1:35 76 mm M1A2 Barrel for M4A3E8 Sherman - without Muzzle Brake (for Tamiya Kits)

The gun that gave the Sherman a second wind

The older American gun was of little help on the Western Front in 1944 against the frontal armor of German medium tanks, and so a longer weapon of 76 mm caliber began to be mounted in the turrets. The M1A2 version received a steeper twist of the rifling, which stabilized the heavier projectile, and a thread at the muzzle prepared for a muzzle brake. A number of vehicles reached the front before the brakes themselves, however, so only a protective ring went onto the thread, and that is exactly how the barrel in this package looks.

The Easy Eight and its appearance

The M4A3E8 received wider tracks and HVSS suspension, thanks to which the nickname Easy Eight caught on so well that it is known today even by someone who takes no interest in tanks. The vehicles served until the end of the war in Europe and then again in Korea, where they met Soviet T-34/85s. The combination of a smooth cast turret, wide tracks and a long barrel without a brake is among the most recognizable silhouettes of the whole line.

What the model gains

There are three reasons for the exchange. A metal barrel has no lengthwise trace of the mold, which on a plastic part has to be sanded away even at the cost of losing the circular cross section. The muzzle is turned out all the way through, so you do not have to drill. And the weight of the metal keeps a long barrel in line even when the model stands in a display case for years. The part is designed for kits from Tamiya, so the seating of the pin matches their version of the turret and the fitting manages without alterations. Before spraying, the workpiece is merely degreased and given a primer intended for metal; otherwise the shade of the turret and of the barrel would not agree once dry, and the difference would show in precisely the place everyone looks at first.