Griffon Models

1/35 German WWII 7.5 cm Kw.K40 L/48 Barrel w/ Early Type Muzzle Brake (Bonus Pack w/ Ammo Crate) For the Tamiya or Dragon Panzer IV H/J equipped with the Kw.k40 L/48 gun

Stock Number: LB35021

Reviewed By  Jim Stratton, IPMS# 20703

MSRP: $28.95 Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com This update set comes in the typical Griffon Models sturdy packaging that includes an aluminum Barrel with a drilled out muzzle that includes rifling, a four part turned brass early muzzle brake, 3 PE Brass Sheets, a decal sheet, 1 length of brass wire and a 1 page sheet of instructions. The instruction sheet is detailed with all necessary information to adapt these parts to either a Tamiya or Dragon Panzer IV H/J equipped with the Kw.k40 L/48 gun. This set is labeled "Bonus Pack" which includes a 7.5cm ammo crate in a thick (.020) PE fret. The ammo crate can be assembled with a working hinge that allows the lid of the crate to open or close. There are no 7.5cm shells included, but the set does include a decal sheet for use on the ammo crate. The aluminum barrel and muzzle brake is dimensionally accurate and fit is very good, not requiring any filler once assembled. Muzzle Brake/Barrel Assembly: Assembling the muzzle brake is straight forward and quick. There are two small PE flanges that fit over a raised lip on brass part MB3. There is a raised lip on both sides of the brass flange, however one is slightly larger than the other and the PE will only fit over one side. Once this is assembled the brass flange fits into the front half of the muzzle brake. The front half is then glued to the back half of the brake. Make sure when assembling that the large openings are lined up. Then slip the aluminum barrel through the recoil cylinder (Dragon part E26) and place the back brass flange (MB5) and PE ring #2 on the end of the aluminum barrel and glue the completed muzzle brake on the end completing the assembly of the barrel. Be sure the depression on the muzzle brake is on the top when glued to the barrel. There are two very small PE retaining clips that need to be glued in the depression on the top of the brake. And then another very small PE nut to glue on the top of the clips. I used the upgrade barrel and muzzle brake on a Dragon Panzer IV Ausf. H. The instruction sheet shows to simply slip this assembly into Dragon part E62. I tried this and the barrel slid in and fit against the inside of the recoil cylinder (Dragon parts B41 or E37). This could be glued there with that assembly being added to the mantlet. However, if you plan on opening up the turret hatches the missing breech block will need to be used. There is an easy solution. I took the kit barrel, Dragon part B42, and cut off the rear of the barrel. You can then glue the rear stub of part B42 into Dragon parts B5 and B6. Once this is dry, the Griffon barrel fits directly in the end of the assembled reciprocating cylinders. Once this is completed, you can assemble the rest of the gun as indicated in the instructions. Ammo crate assembly: The assembly of the ammo crate is a little more involved than the barrel. The actual crate is made up of the thick (.020) PE fret with all the smaller details etched in the usual thin brass. The two sides and end pieces are assembled into a rectangular crate. Once this is accomplished, the bottom of the crate is assembled from four slates, also from the thick PE fret. To this is added the cutouts that hold the shells in place inside the crate. Once the crate is assembled, the top is built, again using the thick PE parts. The crates hinges can be assembled two ways. First as fixed hinges, attaching to the crate in either an open or closed position, and secondly, with operating hinges as noted below. For the more ambitious modelers, a second set of hinges are included that can be assembled in working order, allowing you to open and close the crates top. I worked for three hours building the hinges to open. They are very small and difficult to work with. Unfortunately during construction I damaged one of the fragile hinges and while repairing it I snapped off the thin arm which is bent to receive the hinge pin. I had to glue the lid in the open position. Once the crate is painted a small decal sheet gives a variety of stencils and labels to apply to the finished crate. I do not have an extensive parts box for Axis tanks, so I can’t comment if the ammo shells for the &.5cm Kw.K40 L/48 will fit. The Pak. 40 shells I have are too long and the 7.5cm Kw.K40 L/24 shells are too short. I built the ammo crate for the purpose of the review; however due to the time it took to build, I probably wouldn’t have built it for my personal use. Conclusion: This is a very nice upgrade kit for any 7.5cm Kw.K40 L/48 gun with an early muzzle brake. Much nicer than the kits muzzle brake and really adds significant detail to the finished kit. I would think that Griffon Model will follow this upgrade with both the middle and late muzzle brakes as they did with the previously released 7.5cm Pak 40 upgrade kits, which used the same muzzle brake. The addition of the ammo crate is a bonus and will add additional detail to any model that used the appropriate 7.5cm shells. Highly recommended. I would like to thank Dragon Models USA (www.dragonmodelsusa.com) for the kit and IPMS/USA for letting me write this review.