The title says it all: With the pending release of the new M5A1 Stuart from AFV Club, has anyone heard any rumors about them releasing a new M8 75mm HMC as a follow up? I'd really like to add one to my Allied collection (I like SPG's), and am debating whether or not to pick up the old Tamiya release and tinker with that or just wait for a new tooled M8 to appear.

I know TMD has their all resin kit in the works, but while I'm not afraid of resin, SWMBO may take umbrage at the cost - one of the reasons that I also don't buy Accurate Armour kits as much as I would like some of their subjects.

So please, speculate away

No rumors, but it would be the sensible next step after the M5A1 (unless they did an M5 first). I suppose it depends on how well the M5A1 sells. AFV Club doesn't appear to be as heavily capitalized as Dragon or Trumpeter, and their releases come much more slowly to spread the tooling costs out a bit. I would have expected an M5A1 to appear right after the M3A3, since the suspension and turret were already done, but it's been a couple of years now. And perhaps they regard US subjects to be more of a risk than Wehrmacht subjects, for which there appears to be an insatiable demand.

Dave, I'm with you on this one... I've held off on the M8 HMC from Tamiya for all its glaring inaccuracies... Whilst the kit has interested me, it hasn't to the point of tweaking the old kit, and the resin option isn't! Unless of course there is a release from AFV Club, following in the Stuart's footsteps...
I'm quite excited about the M5A1 though. If it is as good as the M3A3 then happy trails!
Brad

It does certainly seem to make sense, an M8 as follow up to the M5A1. As to how well AFV Allied kits sell it seems to me that every Allied kit they've come out with the three local hobby stores have sold out of as soon as they came out. Since they are a smaller company then being able to get the most out of their molds, the suspension and turret from the M3A3 to work as a M5A1, then parts to go towards an M8, would seem to make the most sense of all.