"FOW Shermans V PSC Shermans" Topic

I am considering a 15mm British army for the new iron cross rules.

Will need a fair few Shermans.

Does anyone have experience of the Plastic soldier company shermans and the battlefront ones as to which is nicer??

Andy

Detail is of course crisper on the PSC models.
In addition, you have the option to make Fireflies with the PSC models.

You get more stowage bits with the FoW ones than PSC but if you like your Shermans looking less cluttered PSC are the ones to go for.

I did some comparisons a while back on the All Miniatures Great and Small blog.

M4A3 versus PSC

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M4 versus PSC

link

Overall I like the Battlefront stuff better. but I've used PSC when cost matters. The new Plastic Battlefront Kits are awesome. I haven't purchased an PSC box in a while to see if they've improved as well.

PSC Firefly…

link

there will be a load of 15mm stowage out soon, watch this space

Think i have decided on a paratrooper force.
Battlefront british paratroopers look a bit funny.

I rather like the look of the peter pig ones

struggling to get a good view of the forged in battle ones, anyone know how FIB and PP paras compare?

Andy
PS I am coming down on the side of the PSC shermans as i get standard and fireflies in the one box. 2 boxes would give me 7 shermans and 3 fireflies for very little money

I've built both.

The PSC ones are crisp and once you get how they go together they are great, lots of crisp, clean detail.

The Battlefront ones are simpler and have more stowage, they also take turret magnets better but are god awful in terms of fit. Twisted and bent and require a ton of post build work to make them fieldable – lots of foliage and gobloads of mud help disguise the wobbly tracks. That said once built, sworn at and painted they look fine on the table.

The new plastic FOW Shermans and StuG IIIs are a lot better than the earlier releases.

PSC British Airborne due soon…

I agree with you Beowulf. The heavy IS tanks a very nice. Same with the Jagpanthers/panther are nice in plastic. I own both PSC and FOW models.

The godawful Battlefront Shermans are the first release of the Open Fire box set (green plastic). They later redid them and the StuGs: you get the new ones in the tank boxes (2 or 5 tanks), and in the new edition Open Fire box. I haven't built the new ones, but I expect they are precise and easy to build, like the other new BF plastic.

PSC tanks are easier to magnetize if you stick a washer inside the hull and replace the turret peg with a 3mm disk magnet.

I've built both the old BF and new BF Stugs – old were ghastly, new were lovely. I'd check if the PSC Shermans have two or one piece tracks as their two piece tracks are a pain.

I think all PSC stuff comes with one piece tracks now, unless you're buying older second hand stuff. IIRC only the T34 and Panzer IV had the two part ones, and PSC now sell one piece add-ons to replace those.

pigasuspig:
"PSC tanks are easier to magnetize if you stick a washer inside the hull and replace the turret peg with a 3mm disk magnet."

That's true if the tank has a peg – not all of them do, many have circular collars, etc. It makes it a pain as you have to work out 'how to' for each style. I still love the kits. And yes AFAIK all now have one-piece tracks as an option – if you buy Panthers save yourself some grief and get them, the two piece ones were a nightmare!

Fair enough if it's old BF v new BF. I did a load for a friend (assorted Shermans, mostly 76mm but some 105mm, Stug IIIs and hanomags in a variety of greys and green plastic). They came with plastic US airborne and panzergrenadiers, sounds like it might have been the box set, I got them loose in a plastic carrier bag as he'd despaired of them. I can't comment on models I ain't seen but it wouldn't be hard for the new ones to be an improvement!

I have assembled PSC tanks before and HATE HATE HATE the 2 part tracks, they never go together properly.

What do you mean that one piece tracks are an "option" how do i request 1 piece tracks??

Andy

They're purchasable quite cheaply from the website
link
5 X sets for £2.99 GBP

They only seem to have them for T34 and Panzer IV. Can't find them for M4A4 and firefly shermans?

You're right, could have sworn they had Panther ones too. I admit I didn't have any issues with the Shermans.

I thought the T34 and Panzer IV were the only PSC kits with multi part tracks?

Nope check the build and sprue layout ODFs on each page. Shermans have two track halves and boggie assembly for each side of the hull but they fit well. The Panther has the same, the fit is less good.

There was much internet complaint about the T34 and PzIV when they were released leading to the new style tracks being made available and later models like the Comet come like that as standard.

Need a campaign for retro fitting one piece castings to the Panther and others

Doh that's Cromwells not Comets. It's late and the grandson is teething.

I also HATED the stug and PAK40 muzzle breaks, as they had the break in 2 pieces ie the end cage was very tiny and hard to set right.

Personally I quite like the multi part tracks, it allows for more detail on the tracks and I have been able to make them easily enough.

One part tracks for me lack some detail as a simple byproduct of the way moulds work.

I've had no problem with PSC 2-part tracks.

Regarding Forged in Battle infantry, I have mixed Russian support weapons teams in with my FOW and I can't tell which is which. They're bulky metal models, like the FOW models, but I find that they really don't have faces, so I wouldn't recommend them if you go for a high level of detail.