Figarti's M-7 Priest Not so Shock and Awe like Collectors think (2 Viewers)

[johngambale]

I have seen the M-7 Priest from Figarti, and as a WW2 BigTime Collector; I was Dissapointed on this S.P.: The Size is Smaller than K&C Old Retired DD-30 Priest! As a Collector and Builder of Toy Models, the Commander's Cupola is too Short and exposes him to Enemy Fire, because of the Narrow Cupola , the Commander's Leg is very close to the 105mm Howitzer , and the 50Cal. MG, can't be Maneuvered and stays up-right to fire into the Sky! The Compartment for the MEN who Fire and Handle the Ammo, is too tight, and according to the WW2 Photo's, the Height is too Low from the Ground; it should have been 1/2 to 3/4 Inch Height, and the Hull should have been at Least 4''-Inches Wide! Also, the Figure's are Smaller in Comparison with K&C and CS Toy Companies! I Personnally, will NOT Buy thisFigarti Priest, and for the Money , its Not worth for me to Invest! Last, the Paint isn't 8th Army Colors and NO Gear is attached on the Side Skirts!

 

[kx1a]

Where did you see one John?
Bill W

 

[johngambale]

Hello Bill! A Friend of mine is a WW2 Toy Collector, and he bought one Figarti's M-7 Priest, that's where I seen and Examined it once over!

 

[Blowtorch]

I have seen the M-7 Priest from Figarti, and as a WW2 BigTime Collector; I was Dissapointed on this S.P.: The Size is Smaller than K&C Old Retired DD-30 Priest! As a Collector and Builder of Toy Models, the Commander's Cupola is too Short and exposes him to Enemy Fire, because of the Narrow Cupola , the Commander's Leg is very close to the 105mm Howitzer , and the 50Cal. MG, can't be Maneuvered and stays up-right to fire into the Sky! The Compartment for the MEN who Fire and Handle the Ammo, is too tight, and according to the WW2 Photo's, the Height is too Low from the Ground; it should have been 1/2 to 3/4 Inch Height, and the Hull should have been at Least 4''-Inches Wide! Also, the Figure's are Smaller in Comparison with K&C and CS Toy Companies! I Personnally, will NOT Buy thisFigarti Priest, and for the Money , its Not worth for me to Invest! Last, the Paint isn't 8th Army Colors and NO Gear is attached on the Side Skirts!

There are a number of problems with this post.

a) you are using a K&C model as a scale standard
b) you are emotional
c) you say you are a builder, yet you are using photos for your visual standard
d) if your name isn't Mike Starmer, or at least a reader of his works, I'm not going to trust your judgement on Brit WW2 colors
e) there have been no complaints from the USA model

 

[johngambale]

Hello Blowtorch! First of ALL, I never Commented on any British WW2 Figure's and I'm Not Emotional, and I Tell it Like it is, if you have been Collecting and Building Toy Models for close to 35-Years then you should know about TOY Armor, Vehicles and Figure's! But, everyone has their own Opinions about Toys! CIAO!

 

[Rob]

Just my opinion John,but the criticism of the Leg position is a bit weak,what if the guy was about to move it?.

Rob

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Hello Blowtorch! First of ALL, I never Commented on any British WW2 Figure's and I'm Not Emotional, and I Tell it Like it is, if you have been Collecting and Building Toy Models for close to 35-Years then you should know about TOY Armor, Vehicles and Figure's! But, everyone has their own Opinions about Toys! CIAO!

Which M7 Priest are you talking about. The British 8th Army version or the American Texas Special in Italy. And keep in mind, the first M7s were on M3 Lee hulls and only later on M4 Sherman hulls, so you need to be careful what you are comparing them to.

Terry

 

[spartan71]

the best answer to this is with the other forum members that has seen this In Chicago. Is everything that he says, is it all true in their opinion. Or is it not??. are there scale problems with The priest??

 

[spartan71]

So Terry, You were In Chicago. And You have given me enough Information. Before this ,that was very Helpful. What do you Think about the Priest??

 

[Phantom Warrior]

So Terry, You were In Chicago. And You have given me enough Information. Before this ,that was very Helpful. What do you Think about the Priest??

I don't know if he is talking about the 8th Army Priest in North Afrika which I think is based on the M3 Lee hull or the US Texas Special in Italy which I think was on the M4 Sherman hull as were most Priests. The Lee hull is approximately 8" shorter than the Sherman hull but about 4" wider according to some published data, but there were lots of variations in the Sherman hulls. But the superstructure of the 3 vehicles is so close it is hard to tell what is being measured on the M3 and M4 as typical vs my actual measurement of the Texas Special. At 1:30 scale, the Texas Special is 5.61m long vs 5.64m for the M3 and 5.61m for the Sherman and 2.61m wide vs 2.62m for the Sherman and 2.72m for the M3 Lee. Pretty close

The priest looks correct. The MG ring was tight on the Priest and the .50 MG could not be rotated 360 degrees (The mG mount was raised for Korea so it could swing 360.) The top of the MGs body was exposed over the shield ring. The Figures with the Texas Special are the same height as K&C figures, but a bit slimmer. I don't have a photo of a person standing next to a priest to gauge it's height.

