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Яusso-Soviэt Forum: Cold War Soviet Armor
For discussions related to cold war era Russo-Soviet armor.
Aftermarket barrel T-90SA
Gt351
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Tasmania, Australia
Joined: July 26, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 05:16 AM UTC
Hi what would be the best aftermarket barrel for Trumpeter T-90SA. Cheers Bob.
panzerbob01
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Louisiana, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 09:36 AM UTC
Bob

Far as I know, all T-90 / T-90A / T-90S / T-90SA (Algeria mod of T-90S), as well as T-80 and even T-64 / 64B tanks, used the same 2A46M 125mm smoothbore gun - the 2A46M has several small internal updates over the past 20 years, resulting in "2A46M-1 through -5" versions. I think the external configuration is the same for all of these...

There appear to be several AM barrel kits available - For the money, I would get the RB Models version - it looks good and captures the essential details at a nice cost-point - but each maker seems to offer small variations in how one assembles the critical sectional "thermal sleeve" bits, and one needs to look at that process and parts in terms of how much fuss you want to go through. Some AM barrels are more complex builds than the RB specimen.

I just built the Trumpeter T-64B mod 84 kit (a very nice kit indeed, albeit it comes with link and length tracks and could benefit from link tracks... IMHO); It came with the 2-piece styrene barrel. I found that the barrel actually built very cleanly, was easy to clean up for little seams, etc., and came out looking very nice. I was going to get an RB metal barrel for it, being a metal barrel fan, but found the kit styrene item to look nice enough to stay with it!

Just my 2c and opinion, of course!

Bob (yep! another Bob! )
Gt351
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Tasmania, Australia
Joined: July 26, 2003
KitMaker: 142 posts
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Posted: Thursday, May 25, 2017 - 04:34 AM UTC
Thank you for your help Bob, might go with tetra model one, but will first check out kit barrel.
panzerbob01
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Louisiana, United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 25, 2017 - 09:15 AM UTC
Bob

Did you spin through the "2A46M variations" thread posted in this forum? There's a lot of good bits posted therein regarding some barrels and some variations on that weapon.

IIRC, it probably confirms the variant used in the T-90S / SA fam, and the use of the RB Models barrel (and perhaps a couple others?) in place of the kit styrene items for that fam.

Do take a careful look at the available options and how those sleeve details are handled by each before you select "your poison"!

Good luck and choose well!

Bob
grunt136mike
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Florida, United States
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Posted: Saturday, May 27, 2017 - 02:11 AM UTC
Hi;

Do Not use the RB Barrel ! It is Not Accurate !! For my Money; Magic Model's Barrels are the Best next to Model Point, and Tri-Star is Pretty Good ! Stay away from the two part barrels, as they tend to have alignment issues.

CHEERS; MIKE.
panzerbob01
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Louisiana, United States
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Posted: Saturday, May 27, 2017 - 04:31 AM UTC
Mike;

OK, so what is the great inaccuracy in the RB barrel?

Bob
grunt136mike
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Florida, United States
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Posted: Saturday, May 27, 2017 - 10:10 AM UTC
Hi Bob;

The RB Barrel was to Short and to thick, and the PE straps were almost impossible to adhere to the metal barrel ! As for scale it was more akin to 1/32nd than 1/35 !
For the 2A46M6 there are A few choices that I would look at, as you can see different version's of the 125mm Gun.
As discussed before study the post's that were posted and they should help you to decide. Good references are very Helpful in building the T-90, try having A look at Google for the SA and see what you come up with !

GOOD LUCK; MIKE.
panzerbob01
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Louisiana, United States
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Posted: Sunday, May 28, 2017 - 04:38 AM UTC
Mike G.;

Thanks! OK, sounds like the RB item may be a bit "fat" and "short". When you say "too short" - how much so? Sometimes a little too short may be may up by simply not inserting it so far into the mantle - depending, of course, on configurational details and aspects of spacing at that end. Not much one can do to "beat" a too-stout barrel, I suppose! Albeit, if it is only 2-5% over in diam, I'll probably not notice it, given as those 2A46 fam barrels are really long!

As for the PE straps... Some have good luck with such things and some not. That's why I always suggest to folks that they look at how various details are handled in add-on stuff and consider what the fiddle-faddle "cost" may be.

I'm a glutton for punishment, I think, as almost always I'll just stick it out until I get the darned stuff looking right, even if it uses up some time and leads to excessive utterance of olde Anglo-saxon words along the way!
grunt136mike
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Florida, United States
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Posted: Sunday, May 28, 2017 - 06:27 AM UTC
Hi Bob;

When looking at the RB Barrel from the front, it was quite noticeable, as for the length its about 6mm short.
I have built around twenty T-72/90s in different version's and at one time I was Metal Barrel crazy, and I finally started using the 125mm gun without the Thermo Sleeve in some of my T-72/90s. As for the kits rite now the kit's barrel is just fine IMHO !

CHEERS; MIKE.
m4sherman
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Arizona, United States
Joined: January 18, 2006
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Posted: Monday, May 29, 2017 - 12:25 AM UTC
The thread about the barrels is very useful.
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