IDF M109A2 Rochev

Published: July 23, 2017
Company: AFV Club

The U.S. Army accepted their first M109 in 1963. The M109 sported the short barrel (23 Caliber) 155mm M126 gun. Since 1963 the M109 has gone through a series of changes and upgrades. Most notable is the change to the longer barreled (39 Caliber) M185 gun on the M109A1 and the removal of the external floatation kit and addition of the external ammunition storage box on the M109A2.

The… more

T-34 Wheels Variations 1 & 2

Published: July 30, 2016
Company: Res-Im

The T34 series is as synonymous to armored combat as the Sherman. There are still T-34 series hulls being used in Russian and it’s satellite countries to this day. Most of these are in the recovery or construction vehicle role, but the fact that they are still being used is a testament to it’s ease of use and mechanical longevity. The T-34 series of vehicles have been kitted in every armor… more

M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)

Published: August 18, 2015
Company: Dragon Models

The M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) was first delivered to troops in 1983 and has since been delivered to many NATO countries with over 1,300 being built. The last M270 was manufactured in 2003, when a last batch was delivered to the Egyptian Army.

DML first produced a MLRS kit in 1992. The kit was no. 3522 followed soon after by no. 3523. The major difference was the… more

Loyd Carrier No. 2 Mk.II

Published: July 17, 2015
Company: Bronco Models

The Loyd Carrier was built upon the mechanicals (engine, gearbox and transmission) of a 15 cwt 4x2 Fordson 7V truck with light steel frame to which armor plate was bolted to the front and sides for minor protection. The engine was at the rear of the Carrier with the radiator places behind it. The transmission took the drive forward to the axle at the very front where it drove the tracks. Both… more

Wooden Barrels and Milk Cans

Published: May 22, 2015
Company: Hauler

Another neat set from Hauler comes this wooden barrel and milk can set. Do not be fooled by the box photo. You do not get two large barrels. You get one large, medium, small wooden barrel, 2 large and 2 small milk cans. You also get a small PE set for the milk can handles. The only thing that would make this set better would have been to include tops for the large milk cans and wire for the… more

Small Stove

Published: May 11, 2015
Company: Hauler

Hauler has been around for a few years now. I mostly thought they produced resin items in the 1/48 scale arena. I was surprised to see this 1/35 item offered in the review area and since I had requested the Bronco Loyd Carrier and I figured I could knock this nifty looking item out as well.

The items come packed in a cellophane bag with a hard paper backing. Included are a small… more

M61 Vulcan 20mm Rotary Cannon

Published: October 23, 2014
Company: Master Model

At the end of WWII, The United States Army began to consider new directions for future Military Aircraft guns. The higher speeds of jet powered aircraft meant that achieving an effective number of hits would be extremely difficult without a much higher volume of fire. While captured German designs (principally the Mauser MG 213C) showed the potential of the single-barrel revolver cannon, the… more

Couplings and Connectors

Published: August 31, 2014
Company: True Details

Over the years of my modeling enjoyment one of the questions I am often asked by fellow modelers is, why did you buy that”? Usually these questions are in reference to a specialty tool (pinvise, punch and die, or hex punch) or specialty item (metal barrel, decals, or resin sets). My standard response has always been the same. This is a hobby and by its nature is supposed to be relaxing and… more

Nuts and Bolts

Published: August 28, 2014
Company: True Details

Run 1/16 in the search bar on eBay and you end up with like 122,221 returns. Click on the Toys and Hobbies sub-category and there are 29, 317 results. I actually used this feature to see how many armor kits were available for use with the 1/16 scale Nuts and Bolts set from True Details. As this is a resin aftermarket set, it has more applications than just for the armor model builder,… more

ZU-23-2 "Sergey" Ammunition

Published: July 28, 2014
Company: Master Model

Master Model has produced a nice ammunition set to go along with their beautiful ZU-23-2 barrels. This set consists of 20 empty casings, 10 OFZ (HEI) rounds and 10 BZT (API-T) rounds. The items are made from turned brass and ultra-tiny. The only issue I have with these great items is that they can only be used as a diorama accessory. Without the disintegrating links that hold the rounds… more