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In-Box Review
135
M48A3 Stowage set
M48A3 Vietnam Stowage Set II
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by: Gino P. Quintiliani [ HEAVYARTY ]

Introduction

Close on the heels of Dragon’s M48A3 Mod B release, Legend Productions provides a very complete stowage set to cover your tank with gear. This set is very complete and gives all you need, and then some, to make your tank look very lived-in by its crew.

Review

The first thing that caught my eye on this set is just how complete it is. There are a no less than 125 individual pieces in this set. They include the following:

  • 1 - M16A1 rifle
  • 1 - M79 grenade launcher
  • 2 - M7 bayonets
  • 2 - angle-head flashlights
  • 2 - Uniform shirts
  • 1 - Pair jungle boots
  • 2 - Large bundles of bags, boxes, and ammo cans for the bustle rack
  • 4 - Individual tarps and bedrolls
  • 2 - M1 helmets with inner webbing and camouflage covers
  • 1 - CVC helmet (bone dome)
  • 1 - Boonie cap
  • 2 - Butt packs
  • 3 - Rucksacks
  • 3 - M26A1 hand grenades
  • 10 - M18 smoke grenades
  • 1 - M17 protective mask carrier
  • 3 - First aid pouches
  • 3 - 1 quart canteens in covers
  • 4 - M16 20 rd ammo pouches
  • 4 - 81mm mortar HE ammo cases
  • 8 - 81mm mortar illumination ammo cans (2 w/ partially open lids)
  • 3 - 40mm ammo cans (1 w/a tarp covering the opening)
  • 2 - Wooden ammo boxes
  • 6 - 7.62mm ammo cans
  • 11 - Loose .50 cal ammo cans
  • 6 - .50 cal ammo cans attached w/a piece of angle iron for the fender
  • 3 - .50 cal ammo cans without tops
  • 1 - Belt .50 cal linked ammo
  • 2 – WW2/Korean War side-opening .50 cal ammo cans (1 w/a rag stuffed in the open top)
  • 1 - Radio/tape player
  • 2 - Mermite hot food containers (1 open w/inner containers)
  • 2 - Mermite cold food containers
  • 4 - Various sized bottles
  • 2 - Soda cans
  • 2 - Coffee cans
  • 2 - Open pails (small)
  • 1 - Covered pail/oil can
  • 2 - Tool boxes (1 large, 1 small)
  • 1 - Oil can
  • 2 - Spare track sections (2 pieces of track each)
  • ½ - Of a tow bar
  • 3 - Separate fuel cans in holders w/straps
  • 4 - Fuel cans attached to each other in a rack w/a rag hanging off them
  • 1 - Storage rack
  • 2 - Lengths of brass rods
  • 1 - Sheet of printed C-Ration boxes with inner box inserts

The shear amount of gear is amazing. I only wonder if one tank would have this much gear on it. I haven’t seen many with this much. It does give you great options to outfit a few vehicles though.

The myriad of gear is all crisply molded without any bubbles or air holes evident. The casting is top-notch, which is standard with Legend Productionssets. From what I can gather from references, all are typical for the type of gear seen in Vietnam. The printed C-Ration boxes look very good and the addition of the inner box inserts is very welcomed and unique. They allow you to show the boxes opened, with the inner, individual meal boxes showing. A great idea.

Conclusion

The only issue I have with the set is the lack of any instructions at all. The box top only has 1 picture showing the left rear quarter of the tank with all the gear on it. The various tarps and soft gear, such as the uniform items, are form-molded to fit certain parts of the tank by conforming to bumps, lumps and other protrusions on the hull. The issue is that there are no instructions showing which pieces go where. You can see a couple of the pieces in the picture, but not all. You are left to figure it out yourself by test-fitting them all over the tank until they fall into place like a puzzle piece.

SUMMARY
Highs: A huge variety of gera all crisply cast.
Lows: No isctructions for where to put the conformal pieces of gear on the hull.
Verdict: Overall the set is great and gives you plenty of gear to either smother one tank, or spread across a few vehicles. For the price, it is a bargain just on the amount of pieces in it. Another winner for Legend Productions.
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: LF1269
  Suggested Retail: $36.99
  PUBLISHED: Sep 30, 2013
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.79%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 87.61%

Our Thanks to Legend Productions!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Gino P. Quintiliani (HeavyArty)
FROM: FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

Retired US Army Artillery Officer, currently a contractor at MacDill AFB in the Tampa, FL area. I have been modelling for the past 40+ years, really seriously on armor and large scale helos (1/32, 1/35) for the last 35 or so.

Copyright ©2021 text by Gino P. Quintiliani [ HEAVYARTY ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

this one?
SEP 30, 2013 - 01:52 PM
and I am not even sure what these are. The middle one looks like a cooking pot with a cover. The right thing looks like it has a movie in it covered by something
SEP 30, 2013 - 01:57 PM
Sherb - That must be it. That is one seriously overloaded M48A3. Jason - Oops, I guess I missed the Igloo cooler. Mine has it too, disregard my last. I agree on your last pic too, no idea what those pieces are supposed to be. I think the box is a toolbox of some type. The can looks like an oil can. No clue on the round thing in a covered box.
SEP 30, 2013 - 02:11 PM
Here is another shot of the M48A3 that inspired the Legend set. The C-Rat "shelf" on the turret is clearly shown here. M48A3 Keep scrolling to the right, there are a few others. They were published in Concord's Vietnam Armor In Action (the blue book). Jason, I agree, that certainly looks like a film reel in a case. Haven't found any photos of one (or whatever it is) mounted on an M48...yet.
SEP 30, 2013 - 02:35 PM
it wouldn't be some sort extra of air filter for the engine would it?
SEP 30, 2013 - 03:18 PM
The "round thing in the covered box" is a mine. Either a US WWII M1A1 (still easy to find back then) or a Chinese copy of it. (more likely) Glad you guys like the C rat set.
SEP 30, 2013 - 03:35 PM
thanks Rob! The C rat set is awesome.
OCT 01, 2013 - 01:04 AM
The "C-Rat Table" was a feature of C/1-69 Armor tanks in the 1969-70 period. The circle marking on the turret is a good "give away" that it is a C Co tank (A co used triangles, B Co used squares) of 1-69. Rob, Other than paper C-rat "boxes" in the kit, I saw nothing more relating to C-rats in the resin parts... Am I missing something? Also, the update includes only half of a tow bar... I have not seen towbars on Viet Nam era pictures of the 48's so what is up? I know that you are not a LP rep but you do seem to have some sway with them. JC
OCT 01, 2013 - 07:00 AM
Hi John. Good info on the C-Rat table. I guess it was only used by C, 1-69 AR then? On the C-Rats themselves, there is nothing further in resin. On the paper set though, there is a insert for the inner boxes. It looks pretty good. I was curious about the tow bar too.
OCT 01, 2013 - 07:14 AM
   
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