Introduction

It was not that long ago that Bronco released their 17pdr Anti Tank Gun Mk I, and it was very well received on its release. E.T. Model have quickly followed up the release of this kit with a photo etch upgrade set for the 17pdr Anti Tank Gun Mk I.

Contents

This product is supplied in a very heavy duty clear plastic bag with a card hanger, on which is printed all of the relevant information needed about what the product is for before making a purchase. Inside the bag there is a black card stiffener to help prevent flexing damage, and a sheet of green A4 sized piece of paper with the instructions printed on them. The product itself consists of two photo etch frets.

Review

The set itself primarily concentrates on replacing the gun shield and elements attached to the gun shield. The photo etch used to replace the gun shield and most of the elements attached to it is 0.30mm thick which is quite a heavy grade to work with, at 0.30mm when scaled up you get 10.5mm which is thicker I believe than the real item as I can lift the gun shield of a 25pdr on my own and I doubt I would manage a piece of metal sheet over these dimensions, that out of the way this should look more realistic scale wise.

The spacing pegs between the front and rear portions of the gun shield are separated by pegs which are not supplied with the product, you are instructed to use plastic pegs made from stock plastic which will likely be an exercise in frustration. I would have liked to see spacing pegs supplied with the product in order that the end user can be assured of getting an equal distance between the two shield elements. The bottom portion of the gun shield is designed to be moveable via hinges which are supplied already attached to the gun shield parts; however the instructions neglect to tell you what size pins to insert or for that matter neglects to inform you of the need for hinge pins at all. The 17pdr artillery guns I have seen have a notch cut into both shields which I suspect is used for an aspect of sighting the gun and it is worth mentioning that this is missing from both the base kit and after market option. I am not saying that this is wrong but it is something I have observed in the version I have seen.

The other sheet of photo etch that is supplied is 0.23mm thick and contains the loops that are placed on various parts of the gun, and tool retention straps. British military hardware frequently used leather belt straps to hold on tools and other items of equipment utilising metal loops attached to that piece of hardware, the parts on this fret would I suspect sell very well as a stand alone item for those interested in British military equipment. In this set they are used to secure the spade on the gun and is an excellent addition to the set.

Conclusion

This is a simple, well designed product with the smallest fret being the star of the show for me. The gun shield looks the part and I am sure is a better scale thickness than the kit supplied option if that aspect is important to you then this product may be for you.


17 Pdr Anti Tank Gun walk around by Jon R Greggs Live links


17 pdr Mk I/II walk around by Darren Baker Live links