1:35 M68 Gun barrel for IDF Merkava 2B&D MBT

1:35 M68 gun barrel for the Merkava (PANZER ART)

A replacement barrel from the Polish maker PANZER ART for models of the Israeli Merkava main battle tank in the Mk.2B and Mk.2D versions in 1:35 scale. It replaces the plastic barrel from the kit, which comes split into two halves from the factory. It is not a model of the tank but a single replacement part.

The real subject

The M68 gun of 105 millimeter caliber is a licensed version of a British gun that became the Western standard for decades and was carried by a whole range of tanks from the Pattons to the early Abrams. In the Israeli Merkava it was the basic armament of the first two generations. The Merkava itself is built around the protection of its crew: the engine is at the front, so it forms a further obstacle ahead of the fighting compartment, and at the rear it has a door through which the crew can get out even under fire.

Building and painting tips

First wash the part with lukewarm water and dish soap, so that production residue disappears from the surface. Cut off the remains of the support, level the surface and protect your breathing while sanding. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Once it is fitted, check whether the barrel sits level, best by looking along the edge of the table. It pays to paint the thermal sleeve of the barrel a shade different from the rest of the gun, because on the real vehicle it is a different material and the detail comes alive on the model that way.

Who the part is for

• Builders of Israeli equipment in 1:35 scale
• Owners of second-generation Merkava models
• Modelers who are bothered by the mold seam on a plastic barrel
• More experienced builders used to working with resin