Master-Models

1/700th Scale Sea Master Series US Navy 5in/25cal Barrels For many US battleships and cruisers, 1920s to 1940s

Stock Number: SM-700-017

Reviewed By  Luke Bucci, IPMS# 33549

MSRP: $9.95 Website: www.master-model.pl Thanks to Master-Models for supplying the set. Bottom Line: Perfect scale barrels for US Navy 5in25 caliber AA gun barrels. BRASS BARRELS SET REVIEW: Master-Models from Poland has just released a large line of Sea Master Series 1/700 and 1/350 brass barrel sets for all the major navies from battleship guns to heavy AA guns (4in and above) from WW2 and modern eras. This review will look at their SM-700-017, or USN 5in/25cal (12.7cm) brass gun barrels set, found on United States battleships, heavy cruisers and other ships before and during WW2. Each set comes with 14 barrels - enough to fit out one capital ship with a few barrels leftover. The 5in25 was one of the first dual-purpose guns for use against surface and aerial targets, developed in the 1920s for secondary armament on capital ships (battleships and cruisers). These guns were always in single, open mounts. It preceded and was eventually replaced by the 5in38 gun. The Set Each set comes in a small Ziploc bag with cardboard for rigidity, another plastic pouch with 14 brass barrels, an instruction sheet and a header card stapled to the Ziploc (Figure 1). Price is $US 9.50. This works out to about $0.65 per barrel. The precision and accuracy of these barrels is incredible (Figure 2). The barrels are thinner than most 1/700 scale plastic 20mm barrels, but are close to scale. Even the muzzles are bored out for a realistic look. The accuracy of these barrels means that lighter guns on the same model will have to be close to scale also, or the 5in guns will look funny. You will need to check references to make sure the ship getting these barrels carried 5in25 guns and not 5in38s. The Build The instruction sheet is in English and lists ship classes that used these barrels. This set should be easy enough for modelers with moderate skills who have a #80 drill bit in a pin vise. This is the only catch - you need to have very narrow drill bits. Consult your local hobby shop or MicroMark for #80 size drill bits. Then all you need is a model kit that has 5in25 mounts, remove the original barrels, sand the end flush, drill a hole deep enough and straight enough to accept the mounting stub on the brass barrel, and attach with cyanoacrylate glue. Tedious, repetitive work, but the chore is simple. I selected the Loose Cannon 1990s era resin kit of the USS Quincy (which also received Master Model 8in brass barrels in another review). Figures 3-7 show the fairly decent resin casting of the 5in25 mounts, but the barrels were too tapered and not quite cylindrical in cross-section. The resin 5in25 mounts were sanded, barrels removed, holes drilled out, and brass barrels added. Since references (and the resin pieces) showed a noticeable recoil tube on top of the 5in25 barrel, I cut a very small piece of brass wire (~2mm) and glued it in place atop the brass barrel up against the mount. Compared to the original resin mounts, and to Skywave's grossly oversized but detailed US Navy Weapons set 5in open mount, the Master Model barrels look much finer, more to scale and more accurate (Figures 3-7). Compare to an actual photograph of 5in25s on the USS San Francisco from the book cover by Hansen.

Summary Master Model has achieved a superior barrel for 1/700 scale US Navy 5in25 single, open mounts. As far as I know, no other replacement barrels exist for this weapon in 1/700 scale. The scale look is excellent. Master Model is the state of the art for US Navy 5in25 barrels. At about $4 per cruiser, the cost to value ratio is very good. Of course, other weapons also need to be close to scale or else the scale look of a model will suffer (this makes for a better model of course). Highly recommended. References: www.master-model.pl Adcock A. US Heavy Cruisers in Action. Part 1. Warships Number 14, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX, 2001/ ISBN0-89747-422-8. Campbell J. Naval Weapons of World War Two. Conway Maritime Press, London, UK, 1985, pp.247-248. 0-85177-329-X Hansen C. USS San Francisco. A Technical History. Chuck Hansen, 1981. Wiper S. New Orleans Class Cruisers. Warship Pictorial #7. Classic Warships Publishing, Tucson, AZ, 2000. ISBN 0-9654829-6-0