Vietnam Era Figure Manufacturers - 20mm

The following list was compiled by our very own Garry Owen. Thanks very much for all the hard work!  

Elhiem Figures
https://www.elhiem.co.uk/ourshop/cat_811852-Vietnam.html
This line of 20mm Vietnam figures continues to grow. They are beautifully sculpted and nicely proportioned figures. In my opinion, the best on the market.  Nearly all are shown in photos. There are civilians in traditional peasant clothing. There is a variety of crew served weapons with exquisite detail. NVA with AK-47s, RPDs, RPGs (actually RPG-7) and with RPG-2s, snipers, medics, gunners, sappers with satchel charges and with bangelores.  VC in conical straw hats with AK-47s, SKSs, M-1 carbines, RPGs, and RPDs. There are VC in soft hats with AK-47s, VC male and female snipers, VC crewmen, MG gunners, and prone sappers. South Vietnamese  have ARVN squad and command; Mike Force squad and HQ. The US has helicopter pilots, infantry squad figures with multiple poses of M-16s, M-60s, M-79s and M-203s. Also NCOs with XM-177, NCOs with M-16s, field HQ set, spotter and RTO, weapons crews, sniper, recoilless rifleman, and the three figure personality set based on Apocalypse Now. Also MACV SOG, has two sets with the odd weapons they carried. There is also a French in Indo-China range, but no VietMinh.

Britannia Miniatures
https://www.grubbytanks.com/product-category/britannia-miniatures/20mm-vietnam-conflict/
These are nice figures, but are of the chunky build, including the Vietnamese. The page linked above, says “coming soon’, but if you click on the different groups, all of the items can be added to your basket. The figure listings do not have any photos. They have US infantry or Marines wearing flak vests without rucksacks, Special Forces, Helicopter crews (note: these are very difficult to squeeze into 1/72 helicopter models), downed helicopter crew, vehicle crews including dismounted crews, and artillery gunners.  There are figures called Australian Task Force, There are NVA with all the squad level weapons wearing helmets with cloth covers that are rarely seen, VC in conical hats with interesting weapons, PPsh41/43, MaT49, CZK M 27, M1 carbine, M1A1 bazooka, M2 carbine, M3A1, SKS. There are sappers that could be used as either NVA or VC, but they have no helmets. They do the airmobile 105mm howitzer, fire support base, hooches, water buffalo, pot bellied pigs, NVA AA bunker, riverine craft and vehicles.

Liberation Miniatures/ RH Models
http://www.rhmodels.com/34.html
Nice figures with a wide variety. Many on the list have been NYA (not yet available) for years.
There are US Marines with M-14s and M-60s, in flak vests, U S infantry with M-16s and M-60s. No flak vest for the infantry, but they have rucksacks. There is a variety of Australians. For South Vietnam, only a driver and some Special Forces. Variety of NVA with the usual squad weapons, but surprisingly, none of the ones I have wear the common chest ammo pouch web gear. There is a variety of VC with different weapons and some are in bush hats, bareheaded, and peasant hats. Some vehicles are also available.

SHQ Miniatures
http://www.shqminiatures.co.uk/Ranges/Vietnam/Vietnammain.php?UID=20200506214857162.200.129.159
Of all of the figures I have listed here, SHQ are the smallest. I commonly use their excellent helicopter crew as they fit in the 1/72 plastic models well. Their codes US 27 and 28 are seated infantry that fit nicely as infantry to be in the open cargo bays of your Hueys, in jeeps, etc. The figures are nicely sculpted. I only use their US figures for indigenous troops as they are the perfect size for them. They have U S infantry, US Special Forces, Helicopter crew, South Vietnamese and Viet Cong. Also vehicles, including two gun trucks I have not seen.

RAFM Miniatures
http://www.rafm.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RAF&Category_Code=CCM
RAFM have US Army and Marine figures, VC and NVA. I have very few of these. Size wise they seem okay to me with the Elheim, Britannia, Liberation, Wartime, and Platoon 20

Platoon 20 Miniatures
https://shop.eastridingminiatures.co.uk/vietnam-wars-51-c.asp
These are older figures, but I use a lot of their NVA which I like. I use some of their US. I use all of their civilians. The website has many photos. They have US Army, Marines, Special Forces, casualties, a few other items, NVA, VC, ARVN, Kit Carson scouts, Montagnards. There are also Australians and a few Pathet Lao/Khmer Rouge.

Under Fire Miniatures
http://www.underfireminiatures.com/page17.htm
This is a small range. They are well sculpted, but noticeably taller than any others listed here. The website has photos. Seal Commando, USSF with Swedish K, a few US infantry and a set of civilians with one NVA ready to have a banner added.

Wartime Miniatures
http://www.wartimeminiatures.com.au/
I am including the link to his website, but his web store is currently closed. It appears that the Vietnam line is no longer available. He did NVA and US infantry. They fit with nearly all of the above lines and the quality was nice. I personally thought some of the US poses were rather stiff. No flak vest or rucksacks. Some RPG gunners had very nice poses.

Qualiticast Miniatures
For years these have been like the Holy Grail of 20mm Vietnam miniatures. Long gone. I have a few of the NVA figures and they are very nice. The Elheim line is very similar to them in my opinion.

