Hello all, I just joined and posted an introduction thread, but I'll also relay my questions here. After a many-year hiatus from model building, I'm looking to get back into it. My area of interest is US WWII, ETO. I've chosen to do a diorama of an M7 Priest from the Battle of the Bulge (hopefully this is historically accurate ). I plan on trying my first ever white-wash job, and doing a snowy/ muddy scene.

The kit I ordered is the Dragon M7 Priest Mid-Production kit. From the photos online it looks fairly well detailed, with even a few photo etched parts. Are their other detail kits I should be looking at as well? I'd really love to find some real brass shell empties of the right caliber to have strewn about on the ground and on the floor.

Color is another question I have. I've seen green interior photos on restored vehicles, but was the driver's compartment painted green, or white? Since the whole vehicle was so open, I'd guess it was all green, but I honestly have no idea.

Lastly, is there a good source for stock photos/ info on Priests that I should be researching?

Thanks in advance and feel free to shout out any advice you can give. Nothing is too basic.

Doug

Hi Doug,

That's a great kit! (I reviewed it here in case it helps.) By late '44 the "mid" version was certainly around, so could easily be at the BoB. There is a PE set from Voyager I reviewed here. I've seen brass 105mm shells somewhere (can't remember who makes them) and there are decent plastic ammo tubes available too.

As for colour, the whole thing is green.

HTH!

Hi Tom, excellent info! Thanks for the help. I really enjoyed your reviews. The only place I can seem to find the Voyager Models M7 kit you reviewed is on Ebay. I'm hesitant to buy anything on Ebay (never have). Do you happen to know any stores or actual websites that sell it? I'll keep digging in the meantime. Those PE parts look so nice I'd be reluctant to paint them. Hahahah

Doug: I'd advise against your getting the Voyager PE for now. They are definitely for advanced modellers and your return to the hobby should be paced more slowly. Just build the DML M7 out of the box. It has great detail. Take things slowly until you reignite your skills and accumulate your tools. Good luck!

For more info on upgrade sets, stowage, and shells you can check here:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/105mm%20Ordnance/10%20105mmKitsAccessoriesConversions.html

Literally the first few links are for Priests.

AFV Club makes brass shells.

And like the person above me said, stay away from PE Upgrade sets for now since you're just getting back in. They are very comprehensive and could be complicated especially in assembly.

The PE set is definitely a skills-tester! And some of it, like the track grousers, aren't worth the effort. But the boxes and bins are better than the plastic ones - if you can fold them correctly.

AFV Club makes the plastic ammo tubes - you get a lot of them compared to the resin sets out there.

Whatever you do, grab LOTS of soft stowage for the rear deck! There's no real internal stowage, so all those tents, sleeping bags, duffel bags, and rucksacks had to go somewhere...

Be careful, during assembly. The gun is the same as in the M2A1 kit. There supports called out that should not be used. They will keep the gun from mounting to the hull properly. The gun assembly is a test of patience. I look forward to your build.

Here's a period picture taken on December 9 near Ribeauvillé (but this M7 is fitted with T49 tracks...) :



Full size

H.P.

Hi Doug, I have to agree with Roy, just bold it out of the box and focus on your finishing. The Voyager sets are amazing, but build up to it... no pun intended
There are specific stowage sets but you might want to try mixing some plastic parts with some scratch built rolls and tarps, its a fun and relatively easy way to start scratch building and can really help your extra gear fit properly on the vehicle.
Im a big fan of Apoxie sculpt but there are many different types of two part putty out there.
Keep us posted with some progress shots, and have fun!

Many thanks Gents! I appreciate the awesome photo and links. One of the links had two sets of (x2) Priest crewmen, dressed appropriately in cold weather gear for winter in the Ardennes. I really need to pick those guys up if they're still available.

The advice to stay away from the PE parts is not falling on deaf ears, but let me explain. I really want to do this Priest diorama right. The track grousers are not something I think I'd use, but the ammo storage bins, storage boxes, and the track extension covers (not sure what they're called, the part that goes out over the drive sprocket) look REALLY nice compared to the molded parts.

I think to get back into the swing of things I'm going to build my M8 HMC and maybe another kit or two. I'll definitely work on my skill before tackling the Priest, but when the time comes for it, I want to do it right.

My favorite model I still have from the old days is a Scimitar Light Tank I built (I'll snap some photos). The reason I mention it is that it came with a PE exhaust pipe cover. That pipe cover is my favorite part of the whole model. It gives it a look of authenticity that I'd never had on any model before it. That is the reason the Priest PE kit is so appealing to me. But I agree, it should be something I work up towards.

Doug

As promised, here are some photos of my Scimitar...I tried adding them to my last post but it didn't seem to work. Sorry if they turn out to be duplicates: