A few days ago i received the Asuka Luchs kit and while inspecting the sprues i found the gun barrel a bit crude.

I've read that the gun used on that tank was a KwK38 L/55 but i couldn't find this gun from any aftermarket manufacturer.. only KwK 38 L/50 or the KwK 38 L/56 from Aber.

Is there anyone who makes the "correct" L/55? Or which one should i use?

The Pz. II ausf L "Luchs" carried the 2cm KwK 38 gun. This gun came with an L/50 barrel as standard issue. The KwK 38 is actually just the FlaK 38 gun with a turret-mantlet mount for use on armored cars (originally used on the SdKfz 222) and adopted for the Luchs. As such, it could readily accept either its original L/50 issue barrel, or the longer standard L/65 "FlaKrohr" used on the FlaK 38 AA gun. And numerous pictures show that Luchs crews did indeed swap in the L/65 barrel - probably because it was much more common and readily available in the front-area supply system than was the L/50 item.

It should be noted that the FlaK 38 / KwK 38 used "only" the L/50 and L/65 "-38" barrels with the conical muzzle-brake (at least as far as my info indicates). The previous 2cm gun used on Pz II A/B/C and on some SdKfz 231 and 222 armored cars was the fairly similar KwK 30 - the short-barreled version of the earlier FlaK 30. The -30 gun barrels had a different "perforated can-shaped" muzzle-brake. The KwK 30 barrel was an L/55 version.

Unless you can find clear photo evidence showing an L/55 KwK 30 barrel, with its distinctly different muzzle-brake, mounted on a Luchs... Don't go there! (At least not if seeking modest accuracy!). The KwK / FlaK 30 guns went out of production in 1939, due to its slow firing-rate - and were replaced in production and issue by the better and faster-firing FlaK/KwK 38 guns. The Pz. II Luchs came along in 1943. It is very unlikely that and Luchs ever had a KwK 30 installed - it would have been an old relic by 1943!

RB Models has put out both L/50 and L/65 KwK/FlaK 38 barrels (35B66 and 35B36, respectively). RB also does a KwK 30 L/55 barrel (item 35B26, I believe) suitable for use on your Pz II A/B/C or on your SdKfz 231 6-rad or 8-rad early armored cars. This KwK 30 barrel should NOT appear on your Luchs!

I am not sure which other AM barrel companies sell a KwK 38 L/50 barrel - I have the RB Models items but have not seen any others - but I THINK RB makes those barrels for Aber. RB 2cm barrels are very nice and pretty cost-effective. They do, however, lack the slightly-gnarled hand-grips which were milled into both the KwK and FlaK 38 barrels. But these grips are pretty easily created by simply painting in appropriate bands on the barrel.

Cheers!

Bob

Ah thats a very informative answer! So both KwK38 barrels are ok. Thanks

ChrisK;

To avoid possible confusion; use either the L/50 KwK 38 barrel OR the longer L/65 FlaK 38 barrel.

Cheers!

Bob