King & Country · WWII U.S. Marines · USMC018
USMC018 depicts a Marine low on the ground, turned onto one side, with his Garand across his body and a fresh clip held in his raised hand. The fixed bayonet extends the rifle beyond the compact figure. Instead of showing a shot being fired, King & Country has chosen the brief interruption that every rifleman had to manage.
In the set: One reclining Marine reloading an M1 Garand.
What the raised hand is doing
The M1 Garand used an eight-round en-bloc clip loaded into its internal magazine. Its semi-automatic action allowed successive shots without manually operating a bolt after each one, but ammunition still had to be replenished. The loose clip is therefore the detail that explains both the figure’s hand position and its title.
It also separates this release from USMC031, whose prone Marine is moving into position with the rifle pointed ahead. Both are low figures, but one is occupied with feeding his weapon while the other is trying to bring it forward. The distinction is an action, not simply a different arrangement of legs.
Review
This is an unusually specific infantry subject. The turned head, bent upper body and small ammunition clip reward a close look, while the bayonet keeps the rifle unmistakable. The clip will be less apparent at a distance than a firing pose, but that small detail is exactly what makes the model interesting.
References: King & Country USMC018 release description and photographs; historical background. Review observations are based on the product reference photographs.
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