CGM Prod. 1/35 M3 105mm Mountain Howitzer, Complete, 5/11/09

Modeling Subjects Armor
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To all my armor friends…I’m back (after my little flight in heilo land)

As usual I build something different!!

Research

The M3 105mm towed howitzer was first developed and introduced during WWII to give airborne and light troops more punch than the existing M1A1 75mm pack howitzers. The main design concept of the M.3 was a cut down version of the M2 (later the M101A1) 105mm howitzer and the 75 mm pack howitzer.

The M3 was fielded to the US Army and to the US Marine Corps where it augmented the M1A1 75mm howitzer thus not only giving more range, more firepower and a greater selection of ammunition especially illumination rounds which did not exist for the pack 75. Over 2,500 M3s were produced and primarily fielded to airborne and mountain units.

The M3 fired the same ammunition as it’s big brother but had to be fired at a lower charge due to its small size and weight (approximately 2,500 pounds. With the lower charge and shorter barrel its range was about 6,500 meters as compared to its big brother of 11,000 meters.

The M3 was a successful weapon and near the end of the war a self propelled version was being developed for use in the Pacific using the M-5A1 Stewart carriage called the T82. The war ended before any went beyond the development stage.

The Kit - CGM Productions 1/35 scale M3 105mm Howitzer

Resin Parts

Upon opening the box you are presented with a plastic bag of resin molded parts.

Upon inspection the all the parts have flash to be cleaned. The larger parts have voids, incomplete molding, and every other bad thing you can think of resin parts.

The manufacturer obviously made this from a museum weapon since there is no sight system included. I will be molding some required parts from the Italeri M101 kit

Fortunately the model is small when built as some of the details are muted or washed out.

You will spend a few hours just cleaning up the parts and fixing some of the bigger parts. I will give the manufacturer credit for trying a new weapon but he needs to do MUCH better QC of his molded pieces.

Directions

The kit includes a 1 page direction sheet. This sheet is horrific as many of the parts included with the kit are not even shown on the assembly drawing. The instructions appear as a crude drawing with no other detail shown.

Also included with the instructions is a separate sheet which gives photographs of the M3 which were obviously taken at a museum. They are somewhat helpful in identifying some of the parts not shown in the directions.

Fortunately I put my hands on TM9-1326, M3 105mm Howitzer which will help greatly in figuring this one out.

The Build

Nothing much to show yet! I have spent time cleaning flash and filling voids, air bubbles and gels.

I should have some build photos next update.

H Hour Total 2.5 hours since start

Thanks for looking in

Rounds Complete!!

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HITLER’S DOOM haha I liked your bird but I’m enjoying this so far and you haven’t even gotten too far underway. I’m glad to hear you’re somewhat optimistic about your kit. The QC does appear to be an issue, I’m not familiar with the manufacture is this more of a home job kind of company?

Good info about the gun-

And are we looking at a crew in the future?!

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Chris - No kit is impossible. I’m not in this to build the perfect “show” model every time. I hope something like this would fair well when completed but, its small, lacks detail (which I am planning scratch work to help) and generally I don’t build judges favorites…just redleg favorites.

Sooooo…I can’t start off down. I will give it my best shot.

The research is half the fun and keeps me going.

I will be headed to the 1/35 barracks to hopefully find Gino and Joe, set for their glider run with the M3.

Thanks

Rounds Complete!!

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That’s going to be COOOL with some TLC. I’ll watch this build closely, although the build is way over my head.

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Sounds good, all packaged up on the runway?

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Bill - Any goal can be reached and nothing is over your head. Like all of us here…just keep on trying [swg]

Chris - [tup]

rounds Complete!!

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You’re a brave man, Mike!

Resin kits scare me half to death!

Although this one goesn’t look too complex…[:)]

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Really?! With all the interior/update sets you master I’d think you’d be an old hat at correcting warps and inaccuracies. I guess all you’re resin has a plastic base… I’ll admit the only 100% resin I’ve done is figure kits. I’d imagine it’d be a similar experience. I’m looking forward to seeing you add detail this gun redleg! It’s so tiny already!

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Karl - Somtimes I look at modeling as a Star Trek adventure…“to boldly go where no forum member has gone before”.

Besides, you are always talking about learning. You should try a resin kit…it may exand your horizons. Life is not all styrene!

I have seen many different German subjects not found in styrene which are available in resin. That’s my draw…the subjects not covered in styrene!

Thanks as always for stopping in.

Rounds Complete!!

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Might have to look further at this one, Redleg… It certainly appears that us Gunbunnies aren’t going to see much more in the way of styrene arty…

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Yup you do like to take a different path don’t you Mike. But you better get crackin’ MCon is in only 10 days[;)]

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Mmmm… I will surely look more into this! Quite unusual, but still nice. I’d love to build a cannon aswell!

