1:72 German 75mm KwK 40 L/48 gun barrel for Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.J

Metal gun barrel 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 for the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J - 1:72, Aber

A turned metal gun barrel in 1:72 scale from the Polish manufacturer Aber. It is not a kit of the tank but a detail accessory that replaces the plastic barrel in a model of the last production version of the Panzer IV. The metal part is straight, with no seam line and with a genuinely drilled muzzle, so sanding, filling and the subsequent touching up of a glued barrel are all avoided.

The real subject

The Panzer IV Ausf. J was the last and simplest production version, into which the economies of wartime production were written - the electric drive for traversing the turret disappeared in favor of a greater volume of fuel tanks, and a number of parts were simplified. The weapon remained the KwK 40 gun of 75 mm caliber with a length of 48 calibers and a two-chamber muzzle brake, that is the longer and more effective variant than on the early F2 version. The vehicles were commonly built with side skirts and a coat of anti-magnetic paste.

Building and painting tips

Cut the plastic barrel off with a saw at the face of the mantlet, clean the opening out with a drill and glue the metal part in with super glue. Check the axis dry, while the part can still be pulled out. Degrease the metal before painting and apply a primer for metals. On late vehicles it pays to rub the paint off the edges of the muzzle brake - bare metal appears there naturally, and it lends the model a sense of scale.

Who the barrel is for

• Builders of German tracked vehicles in 1:72 scale
• Anyone interested in the late production versions of the Panzer IV
• Modelers who want a straight barrel with a drilled muzzle
• Builders of competition and display models

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