Get both, display one and store the other, swap them occasionally?
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There’s a site that begins with the letters “a” and “r.” No, it’s not armorama. It’s AR-15.com
Their advice is amazingly simple, and applies to more than just a choice in guns:
When in doubt - just choose both.
Works equally well with motorcycles, models, (the two legged type) and colors of bell pepper. (yellow or red?) It just takes the guesswork out of the equation, leading to a more stress free and enjoyable experience.
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The differences between a Lee and a Grant are more than just the turrets. For example, Lees had an antenna mount on the left rear of the superstructure while Grants had a periscope for the driver in the front hull roof, both of which were not present on the other. There’s more, too, especially once you get to British additional equipment being installed in Egypt and in the UK.
BTW, both Grant and Lee saw a lot of front-line service, especially in North Africa and in Burma but also in the USSR. In addition, they were widely used for training in the USA, the UK and Australia, which can be just as interesting to build models of as of tanks in combat.
If I were you, I would start with: Which paint scheme appeals more to you? American olive drab or British sand, possibly with darker camouflage? If you like OD more, the Lee is the obvious choice, while if you prefer sand, you can still go with either of the two 
And then there’s Australian camouflage, which can also go on either type.
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Getting both and actually making both from A to Z and rotating them is an option, but… I might sound spoiled or entitled, but, I don’t know, I don’t think I like the idea of rotating a tank in display…
Getting both and displaying both together isn’t an option either unfortunately, as I simply do not have the room for it. Like I said earlier, I don’t have room for more shelves, and the shelves I got can only hold 5 tanks each, and with the M4A3E8, Pershing, M103, and Abrams on the shelf too, alongside the M3, that’s it for room on it, haha.
I really hope I’m not sounding childish by going “Errmmm no!” to every single suggestion!
I’m just really beat, I’ve never had this much trouble deciding! And I got 34 kits for god’s sake!
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Well, if we’re going for which of them appeals to me more, it’s the Grant no question.
The Grant’s turret looks better, and it also looks better overall. It’s tracks looks better and more unique, and its color scheme is prettier and more unique than Olive Drab Tank #11426.
All of this is my opinion, of course.
Honestly, if weren’t for the fact that this being an American shelf it stands to reason that I should go for the more American option, I’d choose the Grant no questions asked…
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No argument from me that the Grant’s turret especially makes it look better 
You can always justify its inclusion on an “American” shelf, if you feel the need, by it being an American-built tank.
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The Russians I believe, referred to it as the “Coffin for seven brothers”. I also understand it saw service at Kursk (in addition to elsewhere on the Eastern Front).
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The Coffin For Seven Brothers…
EDIT: Oops, just seeing the above now.
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If it were me, based on your parameters, and making compromises, I’d have to choose the M3 Lee, only because it was an American tank, in American service, which fits your requirements. The Grant may have seen more combat, compared to the Lee, but when you consider that the Grant and Lee were made in America, and basically the same tank, particularly in capability, it could be argued that they had considerable combat history, combined. Their differences wouldn’t had made any difference in terms of combat capability. Whatever differences there were, was related to what the Brits specified for their use, otherwise the British could not have won the North African Campaign without American tanks.
The real problem is the lack of shelf space you have available. Eventually your limit will be reached and you’ll want additional space to display those tanks you’ll build. We all go through it.
I have a shelf for British armor, American armor, Russian armor, French, German, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and other armor. There’s enough space for about 150 tanks, but even with that much space, I can’t build every conceivable tank used by every nation. If I did, I’d have at least a dozen M60s, at least one for every nation that operated them.
To save space, I try to limit my collection to tanks in service to their country of origin, but I do allow for exceptions. I have an M3 Lee on my American shelf, between an M2 medium and a line of Shermans. I do have a Grant which is on my British shelf, as it was a historically important tank to represent on the British shelf. I will also be adding a Sherman Firefly (which I recently purchased) for the same reasons. On the other hand, I have a M3 Stuart light tank, on my American shelf. I don’t think I will build another for the British shelf. Yes, the Stuart was a historically important tank for the British, but other than the camo, there’s nothing significant to warrant another Stuart in my collection.
Edro
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What about a Tunisian theater long barrel 75mm Lee?
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I agree, a quick rundown of a few other differences.
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Yes, the space problem is a huge bummer… If it were up to me, I’d get at least two more shelves, and also maybe make my British shelf 7 tanks instead of 5 (add the Grant and a Firefly)
But alas, the available space can only fit so many tanks… And that’s why I have to pick and choose
I already set criteria for what I’m getting and how it’s organized, and so far I haven’t had any problems, until the M3 right here… This one gave me the headache of a lifetime!
But I’ve come to a conclusion!
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First of all, thank you all so, so much for all your guys’ input!
Seriously this community never ceases to amaze me with how warm and welcoming and helpful and eager and non-judgmental and compassionate it is!
So again, thank you all so much for the comments and input and thoughts!
So, taking all of them into account, I’ve decided to go with the Lee.
It is indeed to most fitting option for an American shelf. And knowing it did contribute and see action, even if not as much as the Grant, is reassuring in its own way.
Would I have preferred the Grant? Yes.
Is the Lee the more correct choice regardless? Also yes.
So, I’m going to get me the Takom M3 Lee Early, and a set of workable tracks
Who knows, maybe some day if I somehow get more space, I’d add a Grant to my British shelf, haha!
I believe that’s all then!
Once again thank you all so much <3
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Have you also checked out the Miniart Lee/Grant ?
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Yes, maybe one day, you’ll be able to increase your shelf space. Perhaps I could suggest that while you don’t have the space for the other tank, you might consider substituting a photograph of the Grant which you could display next to your Lee
Edro
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For what it’s worth, get the Lee.
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From what I read online, people say the Takom M3’s are the best and most accurate 
Also from looking it up, it seems the only early M3 Lee Miniart offers is a full interior kit, and, I very much do not intend to do a full interior kit 
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If you want to look at the parts and the instructions:
https://www.super-hobby.se/products/US-Medium-Tank-M3-Lee.html
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Consider this - just shy of 500 M3 Lees were converted to CDL tanks for the US Army, and around 450 were issued to units (and shipped to Europe). Of those, 80-90 saw active service along the Rhine in March and April 1945.
That doesn’t include the additional 252 that were re-worked and shipped to the UK for conversion to British CDLs (and also doesn’t include the M3 Lees already in British service that were also converted to CDLs - mostly ex-Canadian). The 500 British CDLs were built on a mix of Lee and Grant hulls.
In terms of service in the US Army as a gun tank, then yes the Lee played a fairly small part in the story of US Tanks in WWII, but as a special purpose vehicle (CDL, ARV, gun tractor), it had a much longer service life in US colors.
As others have said, the Lee was used by the British in in North Africa to supplement their Grant stocks and later it was used right through to the end of WWII in Burma with 14th Army.
The M3 family may have been a transitional design but they were a fundamental part of the American tank story and deserve to be recognised as such.
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