But what more does the picture say on the barrel? “Hitler’s Doom”?

And while we are into unusual subjects in resin, Where’s all the Norwegian WWII stuff? [sigh]

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Lookin’ forward to this one too Mike! Dang… you sure do come up with some different subjects!

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Hans - Not sure if these guys are still in buisness. I have tried to find them with no luck. Found this kit on ebay a year or so ago.

Marc - Unfortunatly I have a family commitment the weekend of MCon and it looks like I won’t be able to make it this year. Besides, I never build for shows…I doubt something like this would do well with all the bigger super stuff out there. This is a true “redleg” build.

Huxy - Hummm, much of the other allies are not well represented. There is a ton of just US variants that are not made or only in resin. I feel your pain.

Kevin - Yep…you know me…I find & build the horse of another color. This should be a nice little display of a not too well know item. I’m sure many of your mortars are like this. Thank god for the TM.

Thanks to all for stopping in and leaving a comment. Hopefully this helps expand your mind!!

Rounds Complete!!

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Welcome back home Mike! Looking forward to this one, I had seen one of these on Corregidor when I visited there in 2005 but didn’t know what it was…now I do! [tup]

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Bill - Thanks…I’m glad to pass on information. This hobby is also a historical learning experience.

Rounds Complete!!

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I spent a bunch of time cleaning up the parts and then began assembly. First, I assembled the gun and sled section.

    1. Attached the sled mounts on either side (these attach to the carriage and support the sights)
    1. Installed the breech
    1. Installed the elevating gear
    1. Scratch built and installed the travel lock assembly The pin is styrene covered rod which is stripped except for the end attachment point. The lock catch is styrene rod with a flat plate of styrene glued to the top to create the catch. The lock itself is a kit supplied part.

Next was the lower carriage

    1. Installed the wheel locking handle
    1. Firing base release pedal
    1. Scratch repair for the firing base pivot joint. These were made using a Waldron punch to punch .020 styrene sheet
    1. Attached the firing base (installed in the firing position)

Attached the swivel axel for each wheel. These were installed in the firing position

Moving on to the trails.

    1. Using 26 gauge wire, I fabricated the hold down for the section chest straps and installed on both trails
    1. Attached the towing pintel
    1. Drilled out the trail lock for a trail locking pin
    1. Using .020 styrene, I fabricated ramming staff holders. These will hold two ramming staffs which will be fabricated from styrene covered wire. The ramming staffs are only mounted on the right trail (as you look from the front).
    1. Using .020 styrene, I fabricated the section chest holding blocks. The section chest would contain the sights and tools for working with the ammunition. I will have a section chest on the ground nearby which will be taken from an Italeri Kit.

Lastly the upper carriage

    1. Mounted the traversing hand wheel (hidden from view)
    1. Using Archer raised detail to enhance the traversing gear box cover.
    1. Mounted the equilibrator mounts and added Archer details
    1. Archer detail on the elevating gear box cover
    1. Attached the elevating hand wheel

With all this done, the parts were given a good bath, rinse and drying. They are in the process of being primed along with the equilibrators, breech block and trail bars.

That’s it for now. Hopefully base paint and pull the subassemblies together next.

Time since last time hack - 7.0 hours

H Hour Total 9.5 hours since start

Thanks for looking in, all comments welcome

Rounds Complete!!

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WOAH! What a great step by step- this is nicer than some FSM articles I’ve read through! Very well done- making me want to hunt eBay for the CGM kit redleg- now I’m really looking forward to seeing this one come together!

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Have to agree about the way you’ve laid this one out Mike and identified the different parts that you’ve added. Making good progress! [tup]

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Chris & Bill - Thanks. Since this is an off beat item I thought it best to be anal and do step by step. Glad you liked it.

As far as the kit, I will try to fid CGMs web and pass it on BUT…unless you are an artillery “lover”[8-] like I am, the kit itself has VERY POOR instructions. I have had to read half of the TM to make sure it is assembled correctly and find what was missing. The molding is a cottage industry quality. Voids, trapped air, etc. Most of the early hours were cleaning, filling and sanding. I also have to cast a set of sights from the Italeri kit.

Straight up, for the money, it is not worth it. For me, it fills the gap on the list of US artillery and no one else has this model and from that end, I’m ok with it. Most others may not!!!

If you like playing with resin, are interested in the subject and are looking for something airborne…ok but…this little kit will require work.

Just letting you know…then again, my calling card is the strange and different. [:O]

Thanks guys for the kind words and support.

Rounds Complete!!