The M3 halftrack was a staple of the U.S. Army in WW II. More than 12,000 were produced by a number of manufacturers. Though most often seen in the armored infantry battalions, the M3 served in almost every unit in the army from reconnaissance troops to artillery battalions. Beyond domestic consumption, M3s were exported abroad during WW 11 to the United Kingdom as well as the USSR. Free French Forces in western Europe received M3s as part the United States commitment to equip De Gaulle's troops in 1943-45. Post-war, surplus M3s were sold to a number of countries and served on for decades -- notably with the Israeli Defense Forces through the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

This widely used vehicle is available in 15mm from a number of manufacturers. The following review includes half-tracks from four manufacturers -- Quality Castings, Old Glory, Military Miniatures/Battle front and Gaming Models. Each review includes the manufacturer address and contact information. The castings are evaluated on amount of detail, scale accuracy -- using the O'Leary scale standard of 1:108 from Herald # 25 -- and overall appearance. The comparative baseline for scale is the dimensions listed in Squadron Signals "M3 Half-track in Action." An ideal M3A1 half-track will have the following dimensions: length=2.3", width=0.8" and height=0.97". Allowing for measuring inaccuracies, a kit is considered "in scale" if the dimensions are within 95%-105% of the ideal distance. Each kit gets a letter grade that, while striving for objectivity, does reflect the author's bias and opinion.

M3A1, Quality Castings Inc. # 6004
PO Box 11714, Alexandria, VA 22312.
http://www.qualitycast.com/orderinf.htm

One of the many recently redone models in the Quality Castings line. Assembly of the kit was simple. It is cast in pewter and includes the hull/chassis, two track assemblies and two wheels, a M49 machine gun mount and your choice of unditching roller or power winch.

Assembly was a breeze with all the parts fitting together cleanly. The kit scales very close to 15mm. Measurements of the assembled kit are as follows: length = 2.35" (102%), width=0.9" (112%), height=0.94" (96%). Width might be distorted due to the oversized mine racks on the casting. While the racks are a bit large, this does provide good visual detail on the painted model.

Overall detail is good. Internal and external stowage detail is clear - including the mines in the external stowage racks. If I have one complaint it is that the mold line is visible around the rear and sides of the kit, but in most places the line runs with other detail and is not too detracting. The kit includes the M49 pedestal mount for the. 50 cal and gives the option of using the unditching roller or the winch on the front end. The sculptor even detailed the drive train on the bottom of the chassis (though I'm not sure why). No vehicle crew is provided.

Overall grade: A

M3 / M3A1 half-track, Old Glory CD-202

Old Glory's entry into the M3 field is a sharp kit sold in bags of three. Like the Quality Castings kit, the Old Glory M3 consists of a pewter kit with two track assemblies and two wheels, the M49 MG mount and a choice of ditching roller or power winch. Unlike the Quality Castings model, Old Glory's kit includes the option of mounting the .50 caliber machine gun on a pedestal just behind the drivers, thus creating the "original" M3 half-track.

Assembly was fairly easy, with most of the parts fitting together cleanly. I had to bore out a hole to mount the.50 caliber, and the ring mounts need a quick- curing epoxy to hold them in the correct position. Otherwise, it is as easy to assemble as the other kits. One thing I don't get is that Old Glory labels their prime movers as "M3," and the troop carrier as "M2," when these designations should be flipped around. Please check what you buy to make sure you get what you wanted!

The kit scales fairly close to our ideal measurements for 15mm. Both length and width were dead on scale at 100%. Height, however is woefully off at only 82% of scale. The net effect is a half-track that looks a little "flat," especially when compared to other manufacturer's kits. Two out of three dimensions right aren't too bad, and the height issue does not rule out buying the kit.

Old Glory's M3 is nicely detailed from front to back. Vehiclefittings such as headlights, hinges doors and stowage racks are clearly visible. Old Glory is the only casting reviewed that included mud flaps on their kits. In addition, the casting is festooned with a variety of external stowage ranging from tarps to jerry cans. Drivers are cast at the wheel, though no other crew is provided.

