1:72 T34/85 ammo boxes with 85 mm ammunition

1:72 T34/85 ammo boxes with 85 mm ammunition from Black Dog model

A resin set in 1:72 scale: ammunition boxes with 85 mm rounds, that is the ammunition fired by the Soviet T-34/85 medium tank. It is not a kit of the tank but a modeling accessory. The boxes can be stowed on the hull of the tank, on the platform of a truck or spread around a diorama as a scene of loading and replenishing ammunition.

The real subject

The T-34/85 was the rearmed version of the famous Soviet medium tank. The original gun of smaller caliber was no longer enough against the later German machines, and so the T-34 received a larger turret for three men and a gun of 85 mm caliber. It was exactly this combination of mobility, sloping armor and heavier armament that made it one of the most built tanks of the war. Replenishing ammunition was hard manual work on a tank, with the boxes stacked on the hull and the rounds passed into the turret through the hatch, which is a rewarding scene for a diorama.

Usage and painting tips

Wash the resin in lukewarm soapy water and remove the mold release. Cut the casting blocks off with a sharp saw over a tray, as the parts are small and easily jump away. Sand with respiratory protection and bond with super glue. So that the scene does not look artificial, do not paint the boxes uniformly: vary the shade of the wood, the degree of wear along the edges and the amount of dust. Tone the cartridge cases down with a glaze over a metallic shade, otherwise in a small scale they glare too much. Keep the arrangement irregular; an open box and a few loose rounds build a story better than a tidy row.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building the T-34/85 in 1:72 scale.
• Builders of dioramas with Soviet equipment and supply scenes.
• Anyone interested in small resin accessories with experience of cyanoacrylate.
• Modelers who want to fill an empty vehicle hull.