1:35 PzKpfw IV Ausf F2 Gun Barrel 75mm KwK 40 L/43 for RFM/Border/Takom kit

A replacement for the plastic barrel of the Panzer IV Ausf. F2

The separately made barrel goes in place of the part from the box and rids the model of the lengthwise seam that tends to be clearly visible once it is painted. The shape of the muzzle brake and the bore mouth are finished, so there is no drilling, filling or subsequent sanding. The manufacturer offers it for Panzer IV Ausf. F2 kits from Rye Field Model, Border Model and Takom.

The Ausf. F2 and the rearming of the Panzer IV

Until the spring of 1942 the German Panzer IV carried the short 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24, good against fortifications but weak against armor. Encounters with the Soviet T-34 and KV forced the designers to reach for a longer weapon: the Ausf. F2 version received the 75 mm KwK 40 gun, 43 calibers long, and with it a considerably higher muzzle velocity. The bulbous single-chamber muzzle brake became its recognition mark. It was exactly this change that turned a support vehicle into a full-fledged tank killer.

Fitting it to the model

The opening in the turret mantlet sometimes needs widening slightly, so try everything dry first. Secure the joint with a drop of cyanoacrylate glue and line the barrel up with the axis of the turret before the glue sets.

It suits

• builders of German vehicles from the early period of the Eastern Front
• modelers bothered by a visible seam on the barrel
• completing kits from the brands named, in 1:35 scale
• dioramas from the fighting of 1942

The package contains the replacement weapon only, not the whole vehicle.