1:72 Italian 90mm L/53 gun barrel (Cannone da 90/53)

The real subject

The Italian 90 mm gun with a barrel 53 calibers long was among the most effective weapons the Italian army had in the Second World War. It served as a towed gun, rode on the bed of the Lancia 3Ro truck and also reached a tracked platform as a self-propelled gun in the early version designated M41M. The designation 90/53 reads as the caliber and the barrel length in multiples of the caliber, not as two different calibers.

What the set contains

A turned replacement barrel in 1:72 scale. Compared with the kit barrel it has a perfectly round cross-section with no trace of manufacture along its whole length, it stays straight even at this slenderness, and the muzzle is genuinely drilled out rather than merely suggested. On a long barrel of this kind it is the straightness that you notice first on the finished model.

Building and painting tips

• Test fit the barrel dry and check that it lines up with its seat in the gun shield or in the mantlet.
• The part is not polystyrene, so bond it with super glue.
• Wash and degrease the barrel before painting; paint will not hold on greasy metal.
• Use a primer intended for metal, otherwise the paint rubs off when the model is handled.
• Fit the barrel only after painting, so that you never have to bend it in your fingers.
• Darken the inside of the muzzle; it adds depth even in a small scale.

Who it is for

It suits anyone building the towed gun, the self-propelled version or the Lancia with the gun on its bed in 1:72 scale who does not want to struggle with a barrel glued together from two halves. The swap takes a few minutes and shows more on the result than most interior work.

A turned barrel is supplied. The vehicle or gun model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.