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ABER
German Tank MG34 Machine Gun Tips
barrels for turret mount

ABER 1:35 Set #35 L-83
Review by Terry Ashley


Introduction:
ABER have released this set of MG34 muzzle tips

for the turret co-axial MGs on German vehicles such as the Panzer III/IV, Tiger I/II, Panther and Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma.

The Set:
MG34muzzle sections which are cleanly turned in brass with the flash suppressor cone hollowed out to give a good appearance with no cleanup required, all quite simple really.

metal barrel parts
ABER

The barrels are optimised to be used with the current generation of kits that provide a separate co-axial MG34 meaning the mantlets already have a hole for the MG barrel, these include the AFV Club Tiger Is and Dragon's Panzer III/IVs, Tiger I/II, Panthers as well as the Sd.Kfz.234/2 Puma.

The newer Dragon Panzer III/IV kits include the hollow MG sleeve as an option with the ABER brass barrel fitting very snugly into the sleeve and you may have to drill though the inner mounting depending on the kit being used.

For both the AFV Club and Dragon Tiger Is it just a simple matter of replacing the kit barrel with the brass barrel as the mantlet hole is the correct size for a good fit, some older Tiger I kits such as those from Italeri or Tamiya may require a 1.3mm hole drilled through the mantlet to take the brass barrel section.

Similarly the new Dragon Puma has a hole already included in the mantlet and you simply add the brass barrel in place of the kit item. The ABER set can also be used to update update sets (no I haven't got the stammers). For this example I have updated the Voyager Models Panzer IV H/J barrel set #VBS0129 by cutting away the resin MG, drilling a 1.3mm hole and adding the brass barrel for improved definition.
The armoscale resin Puma mantlet/metal barrel (set #B35-075) has the mantlet drilled out for the brass barrel to again provide improved definition.

The kits this set can be used on is almost endless with only minor alterations required on older kits which is to cut away the kit MG barrel, drill a hole and add the metal barrel, all quite straightforward really.

The metal barrel fitted to the Dragon Panzer IIIJ and Panzer IVG MG collars.
ABER
Barrels fitted to AFV Club and Dragon Tiger I mantlets
ABER
ABER barrel fitted to the Dragon Puma (kit #6256)
and on the armoscale resin mantlet/metal barrel (set #B35-075)

ABER
ABER barrel used to update the Voyager Model resin Panzer IV H/J Mantlet (set #VBS0129)
ABER

Conclusion:
This set is cleanly produced without any cleanup required and can be used on any applicable kit with the newer generation kits mostly not requiring any modifications and only minor work on older kits

The 5 barrels per set is very good value allowing you update 5 kits from the one set.

Highly recommended

Airconnection carry the full range of ABER update sets and barrels.


Page created August 29, 2009