Accurate Armour G01 Ordnance QF 17pdr

Andrew Dextras

History

The British 17 pounder gun has been acknowledged by the majority of millitary historians as the most effective
Allied anti-tank weapon of the second world war. It's roots can be traced to a November 1940 decision to begin
investigating the replacement of the 6 pdr anti-tank gun (before 6 pdr production had even started). It was
decided that a 76.2mm gun firing a 17lb projectile would be effective in penetrating any German armoured vehicle
for the years to come. The first pilots appeared in early 1942 with the gun being officially introduced in May
1942. During the commencement of 17 pdr production, news reached the British of the possibility of the
deployment of the new German Tiger I heavy tank in North Afirca. Because the production standard split trail
17 pdr carriage was not ready for production yet, an expedient method was found to mount the new gun on a 25
pdr carriage. Approximately one hundred of these conversions were performed and this version became
officially known as the 17 pdr mk2, or "Pheasant", serving until the standard production mount was available. The
standard gun mount saw action in Western Europe and was seen towed by Crusader Gun Tractors which were a
modification of obsolete Crusader tanks suitibly outfitted for towing the gun, along with room for crew and
ammunition. The guns were also seen being towed by M3A3 Stuart turretless gun tractors as well as Shermans.

The Kit

Accurate Armour's kit depicts the standard production 17 pdr anti-tank gun with it's split trail carriage typical of
guns seen in NW Europe. The kit is packaged in the usual sturdy Accurate Armour box with plenty of bubble
wrap for protection during shipping. The kit is composed of major parts cast in a light grey resin and detail parts
in white metal with the total being 90 parts, plus spares for some of the more delicate items. The parts are all very
cleanly cast and will require little cleanup prior to assembly. There are absolutely no airbubbles to be found in my
example, nor was there any warping. Particular attention has been paid in keeping the attachment points as small
as can be, which is helpful when removing smaller parts off the runner.

The kit's instructions consist of a very professional looking 8 page booklet with clear and concise photographs
outlining construction of the kit, as well as a complete parts list with numbers that can be cross referenced to the
numbers cast on the runners. Resin kit manufacturers who supply modellers with one page instructions consisting
of a hand drawn picture being intersected by 400 arrows should take heed.

The kit offers the possibility of being built in travelling as well as firing position. The kit also includes several ammo
boxes,17pdr ammo and spent shell casings for the diorama builder. As this is an "in box" review I cannot
comment on fit as of yet, but several exploratory dry fit sessions revealed that the model should go together very
well indeed. The gun's carriage is beautifully cast revealing some very fine detail. The gun shield is also very finely
cast as are the incredibly thin side shields. The wheels are also nice and are particularly rugged looking. As for
accuracy, the kit certainly looks the part and I will be comparing it with my photos of the 17pdr shortly.

In conclusion, I feel this kit is of excellent quality and allows modellers of Allied equipment the opportunity to build
a long overdue model of one of the most famous pieces of ordnance of all time.