Starting Tamiya M1A1 Abrams with mine plow, a quick painting question.

I suppose this is another reason why I should do research on my subject before I buy it.

I hadn't decided whether this was ODS or OIF, I was just going with the desert scheme to avoid having to paint it with the more complicated 3 color NATO/US woodland scheme. 

The only thing I had really decided on doing was using 3 color desert camo on the figures instead of the 6 color desert appropriate to the ODS era, because 3 color is much easier to paint.

I thought about getting a TUSK upgrade for it, but that's too expensive, Maybe sometime later on.

Kentucky Colonel

Are you going to model it after Desert Storm 1991  or OIF in 2003?

those are two different colors

MM Also makes a color called "Army and Marine Corps Sand" or something like that. I think it is a better match to the 1:1 scale versions.

As stated above, these are not the same.   The actual FS color is CARC Middlestone.  The closest model color to it is Testors Model Master Sand, FS 33531.

For an ODS ('90-'91) vehicle, it can be painted in either Testors Model Master Sand for a vehicle painted in US Army paint shops.  Or in the Testors US Army/Marine Gulf Armor Sand.  This color was based on a local Saudi-bought paint that was used to quickly paint vehicles as they came into Saudi off of ships from Europe and the states.

For a OIF/current vehicle, the Model Master Sand is the closest color to what is on them now.

On a side note, the Tamiya M1A1 with mine plow represents an ODS ('90-'91) tank pretty well.  It is missing a lot t be a current/OIF tank.

The MM Sand actually looks pretty good. I used it on a pair of dragon humvees I built a while back.

MM Also makes a color called "Army and Marine Corps Sand" or something like that. I think it is a better match to the 1:1 scale versions.

Are you going to model it after Desert Storm 1991  or OIF in 2003?

Those are two different colors

There is a M1 build in Group Builds going on.

Heres a link to the federal standard 595 sample

http://www.colorserver.net/showcolor.asp?fs=33722

The sand colored strip on this spray can is the actual color of the paint.

ok, thanks

Those paint chips are terrible. You are new here... Believe in what Rob says.

the MM Modern Desert Sand looks very yellow on the testors website, are you sure that's the right color?

I just want to be sure, because I'm pretty sure they don't have it at my local hobbyshop, I'll have to order it.

thanks, any other tips I should know?

Testors Model Masters desert sand is a good match. It comes in both bottle and rattle spray can.