(Login toadman1) Registered Users from IP address 146.74.1.99
I'm trying to line up a few more Sherman projects and I was wondering if anyone produced a metal 76mm M1A1/A2 type barrel. I plan on using them for a couple of post-war E4 conversions.
This is an excellent choice for very early 76mm Shermans, as the early 76mm barrels didn't have the mounting threads for the muzzle brake. The Lion Marc barrel is better for later Shermans that did have the muzzle brake threads and used a protective ring to cover the threads. I bought several Fine Molds StuG III G barrels with muzzle brakes at the AMPS convention in April, for my Hobby Boss M4A3E8s. I'll adjust the length as needed, but the muzzle brakes are perfect - the US copied the standard German double-baffle muzzle brake design.
Hi Bruce , thanks for the information- you learn something new each day
BTW- Armorscale do a final Pz.IV 7.5cm gun. Is this the muzzle brake that is very similar to the ones that appeared on the late M4A3 76's and that you talk amout from the Fine Molds Stug set?
Paul, the Armorscale barrel you'd want to get the US style muzzle brake is # 48-010, PzKpfw IV ausf H/J (mid model). What you want is the muzzle brake that has the front and rear baffles ground down to a flattened curve top and bottom. The late version has a full round rear baffle, and the final version has both baffles round and a much lighter construction overall. HTH, BC
Track48 carries the Armorscale barrels, so you can look them up on the shop website (at the left on the home page). Select "Armorscale" by brand in the second box, and their whole line will pop up. When you compare the PzKpfw IV barrels, you'll see what I was describing. As I said, the Hobby Boss US muzzle brakes for the Easy Eight Shermans are a bit small for my liking, but they are not tiny, so some could use them without a problem. I've already bought the Fine Molds barrels, so I'll have big muzzle brakes (all very Freudian, I'm sure... ).
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