1:72 Sturmhaubitze 42 - 10.5 cm StuH 42 L/28 - gun barrel with resin mantlet cover (straight barrel version without muzzle brake)

The real subject

The Sturmhaubitze 42 came about by mounting a 10.5 cm howitzer, 28 calibers long, on the proven chassis of the assault gun. Against the long anti-tank barrel it is short and thick, so the vehicle has a different silhouette at first glance. On later machines the muzzle brake was dropped and the barrel stayed straight all the way to the muzzle. It is this version that the set matches.

What the set contains

A turned barrel in 1:72 scale and a resin mantlet cover to go with it. The barrel is straight, round along its whole length and has a drilled muzzle, so there is no gluing of two halves and no filling afterwards. The mantlet cover is a separate part and meets the barrel in the front wall of the superstructure. The two complement each other: metal holds the shape of a thin cylinder, resin copes with the broken surface of the cover.

Building and painting tips

• On the resin cover, cut the surplus material away with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the rest off.
• Wash and degrease both parts before painting; with resin this matters especially.
• The parts are not polystyrene; they are bonded with super glue (cyanoacrylate).
• Fit the mantlet cover dry first and only then try the barrel through it.
• On metal use a primer meant for metal surfaces, otherwise the paint rubs off.
• Sand the resin part wet and with a mask on; its dust has no business in your lungs.

Who it is for

It suits modelers of German vehicles in 1:72 scale who want the short howitzer clean and without a seam along its length. The combination of barrel and mantlet cover also deals with the whole front assembly at once, so you do not have to match a replacement barrel into the part from the box.

The barrel and the mantlet cover are supplied. The vehicle model, the paints and the glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.