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Updating an Italeri M4A1

The Turret

I substituted the kit barrel for an Elefant 76mm turned aluminum one and the coaxial MG was replaced with a piece of brass tube. I replaced the kit grab handles and vision port cages with ones made from staples. Aber’s M4A1 accessory set provided the vision ports, sight vanes, and other odds and ends. The MG mount and accessories to detail the gun alone took one whole evening! It seemed that I was taking one step forward and two steps back. I promptly dropped the turret onto the floor when our Cocker Spaniel went berserk at the doorbell and broke off the MG and artillery sight and nicked the barrel. So it was another 3-week wait to get the replacements in to fix the damage. In the mean time, I started on the tracks.
 

The Tracks

A few years ago, I was temporarily assigned to the Army Hospital in Germany while my wife was in pre-term labor. I must have walked 200 km in a few months searching every hobby store in the area. I found a shop in Ramstein that was well stocked and even had a sale table. That’s when I was introduced to Individual Linked Tracks. I thought what the heck, I had just picked up a Nichimo M4A1 for what amounted to $15.00 and the tracks were only $10.00, what a deal! I found out later why they were so “cheap.” The M4A1 wasn’t worth the price of the box and the tracks were on sale because they didn’t have any end connectors with them. I of course didn’t notice until 5 years later when I sat down to build them. So another 3-week wait went by until the new set arrived. AFV rubber chevrons were what I chose, and added a set of “Duck Bills” to boot.

A weeks worth of filling sink holes and trimming, sanding, gluing and painting and I has 2 tracks completed. It was my second set of indi-links and I like the look, but question the trade off in time and patience. I’ll let you know what I decide when I finish the next 3 sets of tracks. I am glad I didn’t use the rubber tracks from the kit, due to the moveable wheel arms. They tend to bow upwards from the tension. I wanted to leave a full set of Duck Bills on the tracks, but 30 minutes after I had them all glued on, painted and weathered, I promptly launched 2 of them into the birds cage above the dining room table. No way was I going to fight that mean little s#*t for the pieces, so I went for the damaged look. I allowed Conor, my oldest son, the chance to break one of Daddy’s models, without being punished. He very carefully picked a few out to break off and then went running to mommy bragging on how he broke my tank. You should have seen the look on her face when she peaked around the corner into the dining room to see what my reaction was. It was PRICELESS!

The Tracks (cont.)

Copyright ©2002 - Text and Photos by Lauren Blakley (chief). All Rights Reserved.