Mike del Vecchio reviews Bronco's 155mm M1A1 Howitzer.



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Thanks!

Great review. It looks like a nice kit. I like the inclusion of rounds, powder canisters, powder bags, and decals for them all. Very nice. Looks like I will have to get one.

Here's a dumb "I'm not a red leg" question:

Is the silver barrel on the real thing, or is that telling us the kit includes an aluminum turned barrel?

No metal tube here. The barrels were often seen in bare metal since they were changed often. This was more common in Vietnam though, not WWII or Korea. I would paint it OD Green for WWII and Korea.

Thanks, Gino!

Nice review Mike.

The tube was a constant diameter from inside the recoil housing to the muzzle. The surface was finely finshed because it was the primary guiding surface during recoil. I have not found the tube drawing to verify but it might have even been chromium plated like a hydraulic cylinder. Anyhoo, the recoil surface was very shiny but could not be painted. The Army finally came up with a dyed grease to cut down reflectance and conspicuity.

KL

Mike, in the "poster" the company put out awhile ago it appeared that there were two square pads on the top front of the left trail. Does the kit have them?

KL

nice item, coul'd it be used for vietnam dio?

cheers
Robert

You'd better wait for Bronco's next release :



The WW2 howitzer had different tires (there are probably other differences, but this one is the most obvious to me...)

Frenchy

Great addition, I will wait for the vietnam version.
But no metal barrel, it is kind of odd for such niece piece of Arty.

cheers
Seb

Ditto ! But I'm sure some AM guys will take care of that

From Primeportal :



Frenchy

Just wait for the Peerless/Max/Airfix/Italeri/Testors release to hit the auction sites & pick up a cheap one to rob it for the barrel.

Kurt, thanks for writing the barrel explaination. Yes the barrel was steel from the recoil guide forward. Similar to the M198 section of the barrel which contacts the recoil system

I assume you are looking for the gunners seat. Looking at the directions, I don't see it.

Frenchy, yep their M114 kit should have the proper emplacement system used in VN.

Thanks Grumpy

Rounds Complete!!

Great review, Mike! I'll be picking one of these as soon as I can.

By the way, where did you get yours. I checked around and couldn't find it.

Thanks,

Rob

No, much smaller, about 5 inches square. They were brackets for a FDC computer, about forty years too late for D-Day, which is which it would be disappointing on a WW II piece.

KL

Rob, I was thumbing through ebay and found a vendor in the east selling the kit for $22. He sold 2 then I have not seen one since.

Rounds Complete!!

Rob, it won't help you, but when I was in Paris, Blast Models had the kits.

Sorry guys about being responsive to questions, the snow here caused me the problem of no power or internet!! Fun

Kurt, from what I can see, they have done an excellent job with the details. It looks correct. It will be interesting once the M114 comes out to see what they have modified.

As I said in the review, the sprues are set up for multiple kits and setup well to make an M41 conversion. I am looking forward to the future releases.

This kit appears to be a keeper. The old Peerless kit will become a collectors item not worth building.

As for the metal barrel, it would have been nice. I will see how well the plastic barrel goes during building though I am sure as someone noted, a metal barrel will be out soon.

Frenchy, thanks for the pics showing the bare barrel and how it moves throught the mounts during recoil.

Bronco has done the old "pig" proud!!

Rounds Complete!!

I am trying to build a Vietnam version and had to take the tires from another aftermarket kit that looked close enough, then sand them.

The Nam version also eliminated some things. Since I am NOT an arty guy I have no idea what they are called.

I hope their Nam version is spot on. I have a few old kits and the metal barrel from the Peerless is not good. It looks phony and does not have rifling. It needs work as much as the plastic one.

Noah

I am hoping the M114 is out shortly. It should be far superior to the Peerless and Italeri kits

The major difference (besides tires) is the jack system on the M114.

Rounds Complete!!

wonder if we'll see an RDM 39 calibre conversion!

The kit instructions show a option for metal barrel or plastic barrel,but none in the kit and no mention of aftermarket stock# for the metal barrel.The kit is real gem,well worth the wait!

I just got the word that the Swedish distributor is about to order the Vietnam version as well as two metal barrel up date sets (from Bronco):

3554, 1/35, Aluminum Gun Barrel for Howitzer, Kit no 35073
3555, 1/35, Aluminum Gun Barrel for Howitzer Kit no 35102

The estimated price seem OK.

Cheers,
/E

Thanks for the heads up on the metal barrels!