Hi Kevin,
Can you share the measurements you used for your replacement M53 gun barrel in 1/35 with me? It looks easy to CAD and 3D print.
Kind regards,
James
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I was actualy looking forward to this kit, but now im not so sure.
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I’m reminded of two television shows from my youth - the Twilight Zone and Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Make that three - the Benny Hill Show with the bicycle music.
The OP states the aftermarket barrel has the same dimensions as the kit barrel, which is clearly off, even without measurements, which I was hoping to get as I have the actual measurements, (using a tape measure by the way, although other methods exist without taking them from photographs, but rather the real thing) but I don’t have the kit,
A second person says the very same aftermarket barrel “looks pretty nice.”
Now a third person wants measurements of the very same barrel in 1/35 to print. To what end? Am I missing something here?
Give it time. The measurements have been sent to the usual suspects. I like actual numbers too. 
I’m not as interested in the M53 as I am in the M55, which I’m almost certain will have correct barrel dimensions.
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If you are looking for the kit barrel dimensions. Muzzle diameter .350" Bore diameter .240" Length of barrel, muzzle to where it enters sleeve. 4.640".
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Looking at the ILK website photos of their M55, I’m not so sure. It’s not a great angle, but the barrel may be a little long and/ or the travel lock is out of wack. We’ll see soon enough. Wouldn’t that be ironic if that is the case.
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I see. Pretty close.
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Relax, Rob. Unfortunately, it was not clear. I meant to say “corrected measurements” you have for the replacement barrel you made in 1/35. Why would I replicate the wrong kit barrel measurements? Excuse me for the confusion.
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No. Not the kit part. Measurements for the replacement barrel you made or what you think the actual measurements should be. Excuse me for not being clear.
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@Petition2God See Kurt Laughlin’s post 14 above for a dimensioned drawing of the muzzle. It lists tube length to the flare of 267.87" from the breech which isn’t that useful as the kit excludes the breech. Hunnicutt lists a barrel overhang of 71.1" past the front of the vehicle which can be used to back into a tube length. I snipped off the required parts to tape together the hull, turret, and tube. The kit barrel appears to be about 18 scale inches (13mm) too short… The kit barrel is 17 scale feet (148.3mm) long from the glueing surface.
I think there a number of us that need a corrected tube.
Rick
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OK…
If you want my help, could you please simplify the dimensions needed? Too many words here and no simplified data. Plus, I need them in metric because my CAD software uses metric, and the American-centric British Imperial measurements are cumbersome to convert.
Let me break down what I need:
I need 5 diameters as indicated above. I need 3 lengths as indicated above please?
Does this make sense?
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James, in metric at 1:35 or in metric at 1:1?
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Metric in 1/35 would be more convenient so I can just plug in those numbers in my CAD software.
1/1 metric measurements would be more work for me obviously.
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Here are my notes I used to make my barrel. The mount are actual measurements I took off an M55. The barrel muzzle end are from drawing Kurt provided above in thread. In between is based off the 71" overhang just as Rick shows above. The RB Models 17cm barrel has just enough meat to be close in my book. If someone has access to an M53 and gives us some real numbers we’ll see how close we are. My rendition is certainly much closer to reality than the kit offering. 
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Started the CAD work based on Kevin’s drawings of the M53 gun above. Not too much progress yet but slowly and surely getting there. I also plan to CAD some corrected road wheels in the near future.
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Good start James.
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Construction on the M53 is about complete. Here is what it looks like. Basic fit of parts is pretty good. PE seen is included. But there are some problems with the kit. Of course, the big problem is the cannon. If there had been an M55A1 with longer 8” gun, it might have looked like what comes in the box. There are some additional issues with the kit. The road wheels are simplified IMO. Then four of the wheels are missing hubs, which makes them useless. So, replace the wheels or steal four hubs from your spares box. The tracks were ok and went together with no problem. The spade is missing the large grab handles on either side. These actually lock into the pintle hooks on the back wall to lock the spade in travel mode. ILK molds a blob into the hook. There is no .50 cal MG included or the cupola MG mount. I scratched one, but I’m not happy with it and will re-do it. The travel lock diameter is too big as a result of it mating to too big a barrel. I’m leaving it down, so it won’t be that noticeable, but it would be with a correct barrel in travel mode. There is PE tread plate for the turret fenders. I’ve seen both plain and the tread , so I that is users choice. I replaced most of the pioneer tools with Asuka and AFV Club spares. The kits are a little chunky.
So this build started with the gun failing the M1 Eyeball test. Arguably the worst barrel I’ve ever seen in a kit. That made me wonder what else might be off. Now that it’s built up the hull looks too tall to me comparing to photographs. A couple measurements I took of the height to fender at exhaust (7 scale inches to high) and height of the front glacis (9 scale inches to high). The gap between the fender and track looks too big and I suspect there is a combination of small errors in the lower and upper hulls that stack up overall. Some other basic dimensions such as the overall width at the fenders, width of turret, and width of the spade are all too wide by 3-4 scale inches too. Not as noticeable, but there. I’ll probably explore some corrections to the hull on the M55.
So the good news is we have a new M53 and a M55 coming. Better than the old Renewal, but that bar wasn’t very high. Bad news is this wasn’t very well executed for 2024 standards IMHO. On to the paint booth next.
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Whilst I’m only interested in the M55 (once it’s available) this has been very useful.
I cannot imagine what ILK were thinking about, regarding the wheels in particular. Anyway, forewarned is forearmed.
Thanks again Kevin.
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Could you take a side view photo with the sight line level with the eye level of your figure?
To avoid sight line differences making the comparison more difficult.
The point where the track rising from the idler passes the rear hull top (below the turret side door).
The angle of the front deck seems to be too steep.
Both slope angles of the top track run seem too steep but sight line differences could be tricking me.
Vertical distance between top of road wheels and bottom of sprocket, sight line issues again …
Link to the original side view
See post by @petbat below about the position of the idler in relation to the rear end of the hull. In short: the hull is too short.
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Sorta looking like the model might have been based on an example without an engine.
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