RB Model – 120mm Rh-M-120 L/44 Barrel for Leopard 2 A1 to A4

[TRM]

RB Model

120mm Rh-M-120 L/44 Barrel for Leopard 2 A1 to A4



A complete review of this barrel replacement can be found in the MSC Review Connect - HERE

[Tobi]

That is the barrel I used for my Leopard 2 build.

I just want to add:
- my barrel unfortunately had an air bubble in the smoke evacuator, but I added the mentionend texturing anyway.



- The collimator needs some attention, too. It should be angled slightly upwards and to the "outside" when put together, plus the edge of the eyepiece also is not straight, but chamfered, with the shorter part towards the barrel.

[TRM]

The barrel is definitely a great option to take when building one of the earlier Leo 2's. Nice work on the striations. I know there is a replacement evacuator sold on the market and while it is quick good looking, the marks are nothing that cannot be handles with a little love from a file or sanding stick.  I am surprised there was a bubble but it is not too uncommon, as you know, with the casting process these days. Did you purchase the barrel through RB or one of their authorized dealers?   I ask because I also believe there are some Chinese companies making copies of numerous items and then selling them on ebay and through online stores.  There are no regulations to prevent them from doing so either.  The parts are cheaper of course but the quality is less as well.  How ddo I know...I bought an extra 120mm barrel off Ebay to check.  Same labeling and almost the same tooling and casting but the casting was slightly inferior to the original.

Enough of that...LOL!!

What I found interesting with the MRS collar you made up was the small tabs. They seem to be on a few different variants



The tabs do look a bit over-sized in PE but certainly work to give the look, if you ask me.  With a little filing things would smooth out if it bothered someone too much.




Another thing I did find out, was there are way too many variants to how the collimator was attached. The picture you showed on the bottom looks to have an upgraded clamp to it. 



The one offered with the replacement comes real close to most of the 2a4 -2a5 variants from what I seen.  The one provided fortunately happens to be the same on the variant I have planned for the build at some point in the not so distant future. 

[Tobi]

I bought the barrel from a large modeling online shop here in Germany, so I firmly believe it was original, no copy. I wasn't aware there exists a problem here, with Chinese copies being even cheaper than the Polish original. Sometimes it occurs to me that the RB offerings are the cheaper copies of the Aber barrels. LOL

However, I also think I had only bad luck. I have the barrel several times, the others seem all ok. I just wanted to point out these things can happen.

The picture I borrowed from Panzer-Modell.de shows the collimator mount on a Leo 1, but it was the best reference I could find so quick for the eyepiece. The RB mount should be valid for every Bundeswehr Leopard 2 without exception. I think most if not all of the  references you showed are from prototype and/or exhibition tanks.
The first picture is an upgraded 2A4 made by Rheinmetall.
Second row left picture I don't know, right is a KMW 2A5 PSO for demonstration to Bundeswehr.
Third row I have never seen before, last picture is the very same as in the first one.

[TRM]

I'm sure the barrel you got wasn't the knock off my friend! Most of these show up from the Asian market. The value of direct or even distributor is low and don't see the need to outsource to China..well except when I thought I would double check things of course...LOL!!

The shot you had of the collimator is actually very good and I am glad you posted it. As I said, I will be making and attempt on a 2a4 later on in the year and while they are all a little different depending on their location and it's great to have good reference materials!! I am fortunate to have a number on Leopard Clubs publications...including yours!! Great btw and I will be referencing since that is the kit I have as a base!

That second picture was cropped from a Japanese version in a parade...the site is escaping me at the moment. And the others do appear to be expo or trade show tanks. I did manage to find some in another folder I saved that are more operational in value....and just looked pretty cool!.


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I am curious now at the dawn of Meng's New offering of their Leopard 2a4 announced today, how well they made the barrel! More toys, more and more toys!!