1:35 Barrel with canvas cover for PaK97/38

Barrel with a canvas cover for the PaK 97/38 1:35 (PANZER ART)

A resin detail part in 1:35 scale meant to replace the barrel on the model of the German 7.5 cm PaK 97/38 antitank gun. The casting is made with a canvas cover drawn over the muzzle of the barrel, that is in the state in which the gun was moved and waited in position. It is not a kit of the gun but an accessory to a model you already own.

The real subject

The PaK 97/38 came about by joining a 75 mm gun of French origin with the carriage of the German PaK 38 antitank gun. Its characteristic features are a massive ball-shaped muzzle brake and a fairly short barrel, which differs markedly from the slender German antitank guns. It is exactly the shape of the muzzle brake and the transition from the barrel to the breech that tend to be simplified on plastic models, because they are hard to form in plastic. A canvas cover on the muzzle was a common protection for the bore of field guns against dirt and damp.

Building and painting tips

Wash the part in warm water with dish soap to free it of release agent, and cut the casting block off with a saw; level the place of the cut so that the barrel sits true to the axis in its mounting. Check the alignment with the trails and the shield, as a crooked barrel shows at once on a finished model. It is glued with super glue. When painting, set the metal part of the barrel apart from the canvas: metal takes a light lift with graphite or a dark metallic shade on the edges, while the canvas cover calls for a matte, rather lighter base, highlighted tops of the folds and a light wash in the hollows, so that the texture stands out. Add dust and mud only at the end, to the lower part and around the muzzle.

Who the part is for

• modelers building a PaK 97/38 in 1:35 scale who are not satisfied with the plastic barrel from the box
• makers of dioramas with an artillery position where the gun is not firing
• builders who want to add detail without touching the rest of the model
• more experienced modelers used to working with resin

This is a resin accessory, not a complete kit. The part is supplied unpainted; paints, glue and the base model are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.