What would be the best M-60a3 kit to build?

The best M60A3 model out there is the old Esci, now reissued by Italeri, kit. Tamiya also does a M60A3 that I have heard is not very accurate, but it looks like an M60A3 once completed.

For accessories, you could get the older Tamiya Modern Accesory set. It was designed in late 1980's for M1A1 and M60 tanks.


Or their new Modern US Military Equipment Set would be great for added gear and bags. The only things not correct for M60A3 era would be the CIP panels (look like metal siding). They were introduced after Operation Desert storm to help ID friendly vehicles. Also the sleeping bags were introduced in the mid '90s, and the MREs out of the set are a newer box design that also came out in mid-late '90s. The rest of the set would work. The above set has correct MRE boxes, flatter, rectangular box) for '80s and early '90s.


Good luck.

The former Esci M60A3TTS kit has been reissued by Revell of Germany as kit #03057 and not by Italeri. Italeri reissued the ex-Esci M60A1 Blazer and M60A1 as kit numbers 6391 and 6397 respectively.

Unfortunately, neither the Italeri M60A1 Blazer or M60A1 reissues will build into an M60A3 out of box. Regardless, the Revell M60A3 is the best M60A3 available.

The Tamiya M60A3 kit (#35140) is pretty decent and if you are not a rivet counter builds into a fine late 80s M60A3TTS. Unfortunately, it is current out of production.

Another option is the Tamiya Desert Storm USMC M60A1 w/ERA (#35157). It contains all the necessary M60A3 parts from the M60A3 kit with better road wheels added in. It replaced the finned aluminum wheels with smooth steel wheels. Most M60A3TTS tanks had a mixture of smooth and finned road wheels. No US Army decals though.

If you look around eBay or at swap meets, you can still find the old Esci kits here and there. The original kit numbers are:

5039 M60A1 Patton
5040 M60A3TTS (Tank Thermal Sight)
5042 M60A1 Blazer (IDF not USMC up armored variant)

Eduard made a PE set for the Tamiya M60A3 (could be used with the USMC M60A1). It was set #35073. Although OOP, you should be able to find a set somewhere.

Barrel Depot does an aluminum barrel with thermal shroud. It is #35004. The thermal shroud was unique to the M60A3TTS.

One of the poor spots on the Tamiya M60A1/A3 kits are the tracks. AFV Club makes an excellent set of replacement tracks for this. It is set #AF3510 and runs about $10-15.

I've never gotten around to getting the old modern accessory set. I didn'y know it had MRE's in it. I knew it had the m60 wheel but I never noticed that it had the spare M1A1 wheel. I would've picked this up a long time ago. I have both the ESCI and the Italeri blazer kits. The old ESI kit comes with two diff barrels and a choice of either the turret type cupola or low profile one. I love the kits but it comes with those link-and-length tracks! With it being my first tank about 10-12 years ago they were very frustrating. Thinking all tanks had these tracks I never built another until about a year ago! Boy did I miss out! Now I'm playing catch up!

[edit:Sorry i didn't notice all the typos. I fixed them! lol]

ok guys thanks for the help was the M60A3TTS the only one with the thermal sites?
because the one my uncle like is the one with the really good thermal site.

thanks again for the info.

Yes, the M60A3 was fielded for just a brief time when the TTS was developed and retrofitted into existing M60A3. The majority of A3s were produced with the TTS. The TTS was a superb sight and much superior to the TIS in the M1IP and early M1A1s. The scope was about the size of a small circular TV screen and was much easier to scan for targets than the Abrams' TIS.

I've tanked on M48A5, M1IP, M1A1, M1A2, but the M60A3TTS has a special place in my heart.

If you need reference material, here are 6 pages of walk arounds and 1 page of in action shots.

http://www.primeportal.net/m-60.htm

Don

I personally like the Tamiya M60A3 , built as a M60A3 TTS and with photo etched parts , along with other detail accessories , builds into a nice model. After the Centurion , the " Good Old" , M60 is my favorite armor kit. Has anyone ever been to Hohenfels, Germany , " The Heavy Metal" Playground? Or how about Grafenwohr , Germany. I have very fond memories , of working with the Americans , in both places. 5/68 Armor Bn., MannHeim, Germany?
Frank
" PERSEVERANCE"

I served in 5-77 Armor in Mannheim from Dec 87 to Dec 90. 5-68 was right next door. They became 3-77 AR in 1989. I did the last M60A3 gunnery in Germany just prior to M1A1 transition. We had so much 105mm ammo and M-85 .50 cal ammo to burn up that every tanker (drivers & loaders) got a complete run as a gunner.

The major who is replacing me in December was a member of 3-77 AR. I used to live in the BOQs that shared a parking lot with the PX, right off of Mox Nix intersection.

Hoenfels, Graf, Wildflicken, oh those were the days my friend. I'm glad that Rob brought up the TTS. He is right on the mark, a far superior system to the Hughes TIS in the M1 series. During XM1 prototype testing, we tried and tried to get the power people to implement the TTS into the XM1, but, to no avail. Those of us who knew the M60A3 just shook our heads in frustration. (Bureaucratic, political?,who knows). we were told that cost was the major issue.

Steve