As I see the Russian M-30 in my stock has more missing parts than the figures and hard to scratch build them,I ordered a ZIS-3 divisional field gun and a ZIS- 5B truck for INCOMING, planning a towing position diorama .Anyway I also want to build this m-30 kit and i have a few questions as a artillery ignorant :-)
1. I read that the Iraqi Army had some Russian M-30 howitzer model 1938 field guns capable of firing chemical weapons. if related see link .I want to learn any modification is needed to make a field gun capable to fire chemical ammo?
2.why the crew in this photo wearing gas masks? as a precaution for a chemical attack or masks are needed when firing chemicals?or another reason?

3. have you ever seen ,read or heard any abandoned M-30 iraqi howitzer during ODS or OIF?
thanks for the help.

Yes, there were some M-30s at Baghdad Int Airport when we got there, they were in really good shape. There are no modifications needed for a howitzer to fir chemical weapons. It is simply a matter of loading a chemical round. As for the gas masks, they are mostly prcautionary. There is always a chance the chemical rounds could leak or malfunction. You don't want to kill all your artillerymen s they are trying to shoot.

Graywolf, you may also want to update the wheels on your M-30 if you are doing a post WWII version. This page, although in German, has some pictures with the modern wheels.
M-30 pictures

I too was thinking of doing a post WWII version, but I don't have any suitable donor wheels right now.

When i was in the army and they gave us classes of military history and techniques, they told us that a normal Howi can shoot chemical filled rounds with no other problem or modification but since this is no ordinary artillery procedure you need to take more precautions in transferring , loading and shooting this ammo. So maybe thats why the mask are for in the picture. And of course as said in case of ammo exploding or malfunctioning , you wont have 2-3 dead soldiers as with normal ammo but maybe all people around.