Terry

 

[binder001]

John,

1) I can't speak for the exactness of scale since I don't have one to measure, but I agree - DON'T measure a model by comparing it to another model - especially K&C. Andy is good but his sculptors have played fast and loose with "scale" over the years. You send one to me and I'll compare it to scale drawings!

2) The Figarti model is a nice rendition that has all the features of an M7 from the 1942 production batch. John, did you know there were three production batches of M7 each with variance in the features? That doesn't count the M7B1 which used an M4A3 chassis and the postwar M7B2 which was rebuild of M7B1s with a taller gun mount. Make sure you know which M7 you are comparing to!

3) MG "pulpit" - John, have you stood in the "pulpit" of an M7? You are awfully exposed and its a tight fit for a fat old man and is pretty close to the gun. The M7 was a WW2 design that didn't meet OSHA requirements for crew safety. By the way, the MG was often pointed up, down or otherwise out of the way of the gun crew when they were serving the piece. An M2HB is a tough chunck of steel to bang into while you are working on a vehicle.

4) The sides - you do realize that the original M7 had low armored sides - that's why the US Army added fold-down side panels as reflected on the "Texas Special" version.

5) Colors - do you have Mike Starmer's books? The "Priests" had several different color schemes. Whether Figarti got "Mid Stone" right or not, at least they didn't go with "Desert Pink". I don't have the references right here to know if they got the AOS flashes right or not, but they are a matter of record.

I agree that the photos of "Priests" in the desert were heavily stowed. I have noticed that a bunch of the recent Figarti vehicles feature less stowed gear than a King & Country equivalent but that's their approach to the model. As a modeler I find it easier to add stowage than to remove it. It would be nice to have some seperate parts available.

Bottom line, if you are unhappy with your M7 you can send it to me - I'll even pay the postage!

Gary B.

 

[Rob]

John,

1) I can't speak for the exactness of scale since I don't have one to measure, but I agree - DON'T measure a model by comparing it to another model - especially K&C. Andy is good but his sculptors have played fast and loose with "scale" over the years. You send one to me and I'll compare it to scale drawings!

2) The Figarti model is a nice rendition that has all the features of an M7 from the 1942 production batch. John, did you know there were three production batches of M7 each with variance in the features? That doesn't count the M7B1 which used an M4A3 chassis and the postwar M7B2 which was rebuild of M7B1s with a taller gun mount. Make sure you know which M7 you are comparing to!

3) MG "pulpit" - John, have you stood in the "pulpit" of an M7? You are awfully exposed and its a tight fit for a fat old man and is pretty close to the gun. The M7 was a WW2 design that didn't meet OSHA requirements for crew safety. By the way, the MG was often pointed up, down or otherwise out of the way of the gun crew when they were serving the piece. An M2HB is a tough chunck of steel to bang into while you are working on a vehicle.

4) The sides - you do realize that the original M7 had low armored sides - that's why the US Army added fold-down side panels as reflected on the "Texas Special" version.

5) Colors - do you have Mike Starmer's books? The "Priests" had several different color schemes. Whether Figarti got "Mid Stone" right or not, at least they didn't go with "Desert Pink". I don't have the references right here to know if they got the AOS flashes right or not, but they are a matter of record.

I agree that the photos of "Priests" in the desert were heavily stowed. I have noticed that a bunch of the recent Figarti vehicles feature less stowed gear than a King & Country equivalent but that's their approach to the model. As a modeler I find it easier to add stowage than to remove it. It would be nice to have some seperate parts available.

Bottom line, if you are unhappy with your M7 you can send it to me - I'll even pay the postage!

Gary B.

Excellent post Gary,do you recommend M.Starmers books too?.

Rob

 

[binder001]

Excellent post Gary,do you recommend M.Starmers books too?.Rob

Yes, I think Mr. Starmers has gone to great lengths to do original research on te subject.

There is also a new multi-volume series called "Warpaint" that is supposed to cover the painting and markings of British vehicles through the 20th century. I haven't gotten one yet but the reviews seem interesting.

Gary B.

 

[tdubel]

John,

1) I can't speak for the exactness of scale since I don't have one to measure, but I agree - DON'T measure a model by comparing it to another model - especially K&C. Andy is good but his sculptors have played fast and loose with "scale" over the years. You send one to me and I'll compare it to scale drawings!

2) The Figarti model is a nice rendition that has all the features of an M7 from the 1942 production batch. John, did you know there were three production batches of M7 each with variance in the features? That doesn't count the M7B1 which used an M4A3 chassis and the postwar M7B2 which was rebuild of M7B1s with a taller gun mount. Make sure you know which M7 you are comparing to!