Overall grade: B

M3A1 half-track, Military Miniatures / Battle Front # A-015
8554 122nd Ave. NE, Suite 108, Kirkland, WA 98033
http://members.aol.com/milminusa

Battlefront as they are now called, produce a line of 15mm W\Afi I vehicles with a twist. The hull/chassis is cast in resin with the parts cast in pewter. Like the previous manufacturers, the kit includes tracks, wheels and the M49 machine gun ring mount. The Battlefront kit is the closest to our ideal 1:108 dimensions, scaling in at 102% of length, 112% of width and 97% of height.

Detail is in line with the other kits. Panels and hinges are clearly cast -- often cleaner than on the other manufacturer's 15mm model kits. One odd feature is a wall separating the half-track's drivers from the troop compartment. I can find no record of this wall in the Squadron Signal's book on the M3. These inaccurate internal details are balanced by the best feature about Battlefront -- the vehicle hulls are covered with "random" stowage. This results in a more unique realistic feel to each vehicle. In this case, I received a "plain vanilla" M3 with little stowage -- even the mine racks were emptyl The only way to guarantee you get external stowage is to eyeball the vehicle before purchase. No crew is provided.

Overall grade: B-

M3A1, Gaming Models US-014 212 33rd Street SW, Canton, Ohio 44706 (gamodls@raex.com)

A new player in the 15mm market is Gaming Models. Their M3 halftrack is completely cast in a lightweight resin. The kit consists of 7 pieces -- hull, 2 tracks, 2 wheels, ring mount, and .50 caliber machine gun. Assembly is easy. Any super glue will bond all the pieces with no trouble. The assembled vehicle scales in at 95% of length and width and 82% of height.

Detail is crisp if a bit plain. The etching of hinges and panels is the sharpest of any of the model kits reviewed above. The ditching roller is cast as part of the hull, so you get no choice here. You also don't get rollers with the nasty habit of snapping off in the middle of games. Internal detail is excellent and includes a folded "jump seat" between the drivers. Some detail such as the external mine racks are missing, but then the racks were not always fitted, so this can be a good way to improve the variety within your gamingunits. Lastly, the front wheels seem a tight fit in the wheel wells. As with the other kits, no crew is provided.

Overall grade: A

What to do about crew?

As I've indicated, none of these kits come with the crewman they're supposed to support. There are three ways to solve these problems:

You could buy the Old Glory "Half-track passengers" and drop rows of seated troops into the back of your half-tracks. You could buy a bag of Old Glory "jeep crews." These have the advantage of being individual figures cast in a variety of poses.

Lastly, Quality Castings sells a pack of vehicle crews in a variety of poses -- including a great one of a standing machine gunner perfect for a pedestal mounted HMG. Though the Old Glory halftrack passengers do recreate the look and feel of a crowded APC, they tend to look like they are sleeping. I suggest mixing the Old Glory jeep crew with the Quality Castings vehicle crew.

In terms of detail there isn't really a bad halftrack in the bunch. All are, serviceable gaming pieces with good levels of detail. If scale is your sole determining factor, then the Battlefront kit or the Quality Castings kits are the way to go. Size-wise, you'll have problems mixing some of these different kits together. The Battlefront kit towers over all the others and can really only blend in with the Quality Castings kit. Old Glory fits right into the middle of the pack and goes well with either the Quality Castings or the Gaming Models half-track. At $5, the Gaming Models kit is the bargain of the bunch, as well as easiest to assemble. The Old Glory kit allows you to build early or late war half-tracks. My personal favorite is the Quality Castings M3A1, though both the Gaming Models and Old Glory kits are very close to Quality Castings.

This is not a comprehensive review of all your options for 15mm half-tracks. There are at least three additional manufacturers of half-tracks out there -- Peter Pig, QRF and S.D.D. Please note that these manufacturers are all located in the United Kingdom, so availability in the States is limited. Brookhurst Hobbies carries both S.D.D. and Peter Pig. Unfortunately, due to the Value Added Tax and other import fees, these are not cheap castings. Brookhurst lists the Peter Pig M3 at $7.85. At these prices, you can have three Gaming models'tracks for the price of two Peter Pig! However, if any reader has one of these kits, I'm very interested in knowing the dimensions of the kit, as well as your perceptions of the detail and quality of the model.