¹⁄350

BMK sends us news of their latest brass barrel package, the 1/350, 9pcs. 16" and 20 pcs. 5" turned brass gun barrels for the Trumpeter USS Massachusetts and North Carolina. These barrels are turned from brass alloy MS 58 and will retail for $46.20. Theses authentic look-alike barrels won't deform under varying temperatures like resin or styrene parts.

Weapon History
16"/45 (40.6 cm) Mark 6
An improved weapon when compared to the older 16"/45 (40.6 cm) gun used on the Colorado class battleships, this weapon was a simpler, lighter design. A major difference was that the mountings for these guns were specifically designed to handle the 2,700 lbs. (1,224.7 kg) AP Mark 8 projectile. This gun had a slight advantage over the 16"/50 (40.6 cm) Mark 7 in terms of deck armor penetration due to its lower muzzle velocity.
During the Battle off Casablanca in November 1942, USS Massachusetts (BB-58) put two AP rounds through deck armor of the French battleship Jean Bart and temporarily silenced her only operational main battery turret with another AP round. During the Battle of Guadalcanal in the same month, USS Washington (BB-56) sank the small Japanese battleship HIJMS Kirishima with at least nine direct AP hits.
Constructed of liner, A tube, jacket, three hoops, two locking rings, liner-locking ring, yoke ring and screw box liner. Some components were autofretted. Used a Welin breech block which opened downwards. As typical of USN weapons, the bore was chromium plated. Mod 1 was similar except that there were tapped holes in the breech end for securing the hinge lug to the gun. Mod 2 had a set of adapter sleeves to allow it to be used for regunning the Colorado class, but it is doubtful if any of these guns were actually in service aboard those ships. About 120 guns of all mods were manufactured, with most being Mod 1.

5"/38 (12.7 cm) Mark 12
This was unquestionably the finest Dual Purpose gun of World War II. Originally designed to arm new destroyers being built in the 1930s, the 5"/38 (12.7 cm) wound up being used on nearly every major US warship built between 1934 and 1945 and was still being used on new construction as late as the 1960s. It was also used on many auxiliaries and smaller warships as well as on US Coast Guard vessels. This standardization, unique in any navy, greatly helped the logistical supply situation of the Pacific War.
These guns were hand-loaded, but power-rammed, which gave them a high rate of fire and a capability of being easily loaded at any angle of elevation, both of which are highly desirable qualities for an anti-aircraft weapon. The introduction of proximity-fuzed AA shells in 1943 made this weapon an even more potent AAA gun.
The earliest mountings as used on USS Farragut (DD-348) were pedestal mounts with shell and cartridge hoists located on the deck behind the gun mount. However, starting with USS Gridley (DD-380), a new base-ring mounting with integral shell hoists on the axis of the mount was introduced. This type of mounting meant that shells and cartridges could be passed directly to the gun's breech at any angle of train, thus significantly improving the practical rate of fire. Most subsequent designs, including all twin mountings, were similar, although a simpler base ring mount lacking hoists was introduced in 1943 for use on auxiliary vessels.