Thank you to Iwona and Piotr Czerkasow of Master Model and all those at the IPMS Reviewer Corps for providing me an opportunity to examine apply some superb parts for improving ship model kits. Master Model’s recent addition to their Sea Master Series is very welcome. The aftermarket world is greatly enhanced with the products Master Model offers.

Twenty elegant turned-brass replacement barrels are provided in a small zip-lock package. The barrel dimensions are as close to scale as I could measure with my calipers. A mounting pin is included for solid attachment on the receiver end and the distinctive flared muzzle looks perfectly to scale. The details on each barrel are astonishingly small and crisp. A nice touch included in the packaging is the re-sealable cellophane wrapper to keep everything in order, reducing the chances of loss. As expected and as they should be, instructions are brief, but a 0.3 mm drill size for the mounting pins is provided, an appreciated bit of information.

While no target kit is specifically recommended in the instructions or packaging beyond “HMS Roberts and many more”, Bofors 40mm guns were very common aboard US warships during WWII. These replacement barrels are for air-cooled Bofors guns and do not have the distinctive recoil bags and the slightly larger barrel diameter often seen in USN photos. I am using these barrels to upgrade a Bofors gun mount aboard an Elco 80 ft. PT boat. The best photo of the gun found to date in my research may be seen on the Navsource website under the PT-490 listing. The Navsource photo clearly suggests that the Master Model barrel is more proportionally accurate than the kit part. Furthermore, the barrel will add significant “crispness” to the gun mount that will really set off the appearance, especially on a small model like a 350 scale PT.

These replacement parts are an excellent value, and add greatly to the overall effect. They are easily installed, and I am looking forward to seeing the “new” barrel highlight the gun. I highly recommend these aftermarket barrels.

Thank you again to Iwona and Piotr Czerkasow of Master Model and all those at IPMS Reviewer Corps. It is a privilege to be part of a hobby that is indeed international.