Paint/Color for M1A2 Abrams (all Gulf War Armour)

You can paint modern US OIF vehicels in either sand color or 3-color NATO. 82nd AB and units from Germany (1st Armored Div) still had/have camo vehicles.

For modern US desert sand I use Testors Model Master Sand, FS # 33531. It is a perfect match for current sand CARC paint. With a little weathering, it matches the vehicles I have served on in Iraq and stateside. Many use MM Army/Marine Gulf Sand, but it is too dark for me.

For 3-color NATO scheme, I use MM Flat Black, Medium Green, and Field Drab. These are lighter than the Tamiya NATO paints and than most recommended colors of Flat Black, Military Brown and Forest Green. It looks like the actual vehicles since they fade very quickly and never look as bright as the actual colors of Flat Black, Forest Green and Military Brown.

Can't help with an exact color for Brit vehicles, looks more yellow than US sand though.
Hope that answers some of your questions.

Remember, the M1A2 and M1A2SEP only come in desert sand in frontline use.

Okay, did some investigation. Best paint match for US Gulf War for the Humvee, Abrams, Bradley is Floquil Poly Scale US Desert Storm Sand, perfect match and is a acrylic paint.

Poly Scale and Vallego also have Modern British Desert Yellow too.

OK, I'm an Acryl and Enamel guy but use Acryl as much as possible. I'm about to start my Tamiya ABRAMS M1A2 OIF. At hand I have a new MM rattle can of FS-33722 from a project I was going to do but never did.

 

Also, at hand I have Acryl SAND 1/2 (33531) and US ARMY / MARINES GULF WAR (13200). Which route should I go?

For an OIF M1A1/A2 go with Sand FS 33531 and for an ODS M1A1,  US Army/Marines Gulf War Sand. Note that if you are doing an M1A2, it will only be the former (FS 33531).

Thanks a lot for your help and time Phil. Will start tomorrow morning.

Phil_H

For an OIF M1A1/A2 go with Sand FS 33531 and for an ODS M1A1,  US Army/Marines Gulf War Sand. Note that if you are doing an M1A2, it will only be the former (FS 33531).

The "sand" used in ODS was different than OIF. ODS sand was not a true FS paint. Adter a few months in the desert....you could tell it was not an FS paint in many cases

Stick with what Phil gave you on the sand.

If you are doing 3 color NATO, I prefer the NATO Black, Brown and Green colors.

Rounds Complete!!

The correct color for modern US ground equipment painted in CARC is FS33446. The best match I have found to date is Floquil railroad colors 110081 "Earth". A lot of people will say FS 33531 - this is not correct. This is the desert color used by the Israeli AF in aircraft camoflague and on some US aggressor aircraft.

John Haverstock

The correct color for modern US ground equipment painted in CARC is FS33446. The best match I have found to date is Floquil railroad colors 110081 "Earth". A lot of people will say FS 33531 - this is not correct. This is the desert color used by the Israeli AF in aircraft camoflague and on some US aggressor aircraft.

 

You realize you're responding to a 17 year old question and 11 years since it was last brought up.

I wasn't going to say anything because it's good info, but yeah, this thread is long dead.

M. Brindos

I wasn't going to say anything because it's good info, but yeah, this thread is long dead.

 

I wouldn't have done so either, but he's what I consider a "drive by poster". Probably found the site online by researching the question, clicked on it, had to join to post and will most likely never stop by again or will be gone in a week.

If you had dug up the post and answered, I wouldn't have commented on it.

Lol I don't usually dig 16 years into the past to answer questions, so that's not likely.

Heck, sometimes I just go through my own threads and see questions I've missed from two years ago, but no need to dig up a stalled project unless I have some progress to show, right?

I don't know, maybe it's just old school forum ediquite that keeps me from digging up old stuff for the sake of "bumping" a thread. Is there an old school ediquite? Has that much time passed since my mother's first 486DX PC? LOL! Damn. Dial up internet. I don't miss that.

When I said you, I really meant someone regular, and not a drive by poster. I just used you as an example.

Ohhhhhh.... right. I knew that.