1:35 Barrels for British WWI Tank Mk.I Male – 6 pdr. gun x 2 pcs. & 8mm Hotchkiss m.1909 x 3 pcs.

Set of barrels for the British Mk.I Male tank 1:35 – a turned set from Aber

This turned metal set from the Polish maker Aber in 1:35 scale holds, according to the name, two barrels for 6-pounder guns and three barrels for Hotchkiss model 1909 machine guns for the British Mk.I tank in the Male version of the First World War. The metal parts have no seam from the mold parting line, they keep an exact circular cross section and the muzzles are drilled out. The set is an accessory to the kit and does not hold the model of the vehicle itself.

The real subject

The British Mk.I tank was the first tank in the world to be committed to battle and it went into action on the Somme in 1916. The characteristic rhomboid hull shape, with the tracks running around the whole outline, was to cope with trenches and a churned-up battlefield. The vehicle was built in two versions: the Male carried two 6-pounder guns in its side sponsons, backed by machine guns, while the Female version was armed with machine guns only. The 6-pounder gun corresponds to a caliber of 57 mm.

Building and painting tips

The turned barrel is fitted in place of the plastic part, which usually has to be cut off, and the hole in the mantlet or shield carefully opened out with a round file. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue or two-part epoxy, and on heavier parts it is worth reinforcing the joint. Degrease the metal with alcohol before painting and apply a primer, otherwise the paint holds badly. We recommend blackening the muzzle and knocking back the inside to a matte finish; the outer surface takes light drybrushing with a metallic pigment and some wear at the muzzle.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building the British Mk.I Male tank in 1:35 scale
• Anyone interested in First World War vehicles
• Anyone who wants seamless metal barrels instead of the plastic parts
• Advanced modelers working with metal accessories

This is a detail set, not a model of the vehicle. The base kit, glue, paints and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.