In addition to the major plastic model manufacturers,
a number of major manufacturers and "cottage industries" which
produce resin or metal AFV models have sprung up. These are generally hard
to find in hobby stores; most of these companies have mail order service,
and some have their own website. Resin may be brittle and easily broken,
and it is prone to developing bubbles and warping. Metal kits are generally
not warped and have no bubbles. However, skinny parts (such as barrels)
may bend easily, and some parts may be cast slightly thicker than scale.
The major advantage which offsets all the pitfalls is that resin or metal
may be the only medium in which a particular model (possibly of great interest
to you personally) is available.
Wargaming kits are generally designed for easy assembly and ruggedness. Kits have few parts (suspension units are sually a single piece), and detail may be soft or inaccurate. Some can be made into nice display kits with additional detailing. I will make a brief assessment regarding quality, but note that quality within a company may vary; many kits are cast by hand, and the molds do expire with time, so no two castings will be entirely alike. Also, many companies are showing improvement over time. Some of these kits are on the border between "wargame" vs "display" kits, and one coiuld certainly argue whether they should be included on this page or the "display style kits" page (so I may list them on both pages).
Here is a list of companies whose models I have purchased. I do not plan to include lists of models made by specific companies, as the availability of what is currently being produced really changes much too frequently.
ARTUR: Kits from Eastern Europe. Fair casting quality (some flash or small bubbles); few parts but good instructions, no decals.
ARMO Models. Very nice and clean casting. Focus on modern Soviet vehicles.
CROMWELL MODELS. Very good quality 1/76 kits. Nice range of WWI, WWII, and Modern vehicles. Carry the giant German MAUS and E-100 tanks. Progress House, 39 Kirkpatrick St.,Glasgow G40 3RZ, Scotland, U.K.
CRUSADER MODELS. Built primarily for the Wargamer; rugged, some detail loss in older releases, but newer releases are of very good quality. Wide range of soft vehicles as well as some tanks, WWI to modern vehicles.1/76 as well as 1/87 scales. P.O. BOX 5129 Bellflower, CA 90707-5129, USA. Have recently expanded their range to include other manufacturers, such as JB Models, Vac-U-Cast, Reviresco, etc. Their e-mail address is cmgo@ix.netcom.com.
LEVA PRODUCTIONS: Is a range of 1/72 resin vehicles, accessories, and conversion kits. Very good quality casting. Made by Alain Levesque from Canada.
MATADOR MODELS: Resin (some with metal parts) models and conversion kits. Very nice quality, good number of parts. 6 Cliffe Rd., Barton-0n-Sea, New Milton, Hants BH25 7PB.
NRC 1/72.Quality is good; kits include some small parts, casting needs a bit of cleaning.
OSTMODELS. 1/76 kits (their T37 Russian amphibious light tank is at upper left). Very interesting range and very good quality. Carry vehicles from some of the minor countries (Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Rumania). 8 Kingswood Cr. Berriedale, Tasmania, 7011, Australia. The proprieter is Mr. Anker Fuglsang.
PLANET MODELS From the Czech Republic.Very clean casting, includes photoetched parts.
RED STAR MODELS. In business for over twenty years. Produces an interesting range of WWI, WWII, and post-WWII kits, such as the British Whippet and Russian BTR-50P. Jeff Spain, 3 South Way, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1LX, UK.
RESIN MASTERS. Sculpted by Peter Bunderla and available through Ostmodels. The quality is very nice, and there is an interesting selection of 1/72 and 1/76 scale kits.
RH MODELS: 1/76 resin from the UK. Few parts (some detail inaccuracy), good casting quality. Focus on modern equipment.
SMALL SCALE models from down under. 1/76 kits of WWII vehicles. They make a French Hotchkiss H38 with hollow interior suitable for superdetailing. Good quality. The address is: Small Scale, P.O. Box 1031, Blackburn North, Melbourne, Australia 3130.
TP MODELS. Fair casting, simple kits with not too many parts. Minor cleanup needed.
US CASTS. 1/76 scale resin models of WWII vehicles of a variety of countries. Some very interesting subjects (i.e. German Marder II), often kits include small parts. Older kits had occasional problems with air bubbles in the resin, but newer productions have an improved resin formula which delivers very nice results. P.O. Box 3229, Santa Cruz, CA 95063. The proprietor is Don Trengove.
Vac-U-Casts: 1/76 scale resin battlefield accessories, AFV conversion kits, small vehicles. Some conversion turrets have metal barrels. A large selection of turrets for available kits, which allow you to generate new and even rare versions of AFVs. Good quality. P.O. Box 6310, Colorado Springs, CO 80934-6310. Also carried by Crusader Models.
AKHETON. 1/72 scale. Carried by Crusader Models (see above). The current range is small, but does include the A7V and soviet fast/light WWII tanks. Quality is medium.
C.A. Atkins, 17 Ashbourne Ave., Bridlington YO16 4PE, UK. A small range of 1/72 kits of WWII ACs in pewter. Good quality. Also available from Crusader Models.
RAFM. 20 - 25mm scale. WWII ordnance, quality is good. Scale varies between 1/72 and 1/76. Available through most hobby stores. Nice selection of armored cars and light tanks. RAFM Company, Inc. 36 A Easton Rd. Brantford, ON, N3P 1J5 CANADA.
REVIRESCO. 1/72 scale. Have an interesting line of WWI vehicles, primarily staff cars and armoured cars. These kits have recieved good reviews, although they may be a bit bulky. Distributed by Crusader Models (see above).
SHQ Miniatures: 1/76 scale kits. Very good quality kits, made in the UK (34 Copland Close, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4JX, UK) also distributed by Brookhurst Hobbies. Some interesting WWII kits, such as the Neubaufahrzeug (the first Pzkw V!).
SKYTREX (Hinchliffe) 20mm metal kits. Very wide range of WWII vehicles and ordnance including the British Archer SP gun. Good to fair quality. SKYTREX LIMITED, 28 Brook St., Wymeswold, Loughborough, Leics., LE12 6TU. U.K.
AHHHGGG! I can't keep up!! There are many more manufacturers out there that I have not yet obtained kits from, but hope to in the near future. As soon as I can add a model from these manufacturers to the museum I will include a description and evaluation of them in this list.
These are some companies I am aware of but have not yet reviewed:
Alby: French resin kit producer. ALBY Miniatures, B.P. 34, F-82400 Valence d'Agen, France. Owner is Mr. Alain Laffargue
Attack Models 1/72 injection moulded kits.
BW Models are produced in England in white metal in 1/76 scale. The range
consists of British transport, support vehicles and equipment, artillery
and other
specialized vehicles. Available from The
Atlantis Alliance or from 4 Mil
Models.
Continental Model Supply Company (CMSC) produces1/87 and 1/76 scale resin kits with white metal parts of British, US, German Wehrmacht, Bundeswehr and Warsaw Pact Armour, from the WWII Matildia Infantry Tank and Dodge Ambulance to the Gulf War and Bosnia. Available from The Atlantis Alliance or 36 Gray Gardens, Rainham, Essex, RM13 7NH, UK.
JV Models: resin kits.
Los Tiznaos: Resin and metal kits of Spanish Civil War vehicles. 102 Clockhouse Lane, Collier Row, Romford, Essex, RM5 3QT, UK.
S & S Models: British producer of resin 1/76 kits. 22 Briar Close, Burnham on Sea, Somerset TA8 1HU, UK.
TRUX models of softskins. One source is 4 Mil Models.