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AFV CLUB M59 LONG TOM

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AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
A kit can often remain waiting its turn in your stash – AFV Club’s 1:35th Long Tom is given a much-needed public airing!

Many modellers are compulsive hoarders. So AFV Club’s M59 Howitzer was a must-have addition to our stash some years ago. There was something about that purposeful looking gun that commanded attention.To give you an idea of how long the Long Tom has lain idle, the price ticket showed it had come from Beatties in Southampton. Many older modellers will fondly recall the Beatties chain of model shops!

Anyway, when we published our walk around of the M1 Long Tom & Mack NO, we thought a review of this model would be useful to model makers.

Inside a large box, adorned with a simply superb colour illustration, are four sandy-coloured sprues, a set of rubber tyres & a turned metal barrel component.

As this is a 1:35th scale artillery piece, inspection of the sprues, especially Sprue A with the weapon’s trailing arms, shows this will be a large model when complete.

What is instantly noticeable is the quality of the mouldings. Some parts are minute & beautifully reproduced. In fact, we recall this kit arrived at the technological turning point when manufacturers were really starting to up their game.

The turned metal barrel section – for the last half of the gun tube – is testament to this willingness to offer the modeller a more quality product. It certainly is a welcome edition.

The rubber tyres, such a feature of the gun, are the later non-directional tread versions, so World War Two modellers may wish to replace them. This is because most period photographs in the archives show the gun sporting directional or road-type tyres – often mixing different treads on the same gun.

Decorations-wise, there’s no decal sheet in this release (Ref: AFV3509) but that’s hardly surprising for an artillery piece.

AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th
AFV Club Long Tom 1:35th

For us, what stands out is the overall finesse of the production. The breach, trunnion sides & smaller sighting & directional turn gear are beautifully moulded.

It will be a more complex build due to the profusion of smaller parts but model makers should be rewarded with an accurate replica with only small improvements to be added. The only caveat is the choice of whether to replace the wheels with the types more often seen in the Second World War. Nonetheless, it promises to be a good build & you have to admit, it was a cool-looking artillery piece.

We did choose to upgrade the wheels so make sure you seek out our review of the Masters replacement wheel & bogie set as you might like to add that to your stash – just in case you decide to take your M1 or M59 out of hiding & get building.

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