1:72 Set of 2 barrels for German Heavy Tank MAUS

Set of two metal barrels for the Maus heavy tank — 1:72, Aber

Turned metal barrels in 1:72 scale from the Polish maker Aber. It is not a kit of a tank but a detail accessory for a model of the German Maus super-heavy tank. The package holds two barrels, because the vehicle carried two gun weapons side by side in the turret. The metal parts will replace the plastic castings; they are perfectly straight, with no parting line and with a drilled muzzle.

The real subject

The Maus was the heaviest tank ever built — its weight was over one hundred and eighty tons and only a few prototypes were finished by the end of the war. In the turret it carried a gun of a large caliber backed by a smaller coaxial weapon in the same mantlet, an arrangement you will find practically nowhere else. The vehicle was never committed to battle; the surviving machine is a museum exhibit today, put together from parts of the prototypes.

Building and painting tips

Cut the plastic barrels off as close to the mantlet as possible and clean both holes out with drills of the matching diameters. Glue the metal parts with cyanoacrylate glue; the heavier main weapon can be secured with epoxy. What matters most is that the two barrels are parallel to each other — check them dry from several angles. Degrease the metal before painting and lay down a base coat for metals. A prototype vehicle is commonly built in a base or a simply mottled finish, so light dust and worn edges suit it, rather than battle damage.

Who the set is for

• Builders of German prototypes and super-heavy vehicles in 1:72 scale
• Modelers who want both barrels in metal and straight
• Anyone bothered by a parting line on a barrel of a large caliber
• Builders of competition and display models

This is a detail accessory, not a complete model. Glue, paints and the base model are not included in the package.