I'm interested in getting one of the M60A1 kits with reactive armor. I see there are a few different ones on the market by different makers. I'm guessing the Tamiya one was the first on the block and all the others are copys of it. Anyone have any experience with these M60A1 kits? Thanks!

ch

Just as a matter of preference, I would almost always say Academy, where M60A1/A3's are concerned. But, mostly out of preference. There are some good reviews of all three major M60 makers out there, including a good article on Missing Lynx, done up for the model contest. Comparison of M60A1 I believe this link should work. Rather informative. As for reactive armor types, Academy and Tamiya make an M60A1 USMC variant, but, yet again, preferences to Academy, which has the correct roadwheels(cast iron), and was an easy build. Academy and ESCI(I believe now boxed by Italeri) also both make an Israeli ERA, with preference to Academy, which comes with a few more goodies in the box, plus a larger selection of age, along with Merkava style tracks, MAG machine guns(as well as M1919A4's). If you buy any of Academy's choices, you might as well shell out a few extra dollars and get the plow version of the USMC tank, and the roller version of the IDF.

Harris

I thought Tamiya's U.S. Marine M60A1with reactive armor was a really clean, fun build.

Its one of the first kits I built after getting back into modeling about a year ago, so I was inexperienced as a modeler, but this kit went together like clockwork.

I've also built Tamiya's M60A1 without reactive armor, their M60A2, and (M60A3 - I think that was a Tamiya kit?). All the kits went to gether as they were supposed to, i.e. nice fits all the way around. I'm not knocking any other manufacturers, its just that I'm satisfied with Tamiya and stuck with them.

Hope you enjoy your modeling, and if you can, post some pics so we can see your work.

Thanks alot for the link Sarge!

I have a little question for the M60 experts, since the pictorial reference I have seen do not answer the question for me. It is regarding the details on the area around the sprocket, on the rear of the models.

The Tamiya kit seems to me has something missing back there:

The Academy kit seems to have a bit more plastic back there but also has some gaps:

The Esci kit seems to have almost evrything covered up, except for that vertical slit (which I wonder why is it there for?)

My question is, which one is less wrong? I have build the Tamiya M48 and it suffers from the same thing, and sure looks wierd to me.

Cheers,

CDT Reimund Manneck
U.S. Army ROTC

Bomb,
All of the kits suffer from lack of detail on the hull. I guess that the Esci / Italeri clone is the best OOTB. All suffer from gaps aronf the bumper spting mounts, need the bump stops (those strips of plastic hanging off of the hull) reworked, have poor grill doors, need the hull built up between the track and fenders back by the engine compartment. Hovever, the point of modeling (in my twisted world) is the willingness to fix all of those errors so I know it is right.

John

I believe that the vertical slit at the rear of the hull is where the battery panel fit on the inside. I will have to take a gander at my old M60A2 that was built 25 years ago or so complete with gearbox and 2 C cell batteries. When the other companies "referred" to the original Tamiya hull when making their own, they added the slit.

As fars as reactive armor M60s go, it depends on whether or not you want a USMC or Israeli tank as to what kit to get.
Tamiya: USMC
Italeri (ex-Esci): Israeli
Academy: USMC with dozer blade
Academy: Israeli
Academy: Israeli with mine roller

Keep in mind that Verlinden did a set of Israeli Blazer armor bricks that can be used with almost and M60A1/A3 (all M60A3 kits come with A1 options) kits on the market. I've always thought the Academy USMC M60A1 with D9 dozer blade always looked cool.

The Tamiya kit is missing some of the armor above the final drives. A large gap was required to allow the steel axles (for the sprockets) to slide into place. The axles were mounted on a metal frame to ensure the gears from the engine would line up. The non-motorized kits used the same hull so they have the gap above the final drive. Just place a small pice of sheet plastic on the inside suface of the hole (slightly larger than the hole) and then use another piece to fill the gap (the inside piece supports the outside piece). Then fills any gaps with your favorite filler.

Hope this wasn't confusing.

Bombshell,

One thing that is missing from both kits is the curved mudshield that carries the inside of the rear fender down to under the taillight. This is a distinctive part that every M60 tanker will remember, and every single tank based on the M60 had it. The real thing is made of thin (3/16") metal and conforms to the hull side to prevent mud from the sprocket from coming into the exhaust area at the rear. It can be replicated, but getting the shape and fit just right is a trick (at least it was for me!).

Hope this helps.

I thought most of the newer kits included this piece (new Tamiya A3 & A1, Academy kit, Esci kit). I will have to check, I know the piece you are talking about. We called them "sand shields" and since most of our tanks were missing them, we had to order them when we turned in our M60A3s for M1A1s. I think our welder figured out a pattern to cut them from sheet metal in the end.

I'll check my kits...I know that it was in the M48A3 kit Tamiya did. I know the Eduard photo etch sets come with it (nice and thin...looks great)

I have about 20 pics of the M60A1 RISE that is displayed on Ft. Knox. I tried to get as many details as I could just to build one. I will scan them and try to get them posted sometime this week.

I'm building the italeri M60 with blazer right now, the kit does comes with the mentioned 'mud guards', i'm using eduards anyway.
here are some wip photos

Nice work. That ex-Esci M60 kit is very nicely done.

Your M-60 is very well done. Is that a kit barrel on her?

That is an L7 (British version of 105mm) gun tube. The US M68 does not have the reinforcing ridges on teh bore evacuator. I do not know which vwersion the Israelis use. Probably both?

Thanks guys,
It's a kit barrel, ranger74 you sent it to me couple of months ago
this early m60 didnt have a heat shiled on the gun and italeri left only the late barrel in the box. so i had to use it.