57mm Anti Tank gun (1 Viewer)

[AIDMAN]

A question guys??. I am considering adding the new BBA083 M1A1 57mm Anti Tank gun to my collection but i would like to display it in a towed position. so is there anyone out there who can tell me if this is possible.....does the gun have a moveable trail or is it in a fixed firing position???.....Thanks


Steve

 

[uksubs]

A question guys??. I am considering adding the new BBA083 M1A1 57mm Anti Tank gun to my collection but i would like to display it in a towed position. so is there anyone out there who can tell me if this is possible.....does the gun have a moveable trail or is it in a fixed firing position???.....Thanks


Steve

Going by the photos the gun fixed in the firing position

 

[Obee]

You would have to know if the trails are fixed in the open position for firing, and that would confirm whether it can be towed.

Interestingly I can see that the towing eye, on the right hand trail is in the lowered position that indicates it can be towed!!

See this image of the gun firing, and the towing eye up where it is used to move the trails when changing point of aim.

We shall see what other say about the fixed or not fixed trails .....

John

 

[TomNT]

I would bet it can be towed as it doesn't make sense to only have it in a firing position only and as John has pointed out, the towing eye is in the lowered position which indicates it can be towed.

Tom

 

[uksubs]

The reason I think it can't is the British 57mm gun Knc made had a towing eye

 

[AIDMAN]

You would have to know if the trails are fixed in the open position for firing, and that would confirm whether it can be towed.

Interestingly I can see that the towing eye, on the right hand trail is in the lowered position that indicates it can be towed!!

See this image of the gun firing, and the towing eye up where it is used to move the trails when changing point of aim.

We shall see what other say about the fixed or not fixed trails .....

John

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I hope you are correct John, the thing that makes me think that it is towable is that if you super-enlarge the KC picture of the gun taken from the right-hand side..(standing behind the gun shield) then there seems to be rather a lot of space where the trail is attacthed to the frame>>?? could just be wishfull thinking/could be a production fault but at the end of the day i will probabaly buy wichever way it works out!!!.

Steve

 

[Arnhemjim]

Hello Aidman,
Believe you may in luck.The 6 pdr in the Market Garden Series, Set MG019 (which I just physically checked), has movable trails. Obviously an additional assembly step would be required, with the attendant cost incurred. Hopefully Andy Neilson has retained the same basic gun carriage design and basic gun, modifying the gun muzzle, i.e. removal of the muzzle brake. Careful comparison of the 57mm gun photographs however, does show that the gun shrapnel shield has been modified from that of the 6 pdr, and fittings along each trail also appear to have been modified.

Arnhem Jim
Arizona Territory

 

[binder001]

One thing in your favor - the original gun's trails pivoted at a central point, unlike artillery like the US 105mm howitzer where each trail is hinged off the axle. That means that one central pivot COULD allow for folding trails.

For towing the "official" towing vehicle for a US Army infantry regiment would be the 6X6 Dodge WC62 or WC63 (King & Country BBA038) for armored units it was the M2A1 halftrack. Some units that were in the assault waves of Opn Neptune had received halftracks in place of the Dodge trucks. Each regular infantry battalion had three guns in the AT platoon of Bn headquarters, plus there were nine more 57's in the regiment's Antitank Company, so each fully equipped US infantry regiment could field 18 57mm guns. The armored infantry battalions in the 1943-pattern US armored division had three 57mm guns.

Interestingly, K&C modeled their gun as having the extra "idler wheel" on one trail. This was to help move the gun short distances (like shifting traverse) but isn't often seen on guns in the ETO. The US Army also had extra armor panels available for late carriages, but these are not seen in combat photos because they were too cumbersome.

The US Army adopted the British 6-pounder design in mid-1943 to replace the inadequate 37mm. As a note of trivia, the US industrial base allled us to make guns with the longer barrel (50 calibers length) that the original designers wanted, while many British gun factories could only produce a barrel of 45 calibers length. For the airborne phase of DDay the US airborne divisions traded US 57mm guns for British 6-pounders on the Mk IV airborne carriage because it was lighter and the width fit the gliders better than the US-built guns.

Gary B.

 

[AIDMAN]

Thanks Gary for the info on the 57mm gun, Always good to know more about a model that sits on the shelf/diorama!!. and thanks Arnhemjim,let"s hope you are correct. The 57mm is quite a different model than the Brit 6 pounder. finer/more detail, and as i said i will probably buy the gun anyway. the way the loader is looking to his right makes me suspect that there will be a gun commander to come...I really hope that the guy is "NOT LOOKING THROUGH A PAIR OF BINOCULARS"...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.



Steve

 

[Wraith]

Steve,
They are hinged and movable
Cheers
Simon

 

[AIDMAN]

Steve,
They are hinged and movable
Cheers
Simon

Simon

Now that is what i wanted to hear....you"re the man..!!. Did you see the model in London today?? sorry i was"nt able to be there this time.

Take it easy Steve

 

[Wraith]

Simon

Now that is what i wanted to hear....you"re the man..!!. Did you see the model in London today?? sorry i was"nt able to be there this time.

Take it easy Steve

Missed catching up with you today mate. I had a beer on your behalf. Actually, several beers, but we don't like to keep count.
Yes, the model was displayed at the show, looked good!
Cheers,
Simon

 

[Rob]

Simon

Now that is what i wanted to hear....you"re the man..!!. Did you see the model in London today?? sorry i was"nt able to be there this time.

Take it easy Steve

You were indeed missed in London Steve, the gun is an excellent model with nice crew, I'll be adding it to my US Bulge collection.

Missed catching up with you today mate. I had a beer on your behalf. Actually, several beers, but we don't like to keep count.
Yes, the model was displayed at the show, looked good!
Cheers,
Simon

Good to see you at weekend Simon, never seen so many of us in the pub!

Best to both

Rob

 

[AIDMAN]

Thanks for that Simon ,I enjoyed those beers immensely!!....(hic). and Rob really good to hear from you again mate!!!!!!.

Take care all Steve

 

[johngambale]

HELLO STEVE! Is this NEW 57mm Gun a little Larger than CS 57MM Gun? Please Reply! Thanks! CIAO!

 

[AIDMAN]

HELLO STEVE! Is this NEW 57mm Gun a little Larger than CS 57MM Gun? Please Reply! Thanks! CIAO!

Hello John Like to be able to help you out on your question John, but as i don"t own the CS version and i still have not yet seen the KC version then i am not able to compare the differences.....What i do know is that CS are not Always scale consequent, and do quite often fall on the slightly large side 1/28th>1/30th. I must admit i quite like the CS version especially that it comes with 3 figures..!!


Regards Steve