M43 8" Howitzer Motor Carriage WIP

Wow, that's looking really NICE Gino!!  I love the conversion work you're doing on the base kit and the 8" rounds look amazing!  Did you join the "Have Gun Will Travel II" group build?  This would be perfect for it!

Gino - Nice work on the M43. Like the scratch ammo trays

Now as for the ammo......it looks great but......

The M43 dates back to Korea. I don't think the DODAC system was in place yet for ammunition marking. Most Korea ammunition would be marked the same as WWII. That would remove the number on the projo body and on the powder can. The current color and marking system came into effect around 1962 as I remember.

I know....I am a PITA, but I am one of the few people who would notice. 

Looking good otherwise

Rounds Complete!!

Great work Gino! I love it!

Gene and Ernest - thanks for the replies.   I have wanted to do this one for a while.  It has been fun so far.  Sorry, I don't participate in group builds, esp. with the upcoming move.  Time will be short for model building.

Mike, I thought that the rounds might have been off.  I couldn't remember when the markings changed.  I'll correct them as required.  We Redlegs are known for our attention to detail.  Guess I owe you some push-ups for missing that.

Best of luck with the move Gino, that's always a fun exercise all by itself! The 8" conversion is coming along nicely, look forward to seeing it completed and in the dio.

Thanks Bill.  Yup, moving is always fun.  Gotta love it.

The rounds and powder cans are fixed.  I'll post an updated pic later.

Those are some sharp looking projectiles Gino . Maybe keep them for another project ? Crisp looking scratch detail you have done . Get back with us when you can .

I corrected the rounds and canisters by removing the DODAC #s.  They look just as good now and are correct for a Korean War howitzer.

Don't worry, I didn't need to save them as they were.  I have a bunch of the AFV Club ammo sets.  You can never have too much ammo.

More to follow in a few days.  I sprayed a coat of OD paint on it tonight.

Ahhh....a good trip to the dump always feels good 

At least you did not have to return open ammo

Rounds Complete!!

Yup, like I said, you can never have too much ammo.

I just finished building the DS T80 tracks.  All those center guides took a while, but they look great.  Very nice.  Way better than the AFV Club indi-link (4-pieces per link ) T80 tracks.  They suck and blow.

Looking GREAT!!!  Bet your friend redleg is all excited that you are moving much closer to his state New Jersey?  Good luck with the move! 

deafpanzer

Looking GREAT!!!  Bet your friend redleg is all excited that you are moving much closer to his state New Jersey?  Good luck with the move! 

You know how the artillery brotherhood is......we like to concentrate our firepower. We will be close enough to have overlapping fires.   A styrene time on target coming soon....H hour is approaching!!

Rounds Complete!!

Thanks Andy.  It is always good to have reinforcing fires in the area.

Gino it's one thing to get busted but not near as bad to be busted by one of your own.

Big guns on tracks,my kind of guy

Keeping an eye on this beauty

Tony lee

Very Nice!

Howdy Gino!

I fixed the title for you. Great work as always! About that Italeri M110 - how come you always seem to already have the Italeri goodies I'm looking for? Good thing is Italeri reissues M109 and M110 (A2 unfortunately) this year, so at last I'm going to mke a use of the parts you sent me (thanks again!) and maybe build my own M578 out of that M110. Good luck with your project and have a nice day

Paweł

Pvt Mutt

Gino it's one thing to get busted but not near as bad to be busted by one of your own.

Big guns on tracks,my kind of guy

Keeping an eye on this beauty

Tony lee

Tony.....its not busting..its covering fire!!  Who better to help out than a brother.

Rounds Complete!!

Thanks guys.  It's been fun so far.  I just added the road wheels and am working on some of the details tonight. 

Tony, as Mike said, it's covering fire.  Always good to have a fellow Redleg to cover my back.

Pawel, I have a full stock of the old Italeri arty pieces.  Being an artilleryman, it is required.  We swear on it at the Block House on Signal Mountain.

Outstanding work as usual Gino

HeavyArty

Thanks guys.  It's been fun so far.  I just added the road wheels and am working on some of the details tonight. 

Tony, as Mike said, it's covering fire.  Always good to have a fellow Redleg to cover my back.

Pawel, I have a full stock of the old Italeri arty pieces.  Being an artilleryman, it is required.  We swear on it at the Block House on Signal Mountain.

Pawel....all good redlegs are fully stocked with every version!!

Ahh...signal mountain and the block house....memories

LOL

Rounds Complete!!

[quote user="redleg12"]

Pawel....all good redlegs are fully stocked with every version!!

Ahh...signal mountain and the block house....memories

I would rather remember The Golden Dragon.

iraqiwildman

I would rather remember The Golden Dragon.

Ahh yes, the other places to hang out in Lawton. 

It has been a couple weeks since I last posted.  I hate it when real life gets in the way of modeling.

Here is the latest update. 

I have put down the paint and decals, added smaller details, and done the detail painting.  Up next is weathering. 

The DS T80 tracks went on great.  I had to add 7 links from an extra set of DS tracks to make them fit since the M40 is on a lengthened M4 Sherman hull. 

The markings were pieced together from the M40 decal sheet and a Bison Korean War US Tanks sheet.  It is representative of a Korean War M43, but not real markings that I know of.

Here it is so far.

More here.

Thanks for looking and as always, all comments are welcomed.

Now I want to get this kit... thank you for feeding my addiction.  Looking great as usual... can't wait to see it weatherized next. 

Very nice...the rear deck cable can be a PITA but you did a great job. DS tracks are the way to go.....AFV T-80 can lead to a nightmare .

The fighting compartment scratch work looks great. Now that means AFV will finally come out with the M$# as a kit!!

Looking forward to dirt

Rounds Complete!!

Great job Gino! Really love all the detail. 

Andy- Glad I can be an influence to keep up your addiction.  It is a great kit.

Mike- Thanks for the comments.  I'm having fun with it.  Now I need AFV Club to come out with their version so I can b!tch about it some.

Gene- Thanks for checking in.  Hopefully I can get some dirt on it soon.

It is coming along really nice...looking forward to seeing it all wraped up!

Can definitely relate to the RL interference with bench time Gino...I've been struggling to get back to the bench myself lately. Must be a Spring thing! Decals are looking good as are the details and tracks. Look forward to seeing it weathered up.