ACTION MAN
Accessories - Radios, Utensils, Explosives and Misc.
Period: All Periods
Dates: 1966 until 1984
Various Cat Nos
Action Man Accessories:
Action Man came with hundreds of small accessories over the 1966 - 1984 period. This page highlights some of the more common pieces to help you piece together information as to their given name, function, and to which figures they belong to. Many items came with more than one figure, and the referenced uniforms below are by no means comprehensive. By careful study of the accessories Action Man carries it is possible to tell them apart from 'knock-off' reproduction pieces made both at the time by competitors, and since (namely the 40th range of 2006). Many tiny 'tells' are visible that can place an accessory at a specific date, or with a specific set as some of the accessories underwent revisions to their manufacture or colouring. Most Accessories were available either on pocket money priced 'Equipment Cards' or as part of a larger uniform set. Perhaps the best ready-made collections of accessories were the Special Operations Kit bag of 1972 - packed with many items and the Secret Mission to Dragon Island Set of 1975.
Notes:
Some, but not all Action Man items had ©HASBRO maker mark from the earlier (US lead) period. MADE IN HONG KONG featured on some of the bigger items thereafter. There are a lot of 'knock-off' pieces that are period copies of the official Action Man Equipment so care is needed in identifying fake for real. 30th and 40th Anniversary versions of most of these accessories also exist which are generally hard to differentiate between.
Action Man Radios and Telephones
Action Man Command Post Field Telephone and Field Radio 1966
Action Man Command Post Field Telephone and Field Radio 1966
Action Man Command Post Field Telephone and Field Radio 1966 - strap configuration.
Action Man Telephone with common brown case. Rare grey case - part of the rare Air Police Set 1966
Action Man blue1969 Base Camp Radio - same as Field radio but without straps and moulded in blue. (Lid is missing from top in this pic)
Action Man Field Radio - 1967 Early issue camo type with standard barrel type hinges. Issued with American Green Beret and first issue French Resistance Fighter (SOTC and some of the SOTW). Hard type plastic. Dark green issued with Sabotage sets. Buy replacement stickers here
Action Man Field Radio - later 1970s issue issue dark green progressing to a lighter green type with push in tabbed hinge and front tab catch. Issued with later Sabotage sets and later French Resistance Fighter (SOTW). Softer type plastic. Buy replacement stickers here
Action Man Field Radio early version from above showing paper dials sticker and Morse Code 'Tapper' (Telegraph Key) and Headphone contents correctly stowed away. Buy Replacement stickers here
Action Man Field Radio - later 1970s issue issue dark green progressing to light green type back view of hinges. Softer plastic version.
Action Man first issue 'talking' battery operated Field Radio - Issued with Field Commander. A second design was produced after this version which differs slightly in detail. Buy replacement stickers here
Action Man first issue 'talking' Field Radio - rear view
Action Man Armoured Car Commander Radio. Buy replacement stickers here
Action Man Mobile Phone / Walkie Talkie for Field Training Exercise set
Action Man Tank Commander and Field Commander radio headphones / headset. End of wire should have a brass jack plug (plugs into battery operated 'Field Radio'.
Action Man Tools and Utensils
First issue Action Man Mess Tin closed c.1966
Action Man Mess Tin Contents - Knife Fork Spoon. Early issue had hard plastic utensils, later issue progressively softer (bendy) cutlery.
Action Man Cine Camera (RMET)
Action Man Snake Bite Kit (RMET)
Action Man Mess Tin and Canteen 1966
Action Man Canteen (Water Bottle). 1: First issue 1966 with covers (varying shades) HASBRO marked. 2: Action Team (foreign) version with rear clip 9and site). 3: Later issue 1970s hollow soft plastic.
Action Man Mugs - different plastics / castings. First issue 1972 (far left), later issues to the right. Came in Special Operations Kit / Colditz sets amongst others
Action Man Primus Stove for cooking. Early issue (left) with solid burner, later issue (right) with ring burner. Metal arms are separate items and required assembly.
