Metal Tubing for Guns (1 Viewer)

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fubar57

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Nov 22, 2009
The Jungles of Canada
I've read in several posts lately, quite a few modelers have substituted metal tubing for machine guns and canon on the aircraft they built. I know in these scales that the different diameters they use won't be noticeable, but does anyone have at hand, the O.D for the following in 1/48: 30mm, 20mm, .50, and .30. I'm thinking that most other calibers can be modeled around these four.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Geo
 
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I buy when I need needles syringes at a pharmacy, the pharmaceutical and charge me 20 of the 4 measures soil spend, I did the calculation for the space that is inside the muzzle or the bullet, I put the calculations I did:
- Outdoor 0.42mm 20mm are calculated that are 0.51mm 24.74mm serious tube did not find that was not very expensive expensive steel, hypodermic needle I found the pharmaceutical me to 0.41mm and 0.51mm inside perfect outdoor
- 30mm are foreign 0.63mm to 0.8mm which I found the hypodermic ago are 35.52mm 0.74mm is very close to the values ​​that would have
- Idem 1.04mm to 50mm are above the extrerior the brass tube ago I found in hypodermic 1.25mm and 1.16mm ago.

to cut with a blade of carbon steel (the butterfly razors) give several turns making a small cut and bending is cut perfectly.
 
Good info there.
Note that .50 cal and .30 cal Brownings, and German equivalents, had the actual barrel encased within a perforated cooling sleeve, so plain tube can't really replicate this. For 'plain' barrels, such as 20mm on the FW190, I use the surgical syringe method, and for 1/32nd scale, brass tube approx 1.5 mm outside diameter, which is good enough to pass.
There are some good resin sleeves and complete guns, and some excellent turned brass sleeves and barrels available, in 1/48th and 1/32nd scales, the turned brass from Master, and resin from companies such as Aires/Quickboost, and Neomega/Vector. Here's a pic of the Master 1/32nd scale .303 Browning, as an example.
 

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got a series of sizes to cover me and if i need the specific types Terry mentioned then i get what is necessary, some of those machined sets are brilliant.
 
Must admit I've had mixed results doing that Paul. Best so far has been to use a small 'Junior' hacksaw, with a fine blade, and roll the tube under the blade until there is a cut forming, then saw through. My razor saw would probably have better control, and a cleaner cut, but would ruin the blade.
Any rough edges are carefully filed and sanded.
 
The P-47 is fine with 'plain' tube, as the guns were in blast sleeves (stainless steel). And aircraft such as the FW190, or Bf109G with under-wing gondolas look good with the tube too.
And as you mentioned Geo, aircraft with the guns 'buried' in the wings, such as the P-51, P-40 etc, only have the muzzle showing, or the first (full scale) inch or so, without the perforations being visible, so the hypodermic idea works fine.
I normally 'superglue' the metal tube into a plastic 'sleeve', cut from suitably sized plastic tube, to fit inside the wing, and hold the 'barrel' in place in the wing opening. This also allows easier positioning and fixing, as the plastic can be cemented with ordinary poly cement, rather than trying to position and fix with CA, especially if the metal tube can't rest on the inner wing surface.
 
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Yeah, I have been eyeing those brass sets with some about of drool factor. I grabbed a set of the MGs off of ebay for the 1/24 th Mosquito. Damned nice set I must admit. BTW, does anyone have a set of the belt feeds for the 'squito? There are out of production and I would love to add those to the 'squito when I finally get around to building it.
Dale
 
I saw some resin detailing sets for the 1/24th scale Mossie recently - can't remember the manufacturers though, but a gun bay set was included, which provided the ammo boxes, feed chutes and ammo, and I think the upper gun cowling panel, with internal detail. I believe a similar set was available for the cannon bay, as well as cockpit and bomb-bay sets.
A quick search of the Hannant's (UK) web-site should show what's available.(look under resin, and resin and pe)
 

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