1:700 Set of 18 pcs 20 mm L/65 C/38 gun barrels for German war ships

20 mm C/38 barrels for German ships 1:700 — Aber

A set of eighteen turned metal barrels in 1:700 scale from the Polish manufacturer Aber. It is not a ship kit but a detail accessory: the barrels replace the plastic parts of the light anti-aircraft automatic cannons of 20 mm caliber on models of German warships. Even at such a small scale, turned metal keeps the thin cylindrical shape that injection-molded plastic cannot produce because of the draft angles of the mold.

The real subject

The automatic cannon of 20 mm caliber with a barrel 65 calibers long, in the C/38 version, replaced the older C/30 pattern in the Kriegsmarine. It offered a higher rate of fire and became the most widely used light anti-aircraft weapon on surface ships and submarines alike. It was used both in single mounts and in the well-known quadruple mount, so larger ships carried a great many of them.

Fitting and painting tips

Cut the plastic barrel off as close to the mount as possible with a sharp scalpel and level the face with a file. Drill the hole for the pin of the metal barrel with a micro drill bit gradually, in small steps, so that the thin plastic does not tear. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) in a genuinely small amount, as any excess shows immediately at this scale. Degrease the metal before painting and apply a primer intended for metals, otherwise neither acrylic nor enamel will hold. Fit the barrels only after the superstructure has been painted, so that they do not bend while it is handled.

Who the set is for

• Builders of Kriegsmarine models in 1:700 scale
• Modelers who want to refine a numerous anti-aircraft armament
• More experienced modelers used to working with small metal parts
• Collectors of Second World War ships

This is a detail accessory, not a complete ship kit. Glue, paints and the base model are not included in the package.