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Armor/AFV: Braille Scale
1/72 and 1/76 Scale Armor and AFVs.
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Discolouration around tank gun muzzle? ...
Kevlar06
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Posted: Sunday, January 26, 2020 - 11:14 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The heavy duty canvas tarp was the only thing that we did not tie down. It usually went right behind the mantle. The one thing that always got me was the unsecured weapons laying all over the vehicle. First it was more weapons then any crew would be issued and they were unsecured. Securing your weapon on your person or some where is drummed into the head of every soldier.

Tom



Tom and I were in the same unit. I second what he has said, the other item that could be counted upon to stay in place was the heavy camouflage net and cover case, sometimes folded and lying on top of the tarp. Let’s not forget, the objective of most tankers is to keep the tank on the straight and level, and not have it killed off to one side, that’s the way tracks get thrown. But there is a lot of “bow to grill up and down rocking” over up and down terrain— so you don’t want stuff on the rear deck that’s unsecured. And as Tom said, each tank crew (from WWI to now) got their individual weapons, their crew served weapons, and that’s usually it. There isn’t room or need for other stuff.
VR, Russ
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Posted: Sunday, January 26, 2020 - 02:43 PM UTC
Two things, one paint does chip from the muzzle end. Usually from cleaning crews missing the first push. it gets stained from the cleaning fluids and if you have a bore evacuator on the 105 mm it is heavy and tankers are not gentle it can stain the front half of the gun and chip paint as it is removed.

2. All external stowage has to be high enough not to drag on the hull. Other wise it may get caught or simply worn out. The non skid surface is like heavy grit sand paper. Now some crews let their stuff drag and have to try to get it replaced. I never let that happen on any of my tanks.

One annual training cycle in Fort Drum the Battalion commander thought wrapping the gun tubes in cammo net would be a great Idea. I commanded the last tank in the platoon so my gun was often over the back deck. So after 8 days of maneuvers we had one totally ruined cammo net. I have no idea of the cost.

Tom
Ringleheim
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Posted: Monday, January 27, 2020 - 11:47 AM UTC
I still haven't figured out, or read an acceptable explanation for, the "black" muzzle brakes on many German Panzers in Russia while in whitewash.

There are tons of photos of this (a few are already in this thread) and I just can't figure it out, but it's definitely there, and it should be replicated on your model if you are making one of these winter Panzers.

barkingdigger
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Posted: Monday, January 27, 2020 - 11:58 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I still haven't figured out, or read an acceptable explanation for, the "black" muzzle brakes on many German Panzers in Russia while in whitewash.

There are tons of photos of this (a few are already in this thread) and I just can't figure it out, but it's definitely there, and it should be replicated on your model if you are making one of these winter Panzers.




I've seen it suggested they were whitewashed while the canvas muzzle bag was on, leaving the muzzle in whatever colour the tank had pre-whitewash. Since we're talking B/W photos the muzzle will appear dark against the whitewash, especially if the tank was panzer grey or camo'd with dark green. But I doubt it was actually soot-black.
brekinapez
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Posted: Monday, January 27, 2020 - 02:45 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I still haven't figured out, or read an acceptable explanation for, the "black" muzzle brakes on many German Panzers in Russia while in whitewash.

There are tons of photos of this (a few are already in this thread) and I just can't figure it out, but it's definitely there, and it should be replicated on your model if you are making one of these winter Panzers.




I've seen it suggested they were whitewashed while the canvas muzzle bag was on, leaving the muzzle in whatever colour the tank had pre-whitewash. Since we're talking B/W photos the muzzle will appear dark against the whitewash, especially if the tank was panzer grey or camo'd with dark green. But I doubt it was actually soot-black.



If you look on page 1 at the pic of Tank '20' in whitewash with its barrel at about 45° up it has a link and a comment to note the sharp demarcation where the brake meets the barrel. This would align with the muzzle bag premise as the bag would act as a mask and create a point of contrast. Tank '223' further down the page also shows this demarcation. The photo of the tank with the bag on seems to show the bag ending about where the demarcation is on the other tanks.

Coincidence?
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Monday, January 27, 2020 - 06:31 PM UTC
The muzzle bag + whitewash sounds like a probable theory, especially since it is so difficult to find images of tanks with this darkness on the barrel which are not whitewashed
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