25mm M242 Bushmaster
Gun Barrel for US IFV M2 Bradley
Armorscale Set No. B35-020
1:35th Scale
Review by Terry Ashley
The set consists of a cleanly cast resin mantlet with just a small casting block to be removed and a two part brass 25mm barrel. This is the early M242 unfluted barrel with the flared flash suppressor with eight openings.
The resin mantlet has excellent details with the upper groove and lower right side opening in the barrel collar and is a vast improvement over the Tamiya part.
The two part brass barrel is also cleanly machined with the separate delicate flash suppressor being fully hollowed out with the eight gas openings cleanly rendered for a most impressive part.
The fit of the flash suppressor to the barrel is snug enough it will hold in place without glue while the rear barrel neck also fits onto the mantlet collar and again will hold in place without glue. This will make lining up the flash suppressor holes easy with a small dab of cyanoacrylate applied once positioned correctly.
Fitting the new mantlet only requires some minor trimming of the inner gun mount (Tamiya part B4) and the mantlet then glued in place with the instructions showing what is required.
Conclusion:
Another excellent replacement barrel and mantlet with the flash suppressor
a standout piece that will add considerable detail to the older of the Tamiya Bradley
kits and as there are photos of Bradleys in Iraq still with this barrel it
can be used here as well.
Hopefully Armorscale will release the newer fluted barrel with shorter four holed suppressor for the current generation Bradleys and LAV-25s to the same standard as this barrel to make modellers even happier.
Highly recommended.
See the Subjects page for additional update set reviews for the Bradley.
Thanks to my credit card and the excellent service from Rainbow Ten for the review set.
Page created November 20, 2005