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1/35 M1 Abrams question. which is the best to buy.


charlie-mike-six

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Everybody and his dog have kitted the Abrams. Here's reviews, and search Scalemates for more Abrams kits that haven't got listed reviews.

https://www.scalemates.com/products/reviews.php?scale=1%3A35&topic=M1+Abrams

 

That said, a better question for you would be - which of the available Abrams kits best matches the vehicle I want to model? The tank has been around for a while now and has been upgraded a number of times, so the decision as to which kit to buy may be easier if you have an end point in mind. Of course of you just want 'an Abrams', buy whichever appeals the most.

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For a modern M1A2 V2/Tusk II variant go with the Academy (kit 13504). It is cheaper than the Dragon kit, easier to build and has the wonderful DEF Model tracks. For the M1A1 version I would suggest to get the Meng's M1A1 AIM/ M1A1 Abrams TUSK, with it you can even build the USMC variant of the tank.

There are others kits out there but that's my recommendation.

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The Dragon kits are pretty good for their day.  I built a SEP and it was really nicely detailed OOB.  If you're looking for TUSK or TUSK II kits, the most detailed way of doing that is picking up a Dragon kit and one of the aftermarket sets that are available.  Next best thing from my POV (know a bit about them, but not an expert) the Meng M1A2 SEP TUSK/TUSKII is a really nice kit, and we reviewed it here some while back, and the M1A1 USMC TUSK here.  If you want to go OOB and are focused on a TUSK variant, I'd go Meng all day long :)

 

The Tamiya kit is doubtless good too (I don't have one, as I have plenty of Abrams thank you ^_^, and they too do a TUSK variant. 

 

We did a load of reviews of the TUSK sets that became niche products when the injection moulded kits came out, and you might be able to pick these up cheaper now.  They're awesome for detail, but not for the uninitiated :)

 

Here's the search results:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/search/&q=Abrams tusk&type=forums_topic&nodes=465&search_and_or=and

 

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Hello

 

 I should have been more clear, My interest is more on the Tusk 1 and Tusk 2, Maybe a SEP 2 one. I was station @ Fort Knox back in 1980

and trained on the M60A1 and A3 , Gunner,  and then we went into the Abrams, Big Red 1, Station at Fort Riley Kansas, I have the Panda kit only because

I was there when the M1 first came out. I cannot tell you how many times I got kicked in the back of the head for not listening to the TC

LOL. It is the only time being a short in height person paid off, My call sign in basic was Candy Man, because I got caught sneaking to the

PX and buying candy and selling it. I think I was the only person that had to guard a vending machine all night in full combat gear with a

rubber M16, Now those were the days !  Anyway,  Thank you for your help !.   CM-6

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1 hour ago, CharlieNZ said:

The OP appeared to ask specifically about the M1 in the header of their post.

 

Good point. As a non-trackhead, I failed to notice that distinction. Plain old M-1s may indeed be a little difficult to get.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've built the kit of Academy and it is excellent, particularly because allows to build more combinations of protection and armament. Please keep in mind that not all the Academy boxings have the link to link tracks; mine had only vinyl ones that haven't hollow teeth and so were wrong for an M1A2. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

For a Tusk i’d take the Rye Field kit over Meng just.

I didnt like the flash and ejector pins all over the place.

I thought the RYe Field kit was a tad sharper to but both have difficult tracks again in my eye RFM is better.

Both will give you a great looking Tusk to me the RFM kit is a slightly easier route.

Im not an M-1 ophile though so defer to experts on subtle differences that might apply but believe both got pretty good reviews.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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