Be careful with boiling water. I used that method with Airfix U.S. Cavalry and the swords and scabbards simply shriveled up. I'd be worried Strelets plastic may also. However I do use hot tap water before bending the parts for conversions (repositioning arms). I just hold it in place until cooled. I haven't needed cold water yet, but probably will for more extreme conversions.

I haven't had trouble with Strelets plastic so far but thanks for the warning about Airfix figs. I've got a few bent muskets in the Waterloo gift set,I'll approach those with caution.

Just a note, my experience with Waterloo 1815 and A Call To Arms (ACTA) in that super light tan color, is they use a stiff plastic. I recommend you do any bending or hot water repositioning before you do any shaving/trimming of flash around guns and thin pieces. I trimmed the flash off my ACTA Zulu War British guns then bent the barrels back to normal, and they all eventually cracked and broke where there were sharp corners.

Thank heavans that other company came out with their excellent Islandwana and Rorkes Drift British in a much more user friendly plastic. Hope it helps!

Funny, of 21 sets of my Union Cavalry Skirmishing, or 42 sprews, not one of my figures had a bent rifle like the painted picture. Not even the other figure's rifles either.