Action Man Base Camp Billy Can and Storm Lamp
Buy replacement Action Man rope to restore this figure.
Action Man Grenades, Explosives and Ballistics
Action Man Grenades: Left to right - German Stormtrooper Stick Grenades, 'Pineapple' frag grenades (top pair with ring from Infantry Support Weapons flack vest), and Russian Infantryman Grenade with ring.
1966 Action Man Dynamite / TNT sticks. Early issue with darker fuses (left) and later with turquoise in original pack (right). Fuses are regularly broken off. With Sabotage and Special Operations Kit amongst other sets
1969 Action Man Detonator with Sabotage sets. Black version also available as part of SAS sets.
Action Man SAS detonator.
Action Man 81-MM Mortar rounds (left) and Tommy Gunn Carl Gustav shells (right)
Action Man 105mm Light Gun shells
Action Man Bazooka shells
Action Man Ammunition Boxes etc
Action Man first issue Ammunition Boxes - Navy (Navy Attack Sailor) and Army (Bivouac Pup Tent Soldier) 1966. Lids hinge from on side and early GI Joe type stencil lettering. These ammo boxes are paired up with the Browning Machine Gun.
Action Man Ammo Boxes (l to r) with later lettering (handle missing), later no-text version, and Medical Box from late issue Medic (34314). The handle goes missing easily and its hard to imagine why Hasbro designed a break in the catches that allows the metal hinge to pass through and cone free.
1967 Action Man Russian Infantryman Ammo Box with separate lid.
Action Man Tools: Spades, Entrenching Tools, Picks, Axes etc
1: 1977 Indian Brave hatchet. 2: 1967 Axe (Crash Crew, Fireman etc). 3: 1970 Hammer (Underwater Explorer). 4 1979 Fireman's Axe. 5: 1967 Sledge Hammer (Deep Sea Diver). 6: 1967 Pick Axe (Construction Engineer). 7 Ice Pick (Mountaineer).
Action Man digging equipment: 1: 1967 Early Entrenching Tool (Australian Jungle Fighter). 2: 1972 Entrenching Tool (Special Operations Kit). 3. 1966 First issue Entrenching Tool (Combat Soldier) with screw collar neck. NB - The shovel head cannot be hinged back / forward without first unscrewing collar!. 4: 1967 Construction Spade (there was also a green version of this included with the Armoured Jeep). 5: Tommy Gunn spade.
Miscellaneous
Action Man Compasses - Left: Compass (Polar Explorer version came with clear plastic surround and tie. Middle: Deep Sea Divers: - Early (also contained the compass design to the right) and late paper sticker version. Right: Field Training Exercise, Secret Mission to Dragon Island, Colditz Escape Officer etc
Action Man Maps: (Left to right) 1966 Land Map and case (Command Post). 1969 Polar Explorer Map and case. Unidentified. 30th map case. Back: Secret Mission to Dragon Island Map. BUY reproduction maps here
ACTION MAN REPLACEMENT MAPS
Buy repro maps from the UAMHQ Shop here
Action Man Binoculars: (Left to right) 1966 (Navy Attack / Landing Signals Officer, Tank Commander etc). Later issue c.1975 with rubber strap (German Staff Officer / Secret Mission to Dragon Island etc. 1969 Red Sabotage set binoculars.
Action Man Depth Gauge / Watch (Underwater Explorer and Frogman / Divers)
Action Man Torches: (Left to right) 1: 1974 Colditz Escape Officer type. 2: 1967 Crash Crew / Fireman type 3: Knock-off?
Action Man Sextant from Polar Explorer and SAS Beachead Attack sets. Left: 2nd issue (first issue contained silver paintwork). Right: 40th Anniversary edition of the 1st issue Sextant. Note differences - placement of arrow tip, and circular mould mark on left of flat surface.
