My MISB Cobra rifle range has grey battle stands instead of the blue ones featured in the archives.

Problem is, I opened the box. :(

Can anyone confirm this?

-PJ

Hey,

I'm pretty jealous of that set you've got--I have been trying to get a MISB of one myself. I've never heard of any grey stands coming with that piece--the only one I've seen personally had blue stands. The Lee's Guide to GI Joe Vehicles and Accessories has blue stands pictured with the Cobra Rifle Range set and as you pointed out, the Archive pictures have blue stands. So...my first question is: Are you absolutely sure that the set has never been opened? I know some dealers who are pretty adept at opening a box (to double check contents) and resealing them flawlessly. Do you know the precise history of the piece you've got? The grey battle stands that came with the Accessory Pack #3 from 1985 (in the Archive pictures--even though they are listed as green) would be my first consideration if the box was indeed opened. Do you have any pictures of the grey stands?

If we can safely assume that the box was never opened then you have a variant that I am personally unaware of. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Since they were released in the same year it could also have been some sort of factory error.

Sure, I admit I could be wrong. Personally, I don't want any more variants. They just drive the completists nuts :D

I just took the easy way out and replaced 'em with two blue ones I found w/o any stamp on the bottom.

-PJ

I will have to check mine. I think i have a mip one and I know I have a mail in version also to compared it to.

hmmmm. what set did the grey stands come with?
i got a small lot of range and some other set parts, and i got 2 grey stands with it.

I think the 1984 Missile Defense Unit came with dark grey battle stands and the 1985 Accessory Pack #3 came with light grey battle stands. Without pictures, my best hypothesis is that the stands were replaced by Accessory Pack versions from the same year. The mail order Rifle Range came with slightly different colored sandbags, firing embankment, and Firing Range sign--however the battle stands were still blue.

The other possibilities are of course that we have an unrecognized variant or a factory error.

P.S. Obi-Wan. My dad is from Bremerton--just outside of Seattle. He did an NROTC program at the U Dub and decided to become a fighter pilot. There were two training centers for Navy jet pilots: Beeville, Texas and Meridian, Mississippi. As you can tell he wound up in Mississippi. Spokane is in the eastern portion of Washington, right?

Daniel

Mine's blue, got it with the set when I bought it new. I guess I've been at it for awhile, huh?