|
1/350 IJN Triple 25mm AA Guns
|
||||||||||||
|
by Martin J Quinn |
||||||||||||
| The Type 96 25mm gun was the standard light, short
range anti-aircraft weapon used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World
War Two. It was licensed from the interwar French Hotchkiss 25mm design
for anti-aircraft use, and was meant as a replacement for the Japanese
licensed Vickers 4cm/62 mount. The original 25mm design was tested in 1935
and adopted for use by the IJN in 1936. It was produced in single, double,
and triple gun mount models. Over 30,000 guns of all types were eventually
produced. They were mounted on naval units of all classes and types as
well as used for land-based protection.
Though the Japanese rated it as an effective weapon, it showed limitations during actual use. Firing rate, range, and the ability to train it on a target have all been cited as reasons for its relative ineffectiveness. A closer examination suggests that the root cause might be a magazine limited to 15 rounds. Such a small magazine enabled just a short burst before exhausting the magazine. In turn, a shorter burst likely meant withholding fire until an aircraft closed to within a closer kill zone. Doing so limited its practical effectiveness to a much briefer interval at closer range when compared to the highly regarded, contemporary Oerlikon 20mm gun. That weapon had a larger capacity magazine and was used at greater ranges with far greater effectiveness.* *Info on the Type 96 25mm gun taken from Dan Kaplan's review of the Black Cat version of this weapon. |
||||||||||||
Click to enlarge images |
||||||||||||
| THE PARTS | ||||||||||||
| Inside the flip top box are two print rafts, printed
in black. Each raft holds different part of the weapons - one has
the mount, the other the barrels. There are ten triple 25mm weapons
included.
Detail is very nice all the way around, though a bit hard to see due to the color of the resin. I had to wear magnifiers to be able to appreciate the details. The mounts have seats and foot rests, along with wheels to train the weapons, while the barrels are very fine, with flash suppressors at their ends and very nicely done sights. |
||||||||||||
The instructions are a single, small piece of paper,
photos showing you where to place the barrels onto the mounts, and pictures
of the completed weapons.
|
||||||||||||
| CONCLUSIONS | ||||||||||||
| I had seen folks talking on various forums folks
talking about Bunker Studio parts, so when I saw these at the Squadron
vendor room (yes, they had an entire room to themselves, it was
more like a small hobby shop) at the 2023 IPMS USA National Convention,
I decided to pick them up. I think they are nicely printed, though
I'm on the fence about the black resin. I do like that they are two
parts, as it makes me feel like I'm at least putting some effort into using
them, and not "cheating" by using one piece parts - but that's just me.
These stack up well to other version available on the market - they have
nice detail and come 10 to a pack. It will be up to the individual modeler
to determine who's product offers the best value, and works best for them.
These are Bunker Studios IJN Type 96 25mm Triple AA guns, item number IJN35005. They are listed for $35.99, but can be found for less. As mentioned, these were courtesy of my beleaguered credit card. Recommended. |
