Best M1 Abrams

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Hey all,

What does everyone think is the best M1 Abrams kit availabel ? I’m modelling an Abrams from Iraq '03 to go with my Tamiya M2A2 Bradley ODS.

Thanks,

Adam.

2

I have not built a M1 Abrams before. A lot of members here have and will help you out shortly. You could also goto the M1 Abrams group build post at the top of the page, in there dissucssions should answere your question. Good luck.
mark956

3

Italeri did have the best M1A2, but now that Tamiya has a new M1A2 out, it may be the best. The new Tamiya M1A2 makes into both an M1A1HA and an M1A2 whereas the Italeri kit only makes into an M1A2. Both the Tamiya and Italeri version of the M1A2 were not the type of Abrams that saw combat in OIF. That was an M1A2SEP.

My only reservation is that Tamiya did not retool the hull, so basically, with the exception of the new T-158 tracks, it is the same old M1A1 hull they issued in 1990. I do hear the new turret is great though.

4

Play it safe and consider Tamiya. Their kits (at least for me) tend to go together so much better than Italeri. I have the Italeri version and it has a three piece hull and some nice injection pin marks in unfavorable places. Tamiya’s biggest drawback are their prices. Italeri has some indy tracks along with long sections of track. Tamiya’s come with the 1-piece rubber band tracks. I also have Dragon’s M1A1-HA and it looks as good as my Italeri, perhaps not as detailed, but half the cost.

5

I haven’t made a abrams before, but Tamiya is a good company so if i were to build one, I’d build one from Tamiya

6

Tamiya’s Abrams goes together well, but the Dragon (and I suspect Italeri, which distributes DML kits in Europe) kit has more detail and a bit more accuracy. I dunno about Trumpeter’s. One nit about my DML kit (1A1 and 1A2) is the upper hull won’t mate very well with the top run of tracks installed. Anyway since this is hidden by the side skirts I don’t attach the top run of the tracks. Doing so I was able to make a set for my Tamiya M1A1, the one with the old-type rubber bands.

Now how to put on anti-slip coating…any suggestions?

7

andrew_o,

Pare, I built a Dragon M1A1-HA a few months ago. Surprisingly I found no major fit problems as you have mentioned. I now have the M1A2 but I have not yet assembled it. I’ll check on this mating problem. Thanks for the tip.

8

hello andrew! i think tamiya is a good choice. dragon’s m1a1-ha is good too like Dwight said. it has indi tracks only and has some photo etched parts and some ration boxes too. no figures though. it’s 700+php at lil’s and 950+ at special toys. hehehe

9

Garry_Gnu,

(shudder) good thing I bought mine way back…when they were still “can afford”.

I wanted to buy aftermarket tracks for my tamiya A1, but the taiwan kit cost P1000+!

resin casting looks more and more inviting!