I disagree. Have you built a Meng or Rye Field Abrams?
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I"m not sure why we keep rehashing it. Reynier has made his choice and he’s happy with his build.
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I agree with Gino. RFM and Meng kits are far better than any of the Tamiya kits. I’ve built the Meng M1A2 SEP TUSK and have a RFM M1A2 SEP v2 and these kits are amazingly detailed.
My Meng M1A2 SEP TUSK build. Yes, i like my vehicles “fresh off the factory” (leave me alone… LOL).
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Hi SableLiger, just FYI that’s a straight M-1.
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All of the M1IPs came from the factory in green enamel paint.
After the NATO three color was adopted, some units may have painted their tanks to match, but they would have been painted using regular enamel paints, not CARC paint.
Ken
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Over the years I’ve had good results using Tamiya Field Gray, XF-65, for early M1’s and Bradley’s, and other all green US vehicles from that time period. I believe someone on here recommended a few years ago
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Okay. More progress today on the build.
Mr. Dissolved Putty on the CITV plug and on the blast panels, along with adding some extra parts including the commander’s.50 cal. The spare wheel is not glued in place; still trying to figure out how it goes.
I also drilled the personnel heater hole on the side, but when I tried to add the fire suppression system handle, I eff’d up, so I puttied it over and will try again later on.
I also purchased some round tubing to do the rear of the main gun and discovered that 7/32” tubing fits perfectly.
It won’t have the taper that the real gun normally has, but I’ll take that as a compromise. My question is now, how long do I cut it, so it has the correct length?
Long range “sniper” 105mm anyone? 
Now; as I read the “Paper Panzer thread, I started thinking…
M60-2000 anyone? 
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Now you got me thinking the same I already google images of the M60-2000
Spare road wheel is bolted through holes for turret lifting ring.
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Can anyone help me with the barrel length of the main gun? (in 1/35). I’m about to take a saw to the kit’s barrel and I don’t want o screw it up.
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Based on your turret length measurements shown earlier the M1A1 turret is 5/16 longer than the M1 , all things being equal shorten the barrel by the same amount.
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The gun mount did not change, they just added more turret/mantlet to the front of it. So if things didn’t get hacked up during the conversion process, you should be able to connect the rear end of the gun to the mount piece inside the front of the turret.
Ken
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More progress, this time with the main gun and a possible screw up.
Tried to cut the rear portion of the main gun, so it would fit the mantlet; however, after looking at it for a while, i think the gun is now crooked and now, I’m stepping back to see what options i have.
Reference image i used.
I am thinking of just using a metal 105mm thermal sleev ed barrel (I know, not the same), but i could modify it slightly, make it look as close to the original as possible.
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Yup, the barrel is crooked. The DEF Late M60A3 metal barrel (minus the baffles) looks pretty close. Add a few bits and the MRS and it will look like an M1 barrel. You may still have to replace the section below the bore evac though.
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That’ll work. Thanks Gino. 
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Don’t forget there was also an IPM1. This was a standard M1 (short turret and straight bracket/tab on the mantlet) but with some internal(?) upgrades and external features such as the added rear turret basket.
This gate guard is almost certainly an ex-ARNG IPM1 - short turret and straight bracket on the mantlet but with a gypsy rack. A number of other photos in this thread are the same configuration and therefore not M1IP.
I did notice that the above image is on a baseline M1 with the short turret and not the M1IP I am building with the long turret. hard to keep track of which is which.
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Have to agree with that - too many acronyms that are too similar
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