F34 76.2mm Barrel for T-34-76
LionMarc Model Designs Set No. LM18000
1:48th Scale
Review by Terry Ashley
There is no cleanup required but comparing the barrel length to the reduced 1:35 plans in the Model Fan Encyclopaedia #5 T-34-Stalin's War Horse and Modelist Konstruktor Medium Tank T-34 see the exposed length 2.5mm too long, the Hobby Boss kit barrels are also too long by just over 2.5mm which may have led to the metal barrel length discrepancy.
It is a very simple matter to rectify this when fitting the barrel to the Hobby Boss kits, with the metal barrel being a straight replacement for the plastic kit barrel which is fitted into the opening in the gun assembly (parts F41, F42) and you simply need to cut 2.5mm from the upper front section of this assembly and fit the metal barrel 2.5mm further back than designed.
While the barrel is designed for the Hobby Boss kits, it can also be fitted to the Tamiya T-34 kit (#32515) but you have to drill out the locating hole in the kit mantlet and insert the barrel until just 36.8mm is exposed (the actual 1:48 barrel length along the top measurement).
Conclusion:
A nicely machined barrel that is easy to fit being a straight replacement for
the kit barrel and the minor alteration for the correct barrel length easy
to perform making for a simple update for either the Hobby
Boss or Tamiya T-34 kits.
Recommended.
Thanks to Leo from LionMarc Model Designs and my credit card for the review set.
Page created September 28, 2006