The 5”/25 gun was the United States Navy’s first heavy anti-aircraft armament designed for this specific purpose. They were fitted on USN battleships, carriers and cruisers built or modernized between 1926 and 1940.  While they were initially meant to be a single-purpose gun, some battleship gunnery officers began thinking of them as dual-purpose weapons and they were often fired in annual surface gunfire contests with impressive results.   A "wet mount" version for submarines was also developed. The 5”/25 gun was fitted on the following ship classes:

Master Models is a Polish company that is the latest to join the brass ship barrel parade with an impressive and growing inventory of barrels marketed in their Sea Masters Series in the two major scales - 1/350 and 1/700.  One of their more recent offerings is a set of 1/350 scale 5”/25 barrels sold in packages of 14.  These barrels were originally available only as part of their USS San Francisco set but they are now sold separately. The machined brass barrels are very well done with a slight taper to the muzzle.  In addition the muzzle has been drilled out just enough to make it look realistic.  What I find especially helpful is the stem at the bottom end of the barrel which facilitates gluing the brass part in place. The photos show how the brass barrel looks dry fitted on one of the 5”/25 guns in the Trumpeter USS San Francisco kit compared to a “stock” part.  These barrels would also greatly improve the look of any of the resin or white metal versions provided in kits by Iron Shipwrights and Yankee Modelworks.   They would also enhance the version produced by L’Arsenal.  The brass barrels are sturdier and will not bend, warp or possibly snap off like resin or white metal versions. The instructions provided with this set of barrels are simple and straightforward and lay out the three steps required to make the swap. If you want to achieve as much realism as you can with a 1/350 scale model that have a battery of 5”/25 fitted then these brass barrels are what you need.

 Felix Bustel o

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