Roll out the barrel!

Having rectified my T-26 engine's air outlet cover grill, I only had the model's rather weedy 45mm gun barrel to replace. So, I placed an order with a Polish company - Model-making.eu - for six Aber metal barrels...

£2.15 each, they take the budget price of my Pegasus T-26 models up a bit.

The advantages are clear, the spindly Pegasus plastic 45mm gun barrels are poorly moulded. There is little chance to be able to drill out their barrel and, in any case, the muzzle doesn't have the appropriate rim. Plus, the metal version is perfectly turned, has no mould seam and is nice and straight.

Left: The original Pegasus barrel. Not the best.

I'm satisfied with the majority of the other features of the Pegasus model, really it's very nice even when compared to some of the display quality kits out there.

As a matter of fact, I also need this metal barrel for my excellent Mirage T-26 models. For some strange reason, Mirage included the original Finnish 37mm gun in their Finnish T-26 models instead of the Soviet 45mm gun (which the Finn's retro-fitted to all their versions as the war progressed). This then makes the Mirage models near perfect, and the best models available of the T-26 variants in 1/72.

Ex-Finnish T-26 Model 1933 light tank in the Bovington Tank Museum.
Source: Wikimedia