MiniArt Soviet ZIS-2/ZIS-3 2 in1 kit (35369) With limber & crew 1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

[Julien]

Soviet ZIS-2/ZIS-3 2 in1 kit (35369) 

With limber & crew

1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

The ZIS-2 was a Soviet 57mm Anti Tank Gun. The gun was able to penetrate 90mm of RHA armour. The 57mm calibre was chosen as the lighter carriage would still be light, mobile, and easy to conceal. Production of the gun was halted in 1941 on the spurious reason that the shells fired were going right through German Armour, but the more plausible able reason was that the guns were the cost of the guns, and problems with the production of the ammunition.   The ZIS-3 was a 76mm Artillery gun which used the barrel from the existing F-22USV and the light carriage from the ZIS-2. A muzzle brake and recoil system enabled the lighter carriage to be used. The ZIS03 could be manufactured in a third of the time, and for two thirds the cost of an F-22USV.  This 2 in 1 kit from Miniart allows both a ZIS-2 and ZIS-3 to be built. As well as the guns the set contains one gun limber, a set of ammunition boxes, and 5 man gun crew.

 

Both gun kits are on one main sprure with the wheels for both guns and the limber being on two additional sprues. The split trail carriage is first made up legs being able to be made up in the transport or deployed positions., The wheels are made up  from 8 parts each, with individual slices making up the type patterns. The barrel for each gun then gets assembled and added to the carriage before the gun shield goes on. Sights and control wheels are then added.  Care will be needed when building the kits as the instructions label the kits A Field Gun, or B Anti tank gun but then on the layout both sprues get called A Anti-tank gun. In addition the marking illustrations have the two labelled the wrong way around! 

 

ZIS-2

 

 

ZIS-3

 

 

The limber is then built up, again the wheels feature the same multi-layer style as the guns,  The sides build up around the base plate with leaf spring suspension going on underneath. The central bar to attach the gun to, and to attach to the towing vehicle is added. On the top a seat frame is added for the crew who would ride up there. 

 

 

The kit provided four ammunition boxes for use with both guns. They can be configured to 76mm HE-fragmentation shells, 57mm AP Shells, or 76mm AP shells should the modeller wish to build the boxes open. 

 

 

 

 

Minart provide 5 crew figures for the gun. A commander searching out targets, a gun layer, a loader, one feeding ammunition up to the loader, and one poor guy who is schlepping more ammuntion upto the gun. The figures are upto Miniart's usual excellent standards and and are provided with personal equipment and individual weapons. 

 

 

 

This is an overall excellent package from Miniart which will build up into a good looking gun diorama,  Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

 

[Lothian man]

Er, are you sure you can build both guns? I think the sprues are common, but they only provide one carriage and cradle. And a lot of the wheel sprues are redundant anyway.

[Julien]

11 hours ago, Lothian man said:

Er, are you sure you can build both guns? I think the sprues are common, but they only provide one carriage and cradle. And a lot of the wheel sprues are redundant anyway.

You may well be right re-looking at the sprues, I must say the instructions dont really help with this one due to their layout.

[Lothian man]

As I recall, the original issues of the actual ZiS-3 and ZiS-2 were the same, just with different figures and a crucial part of the un-required (by whom? I ask) version cut off the sprue by hand (I think it was half the main gun barrel, or shield, or something!). 

 

https://miniart-models.com/products/35032/

https://miniart-models.com/products/35035/

 

I must say I find the "2 in 1" terminology very confusing - 2 kits or 2 versions? That box art can be read as implying something the small print on the front doesn't.

 

In this case you do get the limber as well (a very nice kit) but that plainly  isn't what they mean. 

 

BTW, you now also get the transfers for the ammunition stencils - a very important detail for any artillery and which wasn't in the original kit. Plenty of spares for your Miniart Interior Kits from before they started putting them in those. And the etch is new, too. 

 

I suppose the moral is, check twice and buy once.