M119 105mm Howitzer
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The US Army selected the British L118 105mm Light Gun for use in its light infantry, air assault, and airborne units. The gun was modified to use US sights and digital fire control, improve its reliability, and cold weather performance, and fire NATO standard ammunition. The redesigned gun, manufactured in the US, is known as the M119.
This is the new Vargas Scale Models kit in 3D printed resin. The kit can be assembled as either the Brit L118 or the US M119. It is the early M119 not the latest M119A3. This is the only kit of this subject that is currently available. It went together well and builds up into a fine model.
The kit is designed to be displayed in travel position. I made a couple of simple changes to depict it in firing position. I selected my barrel elevation and glued the trunnions in place. I then glued the front trunnion bracket to the correct location on the cradle and placed the rod through the saddle brackets. I cut off the end of the rod that extended beyond the bracket and glued it down. The other issue was the cable stays on the platform. I used a fresh scalpel blade to carefully remove the cable stays from the platform. The stays came off cleanly. I straightened them by heating and attached them to the carriage and platform after gluing the tires to the platform.
I finished mine in CARC sand and made decals for one of my old units.
