Category:Märklin guns and artillery

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1931: Coastal Defences Gun, Märklin 8049

1931: Coastal Defences Gun, Märklin 8049 [image info]

1931: Coastal Defences Gun, Märklin 8056

1931: Coastal Defences Gun, Märklin 8056 [image info]

1931: Field Howitzer, Märklin 8058

1931: Field Howitzer, Märklin 8058 [image info]

1939: Firing Cannon, Märklin 8032

1939: Firing Cannon, Märklin 8032 [image info]

Märklin guns, cannon and mortars.

Marklin produced a suprisingly wide range of gun models, many capable of firing small rubber projectiles. Most of these images come from the 1931 catalogue – the range is actually even wider than the pictures suggest, as some models came in different sizes: the 8008 and 8038 models actually came in four sizes each.

The flagship model in the range was the monster Coastal Defences Gun 8049/4, 26 cm long, which included a rotating platform with handrails on wheels operated by a handle, two sets of steps, a rear-mounted crane presumably for lifting ammunition, and an overall engineered "look" that seemed more appropriate to an observatory's astronomical telescope.

Popularity

The attraction of these models wasn't purely militaristic, they were detailed and had multiple levels of play value – the wheeled guns could be towed behind vehicles, the fixed guns had small winding handles to adjust direction and elevation, and the guns "worked" in that they fired little rubber shells.

As the 1930s progressed, Märklin's gun range was increasingly displaced by the company's expanding range of model railways, which had a similar multi-level play value, and which also "worked" (in that the trains ran around the track like the real thing), but had obviously greater potential for customising and for adding accessories. And trains (unlike guns) were "alive" – they could be remote controlled, or could run continuously on looped track all by themselves without needing constant human intervention.

Pages in category ‘Märklin guns and artillery’

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