1:35 88mm KwK36/L56 barrel for German Tank Tiger I, Ausf. E - with late muzzle brake

A barrel 88 mm KwK 36 for the Tiger I in 1:35 scale

A turned replacement barrel for a model of the heavy tank Tiger I in the Ausf. E version. According to the name it is a gun of 88 mm with a barrel length of L/56 and with the late form of the muzzle brake. Its placing in the branch of turned barrels shows that the part is made by machining, not by molding.

The real subject

The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of the Second World War, famous above all for its heavy frontal armor protection and precisely for its gun. The designation L/56 gives the length of the barrel in multiples of the caliber: at a caliber of 88 mm the barrel therefore comes to just under five meters. The muzzle brake at the end of the barrel led part of the gases off to the sides and reduced the recoil; during production its shape changed, so its form helps to tell which period a vehicle comes from.

• A replacement barrel for the 88 mm KwK 36 L/56 gun
• 1:35 scale, the subject being the Tiger I Ausf. E
• The late form of the muzzle brake
• A turned form, that is, a perfectly circular section
• The muzzle of the barrel is drilled and does not have to be opened

Why replace the barrel

A plastic barrel from a kit tends to be made of two halves and the seam left after joining them has to be sanded down, and in the sanding it easily loses its roundness. A turned part is circular along its whole length, stays straight and its muzzle is open. On a tank whose silhouette stands or falls with its long gun, that shows at first glance.

Building and painting tips

Try the seating of the barrel dry first and widen any opening in the turret carefully. Degrease the surface before painting and undercoat it with a base coat, as paint does not hold on a smooth part otherwise. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue in the tiniest drops.

The package holds the replacement barrel only. The kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.