3/60th Rifles

[johnm]

I'm thinking of painting a unit of 3/60th Rifles for the AZW, but what colour is rifle green, is it black, if so how would you paint it?

Cheers

John

[janner]

Rifle Green = very dark green (almost black). In this case with red piping on collar and cuffs.

Like the green over there

[Invisible officer]

Rifle Green = very dark green (almost black). In this case with red piping on collar and cuffs.

Like the green over there

In fact in Victorian times much darker. But not in South Africa, UV bleached it very fast. 4 weeks there and....

[janner]

Much darker than 'very dark green (almost black)' you mean - that would be black then

[jazbo]

To give you some practical guidance, I used Vallejo "black green" as the base colour. Then used army painter dark tone to create very dark shading. It looks good.

[Cubster]

I used the Citadel 'Dark Angels Green' as a base for my 95th Rifles and it was a bit too bright to work up from. Perhaps a black base and then the 'Dark Angels Green' as the next stage up.

[Invisible officer]

Much darker than 'very dark green (almost black)' you mean - that would be black then

Exactly, in that time Rifle green cloth was nearly black at production. My original Victorian rifle unit tunics are all still very dark.
The black facings on some are sometimes hard to distinguish on items hidden in boxes for decades.

The reason given for that in books is that the cloth was not very UV resistant, so they made it darker from the start. I guess it may be a kind of fashion too. Black is beautyf....

Napoleonic Rifle green was lighter, in Spain often very much faded. And today modern UV resistant colour allows another approach, it's parade ground only so not worn outside for long times anyway.

[armchairsaxon]

Is the uniform the same as the other infantry? Just a different colour?

[Invisible officer]

Is the uniform the same as the other infantry? Just a different colour?

The tunic worn in Africa was very similar cut but only 5 buttons. A problem are the bayonets, Rifles had the sword bayonet. The Officers had another sword too but the difference is not so big.

Unlike other units the 60th wore the helmet in Africa with the helmet plate, a big maltese cross. The leather equipment black. NCO chevrons on both arms! The waist belt had a snake hook, not the usual plate one.

[Cubster]

Rifle Green = very dark green (almost black).

In fact in Victorian times much darker.

..in that time Rifle green cloth was nearly black at production.

Comedy gold.