US Infantry Weapons Set

When I bought this kit I thought I was going to get a modern, state-of-the-art Tamiya molding. Unfortunately when I opened the box I almost cringed. The detail was poor and really showed the age of the set - it was first molded in 1981. The detail, while there, was not crisp. The guns lacked many features that should've been present if this was a modern molded kit. In other words, the detail is very, very soft. The good things about this kit are the pistols, the M3 Grease Gun, the flame thrower and the 57mm recoilless rifle. They are molded rather well and would look nice when used. About the 57mm rifle, however, the sight/scope should be cut off and then mounted to the side and further forward. But it should still sit so the actual scope is above the rifle, it just mounts on the side. As it comes it sits on the top of the gun and too far back. Other than those pieces I would only use the rest for practice or for little bits and pieces that won't be noticed easily in a build.

These are great quality with zero flash, and seam lines are almost non existent. You get double of everything, as there is twin identical sprues. I really liked the small black vinyl tubing they supply for the flame thrower so your figures can pose with the flame thrower held in any position. The stands for the larger guns are a little delicate when gluing together but Tamiya even built in a gluing jig into the sprue frame itself to assist in lining up the stand legs. Well thought out! A great asset to have on hand for any build or diorama. At an amazing price you can't afford to pass up! Definitely recommend!!

Tamiya is a very respected model maker in the market. But even giants do slip. And sometmes they do fall. THis is a slip and a near fall. The injection of the rifles and machine guns is poor at best. Their tips like to bend in impossible directions. And almost to a piece the absence of detais is shocking. This is a no-no for the serious modeler. The newbie could use that as reference of what NOT to do in the future. Shame on you Tamiya