Sgt Major Miniatures
https://www.facebook.com/Sgt-Major-Miniatures-360752727334358/
All I could find is this Facebook link. It does not look too promising to me. Their figures fit in with the others above except for SHQ (as US) and perhaps Under Fire. I personally never cared for their sculpts, but I have some NVA as they were the only ones I could find with SKSs.

The SHQ website is now officially gone due to Pete's retirement from the hobby. Not sure who's got the range now.

BravoSix wrote:The SHQ website is now officially gone due to Pete's retirement from the hobby. Not sure who's got the range now.

ian armstrong is taking it over and new website

https://shqltd.com/

BravoSix wrote:

Qualiticast Miniatures
For years these have been like the Holy Grail of 20mm Vietnam miniatures. Long gone. I have a few of the NVA figures and they are very nice. The Elheim line is very similar to them in my opinion.

A great summary - I actually have some Qualiticast US Vietnam figures that I am currently painting up along with a whole Company's worth of others. Hopefully soon I can post some pics.

Elhiem makes some African militia that would work pretty well for Local Force VC. What I like is that they are armed with Ppsh41 SMGs. I like LFVC with a variety of weapons.

I think Elhiem are excellent quality figures, but so far, the LFVC are mostly wearing conical peasant hats. You rarely see that in photos of LFVC, although I have read of a very few eyewitness accounts that document it.

The only VC Elhiem makes in soft hats have AK-47s, so they are probably more appropriate for Main Force VC.

Here is the link to the African Militia with the PpSh41s.

https://www.elhiem.co.uk/ourshop/prod_3225539-TRB07-African-Militia-vintage-Soviet-Ppsh41-SMGs.html

One figure in the above pack is wearing a beret which is not so good. Elhiem does sell Oriental heads in bush hats:

https://www.elhiem.co.uk/shop/search.php?q=hed62&searchbutton=Search

Swapping heads in 20mm is not too bad of a job to do. You do not need to do that many swaps.

This set of African militia would give your local VC some variety in weapons.

Tom

Battle Valor Games now produces many of the old Sgt. Majors Miniatures ranges, waiting for an answer if they are going to also make/produce the 20mm Vietnam Figures.

http://www.battlevalorgames.com/index.aspx

-BadMoon

Bit of threadomancy here, but in my searches I have found but one prone M-60 team in all of Vietnam 20mmdom---by Platoon 20. (I bought 2 packs so I could have 2 teams!) Am I correct or are there other prone '60 sculpts out there, in 20mm?

I'm pretty sure our own airbubbles who owns Liberation Miniatures has one. But I'll let him weigh in and confirm.

BravoSix wrote:I'm pretty sure our own airbubbles who owns Liberation Miniatures has one. But I'll let him weigh in and confirm.

Only a US Marine one in flak jacket ...

Firefight 20, carried/made by Skytrex, have a line of riverine craft in 20mm.

Nice, Darryl. Add the Britannia PBR and you have a fairly nice selection.

Tom

Garryowen wrote:Nice, Darryl. Add the Britannia PBR and you have a fairly nice selection.

Tom

Theres also the Dan Cohen range of boats and the SDD range of boats .. both OOP .

Theres an SDD monitor on ebay at the moment with alot parts missing ..

air bubbles wrote:

Garryowen wrote:Nice, Darryl. Add the Britannia PBR and you have a fairly nice selection.

Tom

Theres also the Dan Cohen range of boats and the SDD range of boats .. both OOP .

Theres an SDD monitor on ebay at the moment with alot parts missing ..

got a link to the sdd monitor ?

under fire miniatures new website .

https://underfireminiatures.co.uk/

Under Fire are nice figures, but noticeably taller than other 20mm. I use the medic and figure with the Swedish K. No one in a game has ever commented about their size.

20mm figures with Swedish Ks are not easy to find. Sometimes you have to have the figure. I have a platoon of the Mobile Guerrilla Force and needed Bo Gritz with one. Voila!!

Tom

Caliver have a range of 20mm Vietnam figures, l suspect they have been acquired from another manufacturer and they are hidden away under the Minifigs section.

http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Catalogue.aspx?ScaleID=14&CategoryID=73&SubCategoryID=342

For some reason all I got from the link is a blank page.

Tom

Garryowen wrote:For some reason all I got from the link is a blank page.

Tom

Odd, l get the webpage!

Orion have added some plastic Vietcong et NVA. It seems US marines are on their way too ?

Try this link for the 20mm range from Caliver.

http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Catalogue.aspx?ScaleID=14&CategoryID=73

Still no luck, Dr. X. I thought it might be my VPN. I turned it off and still did not work. I went to the Caliver website and tried using their search function. Still no luck.

I really don't need any more 20mm Vietnam figures anyway. And it sure looks like I won't be getting any from Caliver.

Mad Max wrote:Orion have added some plastic Vietcong et NVA. It seems US marines are on their way too ?

Yes, I am painting up a Main Force Company at the moment. I have posted pics of the figures elsewhere in the Intel section. I'm looking forward to the US Marines too.

A new range of VC in  20mm from a friend of mine here in Australia.  With exchange rates and relatively low cost postage they may be cost effective for some of you 20mm players.

https://simonssoldiers.com/shop/ols/categories/viet-cong

Nice-looking figures. I see he has a good range of WWII French figures too.

Late to the party on this one too. RAFM does a prone
M60 gunner in their Charlie Company USMC range. Pretty
good sculpt!