This little set is designed as a drop-fit to replace the plastic machine gun barrels on any Italian 1/48 scale aircraft kit that was armed with the Breda 12.7mm machine guns.

Master Model provides a pair of gun barrels, each comprised of 2 pieces: a perforated jacket and the gun barrel itself. The brass is extremely cleanly cast, with full perforations in the jackets and a nice open muzzle on the barrels themselves. No cleanup of these parts will be required. The brief instructions show the barrels are to be inserted into the jackets, then placed onto the model in the appropriate location.

I ran into a small snag when I attempted to assemble these, as the nub at the rear of the barrel would not fit into the jacket, nor would the muzzle-side. I trimmed off the rear of the barrel where the nub was located, and was then able to slide the barrel easily into the jacket. I think this could also be solved by very slightly reaming out the jackets. While this is not mentioned in the instructions, it is a very easy fix. I have included a photo of the assembled barrel/jacket with the cut-off nub next to it. It is also entirely possible that this is a self-induced error – just be aware of it when assembling!

For comparison purposes I have also have provided a photo showing the completed barrel next to the those provided by Italeri in their 1/48 scale Macchi 200 kit. While the plastic is nice, these do provide an extra level of finesse.

These are very nicely detailed pieces and would make a great upgrade to your next WW2 Italian aircraft kit. Highly recommend.

Thanks to Master Model for providing the sample and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.