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3.7cm Flak37 Barrel
Lion Roar 1:35 set #LB3513
Review by Terry Ashley

Tamiya Tamiya
The set:
Lion Roar produce this replacement FlaK36/37 barrel designed for the Tamiya kits Sd.Kfz.7/2 (kit #35144) and 3.7cm FlaK37 AA Gun (kit #35145) and consists of a single brass barrel that includes the machined flash suppressor with the barrel tube.

The FlaK18/36/37 was the intitial 3.7cm Flak used as stand alone AA gun or vehicle mounted and was supplimented with the later 3.7cm FlaK43 used with the "Ostwind" and other later AA mounts which had a higher rate of fire with a slimmer barrel as well as other minor changes to the gun.

Single piece barrel/flash suppressor
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Dimensionally the flash suppressor size matches the 1:35 plans in Panzer Tracks No.12 Flak Selbstfahrlafetten and Flakpanzer book perfectly but the barrel length is about 2mm longer than that indicated in the plans which in turn makes the overall length 2mm to long.

The flash suppressor is very nicely done and is fully hollowed out back past the collar gas holes with cleanly drilled holes in the flash suppressor without any cleanup needed. The only issue with the flash suppressor is the edges of the cone are a little on the thinker side compared to others available.
The barrel doesn't include the collar section and only has a small lip plus the locating pin for fitting to the kit gun receiver, this isn't a problem as you just cut off the kit barrel at the appropriate point.

Image showing flash suppressor with open holes
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Fitting the barrel to the Tamiya kits:
With the barrel and flash suppressor in the one part there is obviously no assembly other than fitting the barrel to the required kit. All that is required for this is to carefully cut off the plastic barrel level with the front of the collar, then drill an appropriate sized hole for the pin on the metal barrel which is then attached to the kit gun.

Fitting the barrel to the Tamiya Flak 37
Lion roar
Assembled barrel on Flak37 from the Tamiya Sd.Kfz.7/2
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Comparison of available Flak37 barrels, the white lines
indicate the dimensions as per the 1:35 plans in the
Panzer Tracks No.12 Flak Selbstfahrlafetten and Flakpanzer book.

Flak37

Conclusion:
While the flash suppressor matches the Panzer Tracts plans the cone rim is a little thick and the barrel length is 2mm longer then the plans indicate, other than this it is a nicely detailed barrel that will improve the look of the kit barrels.

Recommended

Thanks to me Credit Card and Lucky Model for the review set.



Page created March 22, 2009