1:35 StuG IIIG welded mantlet with KwK40L48 gun (double baffle muzzle brake)

A barrel with a welded mantlet for the StuG III Ausf. G

An accessory to the model of the German assault gun StuG III Ausf. G in 1:35 scale. It replaces the barrel and mantlet from the kit with a version having an angular welded mantlet. The barrel belongs to a gun of 7.5 cm caliber in a length of 48 calibers and ends in a double-baffle muzzle brake. The turned part has an even muzzle and the same wall thickness all the way round, so the filling of a lengthwise joint, with which work on split plastic barrels usually begins, is avoided.

The real subject

The Germans built the StuG III assault gun on the chassis of the Panzer III tank. The gun was mounted directly in the hull, so the vehicle had no rotating turret and was built low. The Ausf. G version was made in the largest numbers and went through a series of partial changes; the angular welded barrel mantlet belongs to its older form, while later vehicles were given a mantlet cast in a conical shape. A barrel length of 48 calibers means that the barrel is forty-eight times longer than its caliber.

Building and painting tips

• Try the seating of the part in the hull front dry on your particular kit.
• Cut the excess material off a little way from the part with a sharp blade and sand the rest down.
• Wash the part in lukewarm water with dish soap before painting and degrease it.
• Hold the smooth surface with an undercoat, otherwise the paint rubs off the barrel.
• The glue suitable for the material used is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

What the delivery contains

This is an accessory to a kit, not a model in its own right. The vehicle model, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.