1:35 ZU-23-2

A metal replacement for the ZU-23-2 barrels

The accessory replaces the barrels on a model of the Soviet ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun in 1:35 scale. The barrels are turned from metal, have an open muzzle and hold a straight axis along their whole length. A long thin part is meanwhile the most vulnerable piece of the whole build in plastic: it bends, it thins out while being cleaned up and the muzzle stays blind. A metal barrel cuts that part of the build down to a few minutes.

The real subject

The ZU-23-2 is a towed gun with two barrels of 23 mm caliber, intended against low-flying targets and commonly used against ground targets too. It is moved on a two-wheeled carriage and in the firing position it rests on spread-out outriggers. Besides standing on its own it turns up on the beds of trucks and on off-road vehicles, so on a model it ends up either as a weapon in its own right or as the armament of a vehicle in a diorama.

Building tips

• Cut off the plastic barrel just past the transition into the mounting and level the remainder with a file.
• Drill the seating for the pin of the barrel slowly and keep testing it dry.
• Use cyanoacrylate; metal will not join with cement for polystyrene.
• Line both barrels up at the same elevation; on a pair the difference is immediately visible.
• Degrease the metal and lay down a primer, and only then paint.

What the delivery contains

Turned barrels are supplied according to the manufacturer's packaging. The model of the gun, a vehicle, paints and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.