Artillery, Photographed Gun by Gun

Towed field guns and howitzers

Towed guns are popular with modelers because they are small, detailed and quick to build. They also need a lot of reference, because every lever and handwheel is visible:

• 1940 M2 155 mm Long Tom: 37 photos of the US heavy field gun with its split-trail carriage and interrupted-screw breech.
• Italian Pack Howitzer: 64 photos of the 105 mm howitzer designed in the 1950s for use in mountain regions.
• Soviet 122 mm Howitzer D-30 (102 photos) and Soviet 76 mm Divisional Gun ZiS-3 (63 photos), both photographed in Ukraine.
• Modern US Army Howitzer: 27 photos of the towed 155 mm M777.

Anti-tank guns

WWII anti-tank guns are a classic subject for small dioramas and wargame bases:

• British 17 Pounder: 82 photos.
• British 6-Pounder: 52 photos.
• British Ordnance QF Anti-Tank Gun: 71 photos.
• Battered PAK Anti-Tank Gun: 31 photos, $2.99. As the name says, this gun is battered, which makes it good reference for wear and weathering.

Self-propelled guns

Self-propelled artillery puts a gun on a tank-style chassis, so you get running gear reference as well:

• Soviet Howitzer 2S7 Pion: 166 photos (1,407 MB) of the heavy Soviet self-propelled gun, shot in Australia.
• M107 175 mm Gun: 97 photos of the self-propelled gun widely used in Vietnam, photographed in Ho Chi Minh City.
• US M52 105 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer: 117 photos.
• M55 8-inch Self-Propelled Howitzer: 45 photos. Its chassis used components from the Patton tank family.
• M56 Scorpion: 46 photos of the open-top airborne 90 mm gun, with close-ups of the breech, the engine and the crew positions.
• XK9 Korean Self-Propelled Howitzer: 57 photos of a modern 155 mm system.

The M7B1 Priest is on the US WW2 vehicles page.

Anti-aircraft guns

• Soviet Anti-Aircraft Guns: 137 photos of 4 guns, shot in Vladivostok: the 61-K (37 photos), the S-60 (47), the ZPU-2 (19) and the ZPU-4 (34).
• Polsten Quad Mount: 95 photos of a British quadruple anti-aircraft mount.
• M167 Vulcan: 77 photos of the towed short-range air defense gun, set up in its deployed position.

The German Flak 88 and Flakvierling are on the German WW2 armor page.

Frequently asked questions

I need a gun for a wargame battery. Which packs are cheapest?

The Long Tom, the Battered PAK and the M56 Scorpion cost $2.99 each. Most other gun packs cost between $3.99 and $9.99.

Do the packs show the breech and the sights close up?

Many do. The M56 Scorpion description lists close-ups of the gun breech, and the Soviet anti-aircraft gun pack has many close-ups of the mechanical parts. Each product page describes what it covers.

Which guns were photographed in Ukraine?

The D-30 and the ZiS-3. They were shot on an iPhone 11 at 4032 × 3024.

Can I 3D print a gun I model from these photos?

Yes. You may build your own 3D models from the photos and print them for your projects. Reselling the photos or the packs is not allowed.