7.5 cm PaK 40 Anti-Tank Gun
Matchbox 1:76 Scale Artillery Review
The Matchbox 1:76 scale 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 40 anti-tank gun comes with pressed steel wheels with solid rubber tires, which were heavier and more expensive to produce than the later, spoked wheels with solid rubber tires supplied with the ESCI 1:72 scale 7.5 cm PaK 40.
Contents
- German Afrika Korps
- BMW R75 Motorcycle with Sidecar
- Sd.Kfz. 11 Half-Track and Crew
- 7.5 cm L.46 PaK 40 Anti-Tank Gun
- Diorama Base: Dirt Road and ruined Building
Evaluation
Excellent choice of subject. The PaK 40 was one of the most effective German anti-tank guns of the war, and it lends itself to a number of interesting conversion projects.
Scale model with good detail. Hinges, rivet heads, and working parts of the elevating and breech mechanism are nicely sculpted.
Easy to build, only 17 parts.
The muzzle brake can be drilled open very easily.
The PaK 40 is a partially working model, the barrel can be raised or lowered, and aimed to either side. The gun trails swing into the towing position, and they have a more secure fit than the trails of the Airfix PaK 40.
The kit is designed to show the PaK 40 in tow behind its tractor. A driver and six gun crew figures are seated inside the vehicle. The Airfix kit is the better choice for a PaK 40 in action, it contains four crew members firing the weapon.
The model has solid steel wheel, compared to the spoked steel wheels of the Airfix PaK 40. The gun trails are of simpler design, but the breech and recoil slider are more accurately modelled than those of the Airfix gun.
Compatible with Airfix, Fujimi, Nitto, and VAC-U-CAST.
Modellers should not be mislead about the fact that the vehicles in this boxed set are actually 1:76 scale Matchbox re-releases.
The lower gun shield is much too far forward of the axle. This problem may be corrected by cutting the supports back by 3 mm.
The wheel hubs need to be drilled open for a better fit, otherwise they stick out too far. Similarly, the gun cradle required drilling to accept the barrel.
The original PaK 40 had a laminated shield consisting of two armour plates riveted together, but the model has a solid shield. The problem could be corrected by engraving or painting a thin line in the top edge of the shield.
The Matchbox 1:76 scale 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 40 anti-tank gun is a good model for wargamers interested in raising an anti-tank platoon.