Perhaps this link will help.

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/articles.html

Just scroll down to "The Sherman Corner" and start from there.

Well Shep Paine turned the old kit into a masterpiece but you don't really have to do all that work these days when you can buy a kit that builds right out of the box into a beautiful representation of a Sherman right off the shelf! 

Since you have the kit you might as well build it as practice and post it here so we can give you advice. Then you'll be ready to tackle one of the newer kits. 

We sympathize that once started, you discovered some possible inaccuracies or other building pitfalls.  To avoid that in the future, avoid the hobby shop impulse buys and research a subject before plunking down money.  A quick post here (or other AFV modelling sites) like: "I wanna build an early M4A1.  Accuracy and ease of construction are my main concerns. What are your suggestions?  What are the pluses/minuses of each?"

Basicly it is an early production A1 having direct vision slots, bolted transmission cover and M3 type suspension that was rebuilt with a later wide M34A1 mantlet. A tank like that theoretically could be found in Italy or some other theater where older Shermans could be found later in the war.

Well it's not important. The kit is a quaint old model, like the Monogram M48A2.

Or the various Renwal kits. We all built them when young.

It's not worth accurizing these things.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/146829.aspx   this forum hates my phone, so pardon the lack of formatting. the link takes you to an earlier discussion on this kit and the issues with the early style bogies. hope it helps.