Moving onward, upward, and back on track...here is the quick and dirty low down on the majority of accuracy issues in the kit.

Hull-

1. Incorrect drive sprocket- should be the M88/M51 style.

2. Incorrect rear hull engine grills- should not have the raised armoured strips and the hinge assemblies are incorrect for the M103 series. Only the test versions uses the M48/M60 sprocket.

3. Incorrect size of the tank/infantry phone- should be bigger and should have a cable running from the rear and through the sponson supports and into the hull.

4. Hull sponson supports are incorrectly shaped and in the case of one of the supports the incorrect number of holes.

5. Incorrect rear fender length- should be longer and outer and inner bolt details are missing.

6. Incorrect size of small sponson stowage box- should be slightly larger.

7. Incorrect size of gun travel lock- should be bigger.

8. No fording snorkel included- would have been an easy addition from the Dragon M48A3 parts.

9. Bolt detail on the front fender/sponson areas are present but should be larger and more defined.

10. Hull front is incorrectly shaped. The front curve should protrude less.

11. No spare track links provided for the sponson spare track mounts.

12. No specific pioneer tools provided for the front hull area. But, with the Dragon M2 Halftrack parts included in the kit this can be solved.

13. Handles on sponson stowage boxes are moulded on- should be separate parts.

14. Headlight guards and headlights require small details such as wiring.

15. Turret ring placement is too far forward.

16. Final drive shape and position is incorrect.

17. Rear lower hull bolt detail is present but undersized.

18. Engine grill handles are incorrectly placed.

19. Front hull lifting eyes are incorrectly shaped and lacking weld details.

20. Lifting handles on engine deck and air cleaners are moulded on.

21. Engine deck missing weld mark details.

22. Tie downs for front hull pioneer tools/tripod missing or moulded on.

23. Suspension bumpers missing bolt detail.

24. Tracks links have sink marks and technically incorrect- should be T107 tracks instead of T97E2 tracks.


Turret

1. Incorrect length of main gun barrel- should be longer.

2. Incorrect size of mantlet- should be wider.

3. Mantlet cover and accordion dust cover not included.

4. Lifting handles and tie downs on turret moulded on.

5. Turret ventilator is too small.

6. Gunner's sight protrusion is too small and missing weld details.

7. Weld beads on ventilator and antennas housings are present but should be much more pronounced.

8. Large rectangular turret top main gun access hatch needs raised weld details and bolt detail added.

9. Turret left side missing foundry casting mark.

10. Tow cable U shaped mounts on turret rear missing.

11. Tow cable mounts on turret sides lack details.

12. Commander's .50 Cal lacks details and the ammo box and mount are WWII style.

13. Antenna and ventilator housings require raised rims.

14. Raised protrusions on turret top on the left and right sides of the cupola need to be reduced in size.

15. The M103A1 style old gunner's seat protrusion under the turret rear incorrectly sized- needs to be reduced in size for the M103A2.

16. Turret range finder blisters slightly undersized and lacking sight details.

17. Range finder blisters missing small lifting loops.

18. Loader's hatch moulded closed, details also moulded on, and lacking rain gutter around hatch.

19. Commander's cupola lacking details and no details on the hatch or cupola interior.

20. Searchlight lacks detail and in undersized.

21. Searchlight cable is not included.

22. Weld seams missing on turret rack mounts and lifting eyes.

23. Casting numbers on turret top on left side and in front of the gunner's sight housing missing.

24. Turret racks ends should be hollow.

25. Turret side angles are off.

26. Jerry cans, straps, and racks all moulded as one piece.

27. Rain gutter on turret rear bottom missing.

28. Turret side rails should be straight and not curved.

29. Kit included antennas are too thick and too short.

30. Turret blade vane sight holes are solid and need to be drilled out.

So, there you go...54 identified accuracy issues in the kit.

Jason,

Beauty! Thanks a bunch.

Paul

Thank you. As a Marine with a budding interest in the Cold War, I've been following all the hullaballoo from the sidelines. It's very useful to have a concise and dispassionate summary of the accuracy issues.


Dave

If its yellow, dimpled and sour its a lemon. Which is great if you wanted a lemon... Not so great if you wanted for and paid for an apple...

RIVET COUNTERRRRRR!!!!!!!!

;-)

Jason,
you obviously did your home work
I am not sure missing or soft details are an accuracy issue. Wrong shaped parts, parts with dimensions issues or incorrect type belong to the category. So your list could be less long but still it'd be long enough to allow the customers/modelers to express their discontent considering the kit price.
How a company making such nice M1A1/A2 kits can make so many mistakes on this model?
Their research team definitely needs some changes.

Olivier

I can explain that, most of their R&D money has been going into Avengers:AOU licensed products [that exactly 0 people here asked for, I should add] whilst the Abrams kits were produced year before that film had even been greenlit for productions