USN 5" 38 Cal. Open Gun Mount
Reviewed by Timothy Dike
| The 5 inch 38 caliber Dual Purpose Gun Mounts started appearing
on US Navy ships in the 30's. This new gun mount could put out 15 rounds
a minute and engage either surface targets or aircraft. The open single
mount was found on everything from aircraft carriers to destroyers.
Examples of these weapons found in most kits are lacking in detail.
Knowing how ship modelers can be very particular about details, Veteran
Models has produced this resin upgrade set to take care of the discriminating
modeler. This set produced in resin includes a photo etch fret for the
fine details.
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| RESIN PARTS | |||||||||||||
| The gun mount is cast on resin sprues with detail that has to be seen to be appreciated. The mount includes a fully cast base, separate gun assembly, fuse setters, and two types of optional shields for the front. The casting is first rate and includes amazing detail for all parts. The base even has a diamond plate pattern cast on the platform. The gun can be mounted at any angle the real mount was capable of. |
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| This set comes packaged with four sets of the complete 5" gun mount. |  |
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Below is a built up example of the gun mount. The level
of detail is amazing especially when you compare it to molded plastic versions
as found on the Trumpeter Essex kits.
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| PHOTOETCH | |||||||||||||
| A single brass photo etch fret is supplied with the railings and seats for the mount. |  |
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| INSTRUCTIONS | |||||||||||||
| The instructions show the assembled mount with numbered leaders that indicate where each part goes. These are adequate for this kit and the builder should have no problems figuring out where things go. |  |
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| CONCLUSIONS | |||||||||||||
In a word, WOW. Arguably the best 5" 38 gun mount available in this scale. If you are building a ship that included a 5" 38 cal. open mount, you want to use these parts. They are accurate, easy to build, and a great value. This is set #VTW35001 1/350 WWII US 5"/38 Cal Single Open Gun Mount (4 to a package) with a list price of $18.95. Veteran Model products are distributed in the US by Georgetown Hobbies and are available at the following stores.
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