Matador Models 1/76 60-Pounder BL Mk I Field Gun

The 60-pounder was one of the most modern guns used by the British at the outset World War One. It had been introduced in 1904, after bitter experience during the Boer War had showed the British the need for a heavy, long-range support weapon. The design was pretty standard, except that the gun and cradle could be pulled back onto the box trail, to distribute the weight more evenly during transport. The 127mm gun could shoot a 27.3kg shell (shrapnel or HE) some 9.4km. It was the Divisional Heavy Batteries that were armed with the 60-pounder.

The performance of the 60-pounder was also improved over the years. This was done mainly by using better munitions, e.g. more aerodynamically shaped shell. This improved the range up to 11.2km. (In 1916 a new barrel was designed, that was both longer and could be elevated more. This was the Mk II. The alterations made the gun heavier, but increased the range even more, now up til 14.1km. This model did however not see service in World War One.) Also both the carriage and especially the wheels were altered during the war, improving the maneuverability of a pretty heavy gun. (it's weight was 4.47 tons.)

The general soundness of the design is showed by the fact that it was used well into World War Two.

  For more photos of this gun, click here!
  

Contents of the kit:

Click on the picture for an enlarged version!

The kit is made in white metal, and consists of 11 parts, including the parts for the limber, and alternative wheels. (You can't help to compare it with Exo Kit:s offering, which gives you 47 parts for the gun alone.) As anyone can see, this is a fairly basic kit.

As is the case of most Braille Scale Arty kits, it must be seen as the basis for further work. And as such it is pretty good actually. The shape of the parts are good, the barrel is straight etc. But you will have to be prepared to do a LOT of detail work, as practically all finer parts of the gun simply aren't there.

The plans are fine, and give you an excellent historical background.

This kit can be bought through their own site or via the Scale Link hompage  

This is a basic kit, requiring a lot of detail work. But the basis for that work is sound. I think that the best bet for anyone wanting to build a nice 60-pounder is to kitbash this kit with the Exo Kit kit, taking all the basic parts - barrel, carriage, wheels etc - from the Matador kits, and simply lifting all the finer detail from Exo Kit:s offering.