One of my favorite start of the new month activities is to head to Barnes and Noble on a Friday afternoon and peruse the new model magazines. I usually only buy one or two each month, but it is part of my routine. Apparently though, my solitary habits aren’t enough to sustain the space on the shelves as my local shop isn’t stocking much as of late. So I was happy to see this sample of SMMI show up with another review. Here’s the breakdown of what’s inside:

T-34 Captured - looks at Robin Gilby’s 1/35 ICM Pz.Kpfw T-34-747(r) - more so an overview of the painting process with no real in-build photos...describes paint and weathering stages.

The Desert General - Modelers Masterclass article on Robin Gilby’s 1/35 Tamiya Leclerc Series II build- this one describes the actual build, but again- photos only represent the tank during the painting and weathering stages.

D-Day 75th Anniversary - an article covering Tom Cole’s excellent 1:76 scale diorama scene of the beaches of Normandy on D+7 day- when the 11th Armoured Division landed. The diorama features eleven AFVs, two soft-skin vehicles, and over fifty figures. Coverage includes creation of the base and beach, the town, and the vehicles and figures.

The Soviet ZSU-23-4 ‘Shilka’ SPAAG - this is an interesting article on the development and service of this self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with more than a half dozen color photos of vehicles in action.

Anti-Aircraft Artillery - a nice follow-up to the SPAAG article is a buildup of the 1:35 Meng ZSU-23-4 Shilka done by Dean Cavey. To follow suit, we only see finished build photos.

T-55A Somalia is just a quick spotlight on the Armorama Model of the Month done by Ilya Yut.

MAFVA Column gives us a quick report on the AMPS International show this past May in Buffalo, NY.

Military News is an extensive section covering what’s new in model kits and accessories from various companies. Followed by Previews, Product of the Month, Figure News, Warship News, and Books.

Armoured Mouse is a brief look at a buildup of Takom’s 1/35 Maus V2 done by Michael Franz.

A Learning Sherman looks at a revisited build of Tamiya’s M4A3 Sherman in 1/35 by Robert Pieper.

Make Some Waves gives a thorough rundown of Ray Deakin’s Italeri Dukw scene in a watery base.

Polish Guard by Michal Wojtowicz shows off his build of Miniart’s T-60 with T-30 turret.

The Maintenance Manual looks at The ASCOD IFV- a joint Austrian/Spanish AFV with a handful of clear color photos of the vehicle in action.The Last Strongpoint is a great way to end the magazine, with a dug-in Panther turret by Dragon being inspected by Soviet soldiers and their BA-64B by Vision Models.

Overall a strong showing from SMMI-plenty to appease any type of modeler out there. I would have liked to see more of the works in progress-the finished products are excellent, but I really pick more up when I see the process in motion-a much better way to pick up techniques. I really need to get after my B&N store manager to restock the better magazines again.

My thanks goes to SAM Publications and IPMS-USA for the review sample.