Sherman Conversion

[Graywinter]

I have a couple of Shermans equipped with the 75mm gun and I want to upgrade them to a 76mm gun. How much longer was the 76mm barrel? I cannot find anything online that cites the length of the barrel.

I did find a reference that the 75mm was about 3m long (around 9 feet). Any treadheads know this one?

 

[Alexb83]

I think the 76 has a muzzle brake for a start...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sherman_m4a2e8_cfb_borden_3.JPG

As opposed to the m3 75mm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yanks_advance_into_a_Belgian_town.jpg

 

[Graywinter]

AHA! Thanks!

Looks like about 25% longer and a muzzle brake. Hmm... how do I convert that, especially with a taper? I have never converted a tank barrel... maybe I am better off just getting a new model? (Quick, twist my arm)

 

[Alexb83]

Hehe - you could buy new models, or you could just use some greenstuff/milliput (I prefer milliput personally) :-

M10 3" GMC becomes a 17pdr Sp. (note that the barrel is ever so slightly shorter on this one than it is on the part metal model that I bought the same day (which actually is a 17pdr sp.) Battlefront seem to make different versions of the M10 model)

 

[Alexb83]

It's also worth noting that the collar (where the gun mates with the turret) varies with most marks of Sherman - obviously the british designations are a bit different to the US designations, but the first marks had a very narrow 'collar' which then widened, then changed shape to what you can see in profile in that 76 picture (sort of a forward slant covering the width of the turret face).

Here's an even better pic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sherman_m4a2e8_cfb_borden_2.JPG

 

[Graywinter]

Is the barrel even tapered? Doesn't look it in that picture.

 

[Rabidchild]

I did find a reference that the 75mm was about 3m long (around 9 feet). Any treadheads know this one?

Did someone call for me?

Overall, you'd be better off buying a new model as the shermans that carried the 76mm gun had different turrets. (Take a look at this page for great views of modeling sherman variants: http://henk.fox3000.com/Sher.htm)

But the info you asked for:
75mm M3: 118 inches long
76mm M1: 167 inches long
(both rounded to nearest inch)

Not all versions of the 76mm had a brake, nor were some versions even threaded for one

I don't know for sure if they were tapered or not, but the images do not look like it.

 

[hithero]

I believe barrel length can be worked out by multipling bore x calibre - seem to remember that from a few decades ago.

 

[Graywinter]

I made a brief excursion into converting this, but it is not going to be possible. The 75mm has a serious taper, and that means I would have to cut the barrel off totally and start from scratch. I'd rather just buy a 76mm, I think.

 

[Alexb83]

I didn't really see much of a taper to the barrel, tbh - just looks like a uniform cross section.