Weak barreled micro armor miniatures

Everybody's discussing CMD and IM tanks, but my favorite is GHQ's Modern Micro
Armor. There's one problem with these wonderfully detailed tanks, though; the
scale barrel is so small, it bends very easily. Most really small guns (on my
models, at least) are close to the surface of the model and it's not much of
an issue; it's the big main guns that bend easily.

As a solution, I'm considering replacing the barrels with brass rod. Any
comments? Has anyone done anything similar?

BTW, here would be my ranking between the 3, all opinion, of course:

      Width of range   Detail quality	Value for money
      ==============   ==============	===============
MMA    6+/10            9/10             10/10 (5 tanks for US $7 or so)
CMD    8+/10            7/10              7/10 (same price as above)
IM     4+/10            3/10              6/10 (they are cheap!!)

MMA's width is constrained by modern vehicles, no grav, walkers, etc... CMD's
lowish detail rating a combo of design and casting (VERY little flash on MMA,
some on my CMD tanks). IM....I could do that.:)
All got +'s because I doubt I've seen everything they make.

Excerpts from internet.listserv.ftgzg-l: 23-Sep-96 Weak barreled micro
armor m.. Andrew Cowell@cs.utk.edu (1223)

> Everybody's discussing CMD and IM tanks, but my favorite is GHQ's

> As a solution, I'm considering replacing the barrels with brass rod.

For my WWII Micro Armor (mix of GHQ, H&R and CinC), I replace ALL of my tank
barrels with piano wire. To do so, I carefully remove the barrel, leaving the
mantlet intact, then I make a tiny "starter" hole in the mantlet. I put an
appropriate thick (or thin) piece of wire into a
pin-vice (tiny modelling hand drill) and then dril the wire directly
into the turret. You don't need glue because the barrel is drilled directly
into place. I then use a dremel mototool to cut the new barrel at the
appropriate length. This method literally saved my CinC Chaffees as their
barrels were like pieces of hair.

Good luck!