I would like to build an M2A2 and a Stryker and was wondering which kit was best. I was hoping to get your opinions on not only the best quality kit but also which kit has more photoetch/resin detail options. Thanks everyone.

hi joe ,
im busy doing an m2a2 brad as well , im using acadamy's oif kit its a good base kit im adding interior and exterior by eduard and full turret interior aswell . new blast running gear kit and a little scratch building here and there up to now that has been the tow launcher as i wanted to show it empty,i also have afv 's individual track set which look very good ,with correct rubber blocks...
have a look throught some of the bradly builds on here , im sure thers many others who can also give you plenty of advice , this is just my offering, oh and before i sign off i love the afv stryker kits

On the Strykers, AFV Club's are better detailed and look better overall to me. Trumpeter's are close behind them. Here are reviews of both from PMMS.

AFV Club
Trumpeter

Both have a small PE fret. There are numerous Stryker PE and AM sets out there that cover all sorts of features on them, including the SLAT armor as seen on deployed vehicles. Black Dog just released a resin and PE interior set for the M1126 as well.


For the Bradley, there is really only one kit by Tamiya, and the others have been modifications of the original one. Tamiya came out with the M2 (M2A0) Bradley in the mid '80s with a partial interior (driver's area and rear troop compartment). Academy quickly copied it (with interior as well). In the early '90s (after ODS), Tamiya updated thiers to an M2A2 (and delated the interior). After OIF began in '03, Tamiya added another sprue to update it to an early 2000s M2A2 ODS version. Academy did the same with thier M2A2 OIF Bradley.

Here is a rundown between the two kits:

Tamiya's M2A2 ODS and Academy's M2A2 OIF kits are about the same in quality. They both represent M2A2 ODS Bradleys from about 2003-2005.

The Tamiya one represents a rebuilt to latest standards M2A2 ODS version as used by 3 ID in the initial invasion (March '03). It has most of the ODS mods that were seen at that time, but still shows parts that were removed or changed as well. It also has you adding obsolete parts such as the flotation system rods on the rear and left side of the hull.

The Academy M2A2 OIF kit represents a new-build M2A2 ODS from about the same time as Tamiya's. It has many newer features that Tamiya left off, like the new driver's hatch hinge, anti-foul bars in front of the driver's hatch, new lower front glacis plate, etc. It also has nicer side armor, sprockets with lightening holes, and better details in some areas. It has incorrect, old-style, triangle block track in the kit though. The triangle block track hasn't been used since the mid-'90s. Furthermore, Academy molded the track incorrectly as well, with the pads being molded 180 degrees from how they should be. AFV Club makes a great set of indi-link, square block, plastic track for them though.

Even with the need for replacement track, I prefer the Academy kit over Tamiya's.

Reviews of both from PMMS again:

Tamiya M2A2 ODS
Academy M2A2 OIF

Neither comes with PE. Eduard does a few good PE sets though, one being a full turret interior. Legends and Voyager also have PE sets for them.

The M2A2 and forward kits deleted the interior that came in Tamiya's and Academy's M2 kits. For an interior, you can find either older M2 kit on eBay pretty cheaply and use the interior out of it for an older M2A2 ODS w/out interior seating mods (changed to long seats along the hull like an M113 with full mods), or use it as a base for a new interior.

Legends has a great M2A3 Bradley upgrade set on the market too.

I myself just bought the AFV Club M1128 Mobile Gun System. I think now a days any AFV Club Stryker kit allows one a very nice platform for detailing and from what I hear, they fit together like a dream.

ive just about finished afv's 1126 stryker with eduard etch and a stowage kit from blast ,,, everything went together great , no problems what so ever ,,

get the AFV CLUB stryker im working on the M1130 TACP and it fits like a dream, also as i just found take the time to add the non slip surface cause the surface looks really bare without it, as for the brad i build the Academy Iraq war kit from the box with no extras and it looks the part, and didnt take to long to build too.

I will second the AFV club for the stryker and either the Taymia ODS or Academy OIF bradley kits...

A note in addition to what Gino posted... Decide what bradley you want to build BEFORE buying a kit. as Gino noted there are ones as in the taymia kit with the older front plate, etc in operation over there...as well as ones with the newer features....others with a mix and match. The more I poored over photos, the more little details I saw. Keep in mind that the addtion of ERA blocks does not make a "late" model.

about the Legends stuff....great additions...but you will still need to scratchbuild some bits to make a M2A3, and the realitiy is you need both the M2A2 detail set, and the M2A3 upgrade, as they both have items you need to make a accurate later M2A2.
I also recomend trying to find a old MLRS kit and rob the sprocket, idler wheel and shocks. The ones in both the taymia and academy kit are horible. And do get some of Legends M2 bradley wheels....they are nicer than the kit stuff. Much more accurate profile and crossection.
Yeah...the bradley will be some work...just depends on how far you want to go.

and as a shameless plug, myself and another are working on a book that will contain 3 detailed builds for OIF era vehicles , including a stryker with slat, a M2A2 bradley, and a M1A2 Abrams Tusk I. Stay tuned...
Andy