REVELL USS CONSTITUTION "OLD IRON SIDES"

I had asked R/M this question sometime back. They had told me that R/G's was more detailed, but couldn't  elaborate on it. Whether this "extra" detail is worth the higher price or if it is easy detailing one can do themselves I couldn't say. R/G shows more parts, but as said before, are they counting parts (sails, decals, etc.) that R/M isn't counting? If someone that has both models can do a side by side comparison, that would answere a lot of questions.

They're from the same molds.  I've got both in my stash. 

Mark

I'm at least 95% certain that both kits come from the same, 40-year-old molds.  (Several Forum participants have noted that ads from Revell of the U.S. and Revell Germany give different parts counts for the two kits.  I think that's due to different people counting the parts differently.  Does each sail count?  Each paper flag?  Do you count the sheet of clear plastic for the captain's cabin windows as one piece, or as the three that you have to cut it into?  Etc.)

I haven't actually seen the inside of one of those boxes in decades.  In recent years I've read quite a few complaints about warped parts, low-quality plastic, and various other problems related to shabby quality control.  I don't know whether the American or European branch of Revell is the bigger offender.  I seem to recall reading fairly recently that both had started farming out their actual molding operations to either China or South Korea, and the quality had gone up somewhat.  But I can't talk about that from experience.