3) MG "pulpit" - John, have you stood in the "pulpit" of an M7? You are awfully exposed and its a tight fit for a fat old man and is pretty close to the gun. The M7 was a WW2 design that didn't meet OSHA requirements for crew safety. By the way, the MG was often pointed up, down or otherwise out of the way of the gun crew when they were serving the piece. An M2HB is a tough chunck of steel to bang into while you are working on a vehicle.

4) The sides - you do realize that the original M7 had low armored sides - that's why the US Army added fold-down side panels as reflected on the "Texas Special" version.

5) Colors - do you have Mike Starmer's books? The "Priests" had several different color schemes. Whether Figarti got "Mid Stone" right or not, at least they didn't go with "Desert Pink". I don't have the references right here to know if they got the AOS flashes right or not, but they are a matter of record.

I agree that the photos of "Priests" in the desert were heavily stowed. I have noticed that a bunch of the recent Figarti vehicles feature less stowed gear than a King & Country equivalent but that's their approach to the model. As a modeler I find it easier to add stowage than to remove it. It would be nice to have some seperate parts available.

Bottom line, if you are unhappy with your M7 you can send it to me - I'll even pay the postage!

Gary B.

Post of the year. Repeat. Post of the Year. I am glad Gary you weighed in here as you are a scholar as well as a "true" modeler and know what the "heck" you are talking about. Thanks for taking the time to layout this post.

Best,

Tom

 

[jazzeum]

John complains about every Figarti issue so I wouldn't believe what he has to say. Great model and if you have the opportunity to get one, don't pass it up.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

In order to respond to some claims and to some questions people asked me about the 8th Army, M7 Priest, I had to drop what I was doing and take it out of the box for the first time and give it a good look.

The new packing worked perfectly - nothing was bent, broken or scratched, not even the .50 MG.

The camo and weathering are excellent - the type I like most. The crew figures are the same height as K&C figures, just a bit thinner. The poses are good. Unlike other comments on this thread, the figures and vehicle seem in proportion and the correct size.

Because the fighting compartment is small, I found a better arrangement for the crew than in the Figarti photos by rearranging the loader/gunner. In this shot, the gunner is reaching for the next shell instead of using the gunsight

The .50 pivots on the holder and can be stored in an upright position out of the way as was common.

I'm happy with my model

Terry

 

[spartan71]

From someone, who just started a little more than a year ago with this hobby it is greatly appreciated, the comments/ information that this forum provides.
It has become a checks and balances in most of the products that are out there .There will be at times when there will be negative comments that will be posted, about certain products. and it really helps when the forum members responds at those times, to find out if its true or not.
Because I think some, if not most of us, do really want information . before buying something. Again GREATLY APPRECIATED FELLOW FORUM MEMBERS!!.
THANK YOU!!

 

[Phantom Warrior]

From someone, who just started a little more than a year ago with this hobby it is greatly appreciated, the comments/ information that this forum provides.
It has become a checks and balances in most of the products that are out there .There will be at times when there will be negative comments that will be posted, about certain products. and it really helps when the forum members responds at those times, to find out if its true or not.
Because I think some, if not most of us, do really want information . before buying something. Again GREATLY APPRECIATED FELLOW FORUM MEMBERS!!.
THANK YOU!!

Thank you Spartan. While I have been on this forum for only 6 months , I have been collecting K&C for 3-4 years and making my own models/ collecting Corgi 1:50 and Minichamps 1:35 armour long before that.

Terry

 

[Rob]

Yes, I think Mr. Starmers has gone to great lengths to do original research on te subject.

There is also a new multi-volume series called "Warpaint" that is supposed to cover the painting and markings of British vehicles through the 20th century. I haven't gotten one yet but the reviews seem interesting.

Gary B.

Thanks Gary.

John complains about every Figarti issue so I wouldn't believe what he has to say. Great model and if you have the opportunity to get one, don't pass it up.

I mean no offence to John I really do not.But I've wondered over the years whether he would be happier with a different scale,you something completely different.1/72 or 1/6?.

In order to respond to some claims and to some questions people asked me about the 8th Army, M7 Priest, I had to drop what I was doing and take it out of the box for the first time and give it a good look.

The new packing worked perfectly - nothing was bent, broken or scratched, not even the .50 MG.

The camo and weathering are excellent - the type I like most. The crew figures are the same height as K&C figures, just a bit thinner. The poses are good. Unlike other comments on this thread, the figures and vehicle seem in proportion and the correct size.

Because the fighting compartment is small, I found a better arrangement for the crew than in the Figarti photos by rearranging the loader/gunner. In this shot, the gunner is reaching for the next shell instead of using the gunsight

The .50 pivots on the holder and can be stored in an upright position out of the way as was common.

I'm happy with my model

Terry

Very good report Terry.

Rob

 

[jazzeum]

Has John ever been happy with anything, even things made by K & C