10/ 12mm WW2 and 6mm Napoleonic gaming: Panther Super Coelian Flakzwilling

I managed to get hold of some resin kits of the Panther Coelian Flakzwilling 44 when last in Taiwan. I have a previous post on the first one I did - here. I wanted to do a couple as the Panther Super Coelian Flakzwilling i.e with bigger longer barrel guns. I had to come up with a way of making the barrels which I will describe later in the post.

I did a couple as the Panther Coelian Flakzwilling 44 but replaced the resin barrels made in the same way as the Super Coelian guns.

Here are a few shots of the turrets with the replacement metal barrels for both the Coelian and Super Coelian.

I made the barrels by using lengths of normal domestic pins cut to the required length (snipping off the head and point with pliers). The muzzle pieces I cut from a length of tubing I had from a model shop. I cut the pieces off with a junior hacksaw as a saw makes sure the tube is not squashed. It then needs to be filed to be flat at each end (given the pieces are small the exposed end needs to be filed before cutting a piece off then it is glued on the end of the pin piece with the newly cut end showing so it can then be filed more easily). The tricky bit is drilling into the resin to glue in the new metal barrels - it just needs the right size drill bit and a very slow careful drilling action making sure the bit starts out in the centre of the resin part of the barrel as it is not that much thicker than the pin.

A couple of comparison shots of the Panther Coelian Flakzwilling 44 with the original resin barrels and with the replacement metal barrels. The resin barrels are slightly wonky but also rather fragile so I am much happier with the metal replacements.