I've had MiniArt's SU-76M kit for a while now and I decided it was about time I built it. Upon initial investigation I found the kit has a few minor issues (see Terry Ashley’s excellent review) but these can be addressed without too much difficulty and MiniArt’s offering is light years ahead of the old Alan/DML kit.

I added an RB Models turned barrel (though Aber has now also released one for this kit).

I went a little overboard with the photo-etch on this kit. I’d had the Royal Models update set for quite a while but it doesn’t include some of the parts I wanted such as the main ammo locker and the blanking plates for the exhaust air outlet. Through MiniArt’s Facebook page, I discovered two photo-etch sets from Ukrainian vendor V Models which provide many additional details that are either simplified or missing in the MiniArt kit.

The kit provides individual link tracks but they lack the openings inside the guide horns so I replaced them with Master Club 35036 metal tracks.

Immediately upon commencing construction, I was reminded that the kit does not exhibit the level of sophistication we have come to expect from Tamiya, DML and the like. There was flash on many of the parts, the fit was sometimes questionable and niceties like locating pins are largely non-existent. The kit is definitely buildable however – you just need to take your time, clean up the parts and test-fit everything before reaching for the glue.

Construction begins with the gun. This is basically a kit in itself and I plan to build and paint it separately, then add it to the vehicle during final assembly.

I added the RB Models barrel and found that the cut-outs machined into the barrel were slightly too large for the kit parts that wrap around it. However, I found that if I seated the kit parts toward the breech end, the rearmost gap was covered by the brass collar from the RB barrel and the foremost gap was hidden inside the recuperator cover.



The big 'trench' on top of the recuperator cylinder is meant to be there, so I refrained from filling it.

The breech block needed some love. There were sink marks on both halves and the mating edges of the parts were rounded off, leaving gaps that needed to be filled and sanded. The work was tedious but not difficult. The breech itself was too wide to fit between the halves of the breech block, but I corrected that with some light sanding.



The photo below shows the completed gun and shield assemblies, ready for priming and painting. The muzzle brake is only temporarily attached at this time, since the gun shield/recuperator cover won't go on with it in place.



More to come as the build continues...

Looks great.

Nice start, Neil. I'm looking forward to seeing your build of the gun compartment interior. Definitely following this!
Terry

This vehicle is an obvious mainstay of Russian divisions - it's too bad it hasn't been recently re-done by either MiniArt, or Bronco, AFV, etc. As Mr. Neil demonstrates, a good job can be done, but with a lot of extra work, and AM.

I've built this kit before and its a good solid kit, but like everybody else, I will be getting the soon to be released Tamiya effort as it will have a different approach I am sure.

Looks great, one of my subjects always wanted to build

And should be much easier to build too, in my opinion

Tamiya's releasing one?? I did not know!

I will also be picking up the Tamiya one when it appears. I plan to build it as a Manchuria/Korea example with the higher rear plate on the fighting compartment. Given the flat plates it should be a pretty easy conversion.

N

After spending a few weeks away from this build since I was traveling over the Christmas break and then again for business, I finally got back into it.

After trimming the suspension swing arms which don't fit the sockets in the hull, trimming the glacis plate to fit the hull, shimming the engine deck and gun support cross-member to keep them level with the hull top, carving and sanding the firewall to fit, etc etc...I've finally come to the realization that life is too damn short to spend it building this kit.

Yes, I could finish it...I have the skills and I have the aftermarket parts to turn it into something pretty decent. However, I prefer to spend my time adding and enhancing details, rather than fighting to make each and every kit part fit together in the first place.

I'm going to save the aftermarket sets I have and use them on the Tamiya kit when it becomes available.

In fairness to Miniart, this was one of their earlier kits. I've heard their recent releases are very good and I'll certainly be picking one or two of them up...the T-44 is on my list. Hopefully this experience is a one-off.

N