1:35 StuG III ausf. G Topfblende mantlet with KwK40 gun (final muzzle brake)

The real subject

The StuG III is a German assault gun of the Second World War, built on the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw III tank. Its gun does not sit in a rotating turret but in a low box superstructure, which gave the vehicle a small silhouette and made manufacture easier. The Ausf. G version is the final and by far the most numerous. Late machines were given a rounded gun mantlet instead of the angular one, known as the Topfblende, and the muzzle brake of the gun changed as well: the individual forms differ from one another in shape and in the number of ports, and it is by them that a model can be placed in a particular production period.

What the set contains

A replacement rounded gun mantlet in the Topfblende form and a 7.5 cm gun barrel ending in a muzzle brake of the final form, both for a model in 1:35 scale. The barrel is a turned part, so it has an accurate round section along its whole length, an open muzzle, and the cleaning up of lengthwise production marks is avoided.

Building and painting tips

Cut the original barrel off a little behind the root and level the cut surface; widen the opening in the front of the superstructure carefully with a round file if needed, so that the new part sits without strain. Try the assembly dry and check that the barrel points straight from the side and from above. Glue it with a small amount of super glue. Before painting, wash the parts, degrease them and apply a thin coat of primer. On real vehicles the muzzle brake tends to be sooty, and a darker tone laid on with a dry brush looks good on it.

• 1:35 scale
• rounded gun mantlet in the Topfblende form
• 7.5 cm gun barrel with a muzzle brake of the final form
• turned barrel with an accurate round section
• the matching kit is given in the manufacturer's instructions

Terms of supply

The vehicle kit, paints and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.