Hi All

Can anyone help me with the types of QF6 pounders fitted to British tanks please, the question is where they more than one type, where the length of gun differed? It would seem the length of the gun used for the Crusader mk iii is different to the one used on the Churchill mk iii and iv. I wanted to use the AFV Club metal barrel on the Tamiya Crusader, However the AFV Club one is longer.

All the best Bob

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_6-pounder

Wikipedia to the rescue, take it for what it is worth:

Variants

Mk 1: limited production version with L/50 barrel.
Mk 2: first mass production version. Shortened L/43 barrel was adopted due to the shortage of suitable manufacturing equipment.
Mk 3: tank version of Mk 2.
Mk 4: L/50 barrel, single baffle muzzle brake.
Mk 5: tank version of Mk 4.
Molins Class M gun: 6 pounder gun fitted with automatic loader built by the Molins company, a manufacturer of cigarette making machines. It was mounted on the Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boats and in the RAF Mosquito planes, which were referred to as the "Tsetse".
57 mm Gun M1: US built version; although based on Mk II, it had the "original" L/50 barrel.

Hi Robin

Thanks for the pointer, I read the same page, and can see there where differing lengths although I cannot make up my mind. I like the note at the end through, so if I can straighten the Tamiya barrel I might stick with that.

Bob

The Crusader III used the 6 pdr Mk III L/43 barrel
The Churchill IV used either the L/43 or the L/50 barrel.
I assume that the longer barrel came in the later part of the production and that the Churchill III carried the L/43 barrel.

The AFV Club - Nr. AG35022 is the L/50 barrel

This review/presentation at PMMS also has something to say about the AFV Club Churchill kits and their barrels.
https://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/afvclub/afv35154.html

If you say that the barrel from AFV Club is longer than the one in the Crusader kit I would assume that it is the difference between L/43 and L/50. This should be 7 x 57 mm / 35 = 11.4 mm.
/ Robin

If you can, avoid the Tamiya kit. Its dimensions are off significantly and its a really poor representation of the barrel. Do yourself a favour and get one of the aftermarket barrels. The frustration you avoid will be worth it.

Paul