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Thanks for pointing that out Steven, I'm sorry if it sounded like I was being pompous and dogmatic, but I haven't been able to find any photos, in the Hunnicutt Firepower book, or on the net, that have anything like what is in that first photo, so I assumed incorrectly that the styles shown in the second and third photos were the only two types that existed, but if you look close in the second photo, the tank behind seems to have a third type of bulge. You also pointed out another mistake that I made, The first photo is listed as the T29E1, and I mistakenly posted a photo of the T29 instead of a T29E1. Can anyone tell me the difference between the T29 and the T29E1? were they internal, or were there external differences also? I could not seem to find any mention of it (T29E1) in the Firepower book or on the web. This why I wanted to discuss this topic, because I have so much to learn about this tank.

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Another thing to consider, regarding the PHOTOS- Could it be that the vehicles themselves IN these photos have been misidentified by the photographer, author or publisher of these photos? Stranger things HAVE happened...

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Dennis, that's a very important point, but I was going by the T29, and the T29E3 that's actually painted on the tank (by the museum I would imagine) to identify the vehicles. my mistake was that I had not found a photo of the T29E1 yet, (as it turns out it did not exist, thanks Scott) and mistakenly posted the T29 photo instead, which reinforces your point to watch your references when researching, although I had it labeled correctly, just used incorrectly as Steven pointed out.

What inaccuracy? You have photos of three different tanks and no two have the same trunnion bulges. And during the test program is said that parts were traded back and forth on the nearly identical prototypes. So whatever mistakes there are, may not be mistakes but merely the variations in configuration the actual vehicles had during their careers.

I don't mind when people theorize over scant evidence. It's actually entertaining to see who gets the closest. What I can't stand is someone seemingly pontificating about how X is wrong when it was just a variation in the original.

Hello Greg, with the information learned here, I was thinking that trumpeters depiction might be closest to the T34. , Thanks for taking one for the team sir, we all know that they wouldn't be releasing one unless someone had started a major project like yours.

A little comfort might come in the fact that, if the kit turret has major flaws, with all the fixing you have done, you could use your turret on their hull, which hopefully will be better than the commanders kit, which looks a little rough. An aftermarket metal barrel and tracks should follow at some point also.

I think that we can assume that all the existing tanks are in their final form. Also it would be safer for Trumpeter to use one of them as their prototype, and not 'something that could be sometime inbetween...' We dont know exactly how the program went and when the tanks were rebuilt or redesigned as something different than basic T29.

Starting with the 'trunnion bulges':
Third style is connected only with T29E3, seeems do be a simple plate welded into a cutout in the mantlet sides and containig a smaller cutout showing the trunnion. http://svsm.org/gallery/T29E3/IMG_0945

The rough casting finish on the lower edge of the turret also looks wrong for both existing T29s and T29E3:
Similar finish can be found on T34. What trumpeter depicted looks more like turrets on T30's with a smooth finished side.