i am also now doing a 1/16 t-34 and will be using the rifled barrel from jadar -it is a showpiece in itself---- terry35, if you read this,i lost your e-mail address,or it changed–have a couple questions-- how’ s your build going?-- if you feel like it,my email is tgcricu@yahoo.com– thanks[:D]-- happy and safe new year to all!!-- p.s. i plan on drinking way to much-- lol-- but no driving![:P]
The earlier Dragon release (and subsequetly the Revell since its just a reboxed DML) had the wrong shorter barell as they were taken off the APG Jagdtiger whos gun was stuck in recoil. The newer release includes a corrected length barrell in both plastic and aluminium. Eduard also made a corrected version of this barrell.
The only thing I reccomend is that you are sure to prime an aluminum barell first so that you won’t have paint adhesion problems later. That bright and shiny aluminum stands out like a beacon if it gets chipped off for whatever reason.
There are good arguments for both and it becomes necesary sometimes to have a replacement. Since no one makes plastic replacement barrells (to my knowledge) the aluminum ones are really nice and crisp. Things to look for on the plastic kit supplied barrells are out of round barrells, iregular wall thicknesses, horrendous seams, just plain wrong barrells (like on some Shermans that were incorrectly molded based upon a photo of a sleeve slid onto an existing gun.), misaligned parts, poorly molded, and in some cases damaged or lost and a replacement needed. There is a current trend or trap depending on how you look at it, of builders just buying barrells because. They don’t check the kit versions and figure that the AM stuff is the way to go. If thats your thing then by all means more power to you. I personaly like to check first and use the AM as a last resort. Plastic being plastic, can be warped or damaged depending on shipping or storge conditions. SOme stuff just slips past QC. I’ve made a lathe jig for my drill press and have turned kit barrells to make the proper barrell, clean up a kit or make one from styrene stock. You can get AM PE with rifling to slide down a kit barrell if you so choose.
These products cater to a select few builders that build for themselves (never have I gone to someones house or they to mine and inspect my models for barrell accuracy) that want absolute accuracy and to most of the “show builders” that require that level because judges are looking down barrells and looking for flaws.The AM barrells can offer some really nice detail that is usually molded (and often not well ) especially with the smaller caliber guns, so its really up to what you are looking for. And to what level and to whom you’re modeling for.
I just used my first metal barrel that came with my DML tiger kit and im sold now. I used to think it was a waste of money also.But now I will be useing alot more metal barrels in the future.Its no different then buying after market tracks to inprove a kit.
Go to the site to get the statistics. Since the kit is in 1/35 scale (that is the unit of measure you will base your calculations on) divide the real world numbers from the site by the scale… divide by 35. Hope this helps.
Great discussion everyone. After reading these replies, Im inclined to just buy an AM barrel if Im really wanting to ensure ‘quality’ or have plans to enter a contest. I guess I can always take a wait and see attitude on the kit barrel. If it looks ok or can be cleaned up to be acceptable, then thats ok too. Also, thanks, disastermaster, for your information on scale.
Happy New Year, ya’ll
Steve
if you take the subjective opinions out of the equation
(whether on not the individual modeler likes them better or not)
and look at it more objectively
the only time you would need the aftermarket barrell is if as stated by some of the people here if the plastic one is inaccurate
in closing i would say that any other reason is more frosting on the cake than any thing else
( i like frosting )