrast to the color i pick for tongues/gooey bits. So the inside of the barrel pops. Same with crons. Energy glowy color is different from the bulk of the model. I can see why IoM mostly would be unnoticeable though.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/02/08 19:13:54



These are my opinions. This is how I feel. Others may feel differently. This needs to be stated for some reason.
 
   
Made in us
Charing Cold One Knight





Sticksville, Texas

I do it if the model doesn't have an indent on the muzzle for the barrel. But even when I do have to drill them out myself, I use a scribe and put a dent in the center of the barrel, than drill just enough to get past the angles on the drill bit.

But, having a pin vise makes it a heck of a lot easier haha. This is mine, it is fairly heavy, so I just hold the barrel vertical and let the weight of the pin vise apply pressure while I twist it.
[Thumb - 20170209_133047.jpg]

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/02/09 20:33:40


 
   
Made in gb
Hooded Inquisitorial Interrogator






Definitely prefer drilled barrels, but I really need to get a better drill; it's fine for plastic and finecast, but I still have a ton of older metal models that I'm stripping and re-painting, and all of them need drilled (lots of them are Storm Bolters too).


That said, when it comes to other people's armies I'm not too snobbish; for me it's more important that an army is painted rather than having drilled out barrels, but even then it doesn't bother me if an army is unpainted if the player knows how to have fun (and doesn't mind reminding me what models are equipped with).

   
Made in it
Waaagh! Ork Warboss




Italy

I think it's mandatory I can't stand weapons without the hole. Not only weapons but anything that should have a hole must be drilled IMHO

 
   
Made in gb
Guardsman with Flashlight






Do I like to see it? Yes, do I bother myself? Nope.
   
Made in at
Stalwart Tribune





Austria

Yes, I do that on allmost every model.

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Made in gb
Sneaky Kommando






Yes but I have never done it my self

 
   
Made in us
Spawn of Chaos




I drilled my foot slogging wolves out. They looked better for it IMO. I will say, the Scarab Occult kit had combi-Bolters with properly drilled muzzles. (I bout lost my gak over that minor detail.) Hope the trend continues.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/07/13 15:48:36


 
   
Made in us
Stubborn Prosecutor





I like the idea and love it when the plastic model already has an open barrel. I'm generally not interested in doing the drilling myself. It's just easier to paint black.

Bender wrote:* Realise that despite the way people talk, this is not a professional sport played by demi gods, but rather a game of toy soldiers played by tired, inebriated human beings.


https://www.victorwardbooks.com/ Home of Dark Days series 
   
Made in de
Fresh-Faced New User





I always drill the barrels from the side first (if possible) and then the front. As the leader of my FLGS says: "How are your soldiers supposed to shoot if their weapons are blocked?"
   
Made in no
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!






I drill heavy bolters and similar large calibre weapons in my IG-army, but rarely all the way to the muzzle holes. Usually 1-2 mm only.
   
Made in us
Kid_Kyoto






Probably work

My GK are drilled out, and I think most of my heavy/special weapons are too. The standard IG aren't though, because i picture lasguns having a final lens at the end of the barrel, not really an open hole. I mean, it's a laser weapon. Only need to have the barrel to begin with is really to give the guy something to sight down and for focal length on any optics involved in the device, kinda like a camera or telescope.


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Made in us
Squishy Oil Squig





Indiana.

I've always thought it would be rad if there were push-fit bits that represent muzzle flares you could put into the barrels of guns for a little added... flare!

"Gork loves me, and Mork finks I is da best. No puny oomies is gonna kill me, not when da greenest gods in da galaxy is watchin’ me!"


 
   
Made in us
Stubborn Prosecutor





 BDconrad wrote:
I've always thought it would be rad if there were push-fit bits that represent muzzle flares you could put into the barrels of guns for a little added... flare!


You can get them from third parties. I 'll have to dig out a pic of mine - in addition to the flare there is a clearly visible furry brown hamster being ejected from the barrel.

Bender wrote:* Realise that despite the way people talk, this is not a professional sport played by demi gods, but rather a game of toy soldiers played by tired, inebriated human beings.


https://www.victorwardbooks.com/ Home of Dark Days series 
   
Made in gb
Blood Angel Terminator with Lightning Claws





Cloud City, Bespin

I drill plastic barrels, I have misdrilled metal ones in the past and now leave them alone.

I have seen pictures of the metal Dreadnoughts with countersunk auto launchers and want to do it to mine

I’m sure it’s just a pilot hole with a 3mm countersink

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Straight out if the pot, bang it on. What else is there to know?
 DV8 wrote:
Blood Angels Furioso Dreadnought should also be double-fisted.
 
   
Made in us
Stubborn Prosecutor





 ChargerIIC wrote:
 BDconrad wrote:
I've always thought it would be rad if there were push-fit bits that represent muzzle flares you could put into the barrels of guns for a little added... flare!


You can get them from third parties. I 'll have to dig out a pic of mine - in addition to the flare there is a clearly visible furry brown hamster being ejected from the barrel.


Found the pic:



Mother Khador uses only the finest armor piercing hamsters

Bender wrote:* Realise that despite the way people talk, this is not a professional sport played by demi gods, but rather a game of toy soldiers played by tired, inebriated human beings.


https://www.victorwardbooks.com/ Home of Dark Days series 
   
Made in pl
Fresh-Faced New User




I drilled all of my marines' boltguns. A lot of work but worth it!!!
   
 
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