Black Cat Models Accessory Review

Black Cat Models
1/350 10.5cm SK C/33 guns on LC/37 mount

Reviewed by Martin J Quinn
April 2021

Black Cat Models continues to produce new weapon sets for the Kriegsmarine. One of the newest products to arrive is set AC350071d, SK C/33 twin 10.5cm gun on Dopp LC/37 (x2).

According to Wikipedia, The 10.5 cm SK C/33 was used by the Kriegsmarine, the German Navy. Related to the Flak 38, it was installed on the Bismarck and Scharnhorst classes of battleships as well as the Deutschland- and Admiral Hipper-class cruisers. After the war, it was used for a few years by the French Marine Nationale on the reconstructed destroyers Guichen and Chateaurenault. In the late 1940s, the French also planned to equip the battleship Richelieu with twelve of these mountings, but the project was cancelled due to credit shortage.

Meanwhile, Navweaps.com says that This weapon was used primarily as AAA on cruisers and capital ships, although it could be used against surface targets. A reasonably good weapon, but the training and elevation rates of their mountings were rather slow. Replaced the older 8.8 cm (3.5") SK C/31 on newer ships. The difference between the Dop. L. C/31 and the Dop. L. C/37 was that the latter had both guns in a single cradle, reducing the spacing between gun barrels from the previous mountings.

Click to enlarge images

THE 10.5cm SK C/33

The packaging is the usual plastic clamshell container, with two print rafts containing the 3D printed parts attached to the bottom of the packaging with double sided tape.

There are two 10.5cm weapons in the package. One raft contains the mount, the other the two sets of twin barrels.

The largest of the two parts is the mount, obviously. It's got lots of great detail on it, with grab handles and doors on the outside of the mount, and nice structural detail on the inside. As with the Dop. L. C/31 weapons, I did notice some print lines on the inside and undersides of the mount, but they may not be that noticeable, due to their location. The twin barrels are well printed, with nice traversing gears and detail on the breeches. The muzzles of the barrels are open.

Close ups of some of the parts details.

INSTRUCTIONS

There are no instructions in the box, but the packing directs you to the Black Cat Models website. There, on a data page for the particular item, you will find a PDF on how to remove the printed supports that are part of the 3D printing process, and also how to assemble the weapons.

CONCLUSIONS

Another terrific accessory from Black Cat, this as part of their new line of German Kriegsmarine products. This version of these weapons (Dopp LC/37 mount) were carried by the Bismarck (the 4 aft 10.5cm weapons) and Tirpitz, and were aslo planned for use on the abortive Graf Zeppelin class and Seydlitz aircraft carriers. These will definitely be an improvement over the injection molded parts. They also look like they'd be easier to assemble than some of the other aftermarket options.

This is Black Cat Models set AC350071d, SK C/33 twin 10.5cm gun on Dopp LC/37 mount (x2). They retail for about $9.00 USD, and are available directly from Black Cat Models - who I'd like to thank for this review sample - or from some of our other fine sponsors. Highly recommended.