I was thinking of how Dragon will simply add updated sprues to the box when they re-release something, so sometimes the details are better. Of course, I have the orange box early tiger with the messed up suspension and lower hull, so it doesn't always happen. Orange box kits are generally better priced, and I missed both of these the first time out. I would be even happier if Tamiya released more M4s like their M4A3E8. Between my modeling budget and the timing of kit releases, it isn't always easy to get Sherman kits when they come out. Either way, I'll hope for the best.

Tamiya did do a late hull M4A1, their Super Sherman kit. I'm still hoping Asuka will do that version. All they really need is the upper hull. I sent them a PM a while back hoping to nudge them over the edge.

Well, as they are "Orange" boxes they will -undoubtedly- be reboxes, but that's okay as they are still credible kits and the bonuses and price-point make them hard to not get, especially considering the expensive alternatives!

I think this is all a question of re-issue with a reduction in price by doing it through the Orange Box line. They'll use the newest Sherman sprues from their inventory so some things will be tweaked. However, the M4A1 76 mm will not have the link to link with extended end connectors that the "Operation Cobra" boxing did. I just hope they keep all the decal variants in the box. Depending on price I might get another M4A1 to do a Polish tank. But what the hell is up with the tracks in that profile? It looks to have chipped off a piece of the idler and is just hanging there not engaging the sprocket wheel.

Thanks very much for your kind praise, but I must say that there are several other modellers on this site who possess more knowledge of Sherman specifics, than I do- KUDOS to those experts!

Hi, Steve! You're right about the "Orange Box" DRAGON M4A1(76)W "Cobra" kit's "link-to-link" Tracks- I'm sure that we'll see "DS" Tracks instead, as CYBERHOBBY/DRAGON have made it more or less a "standard feature" to include these, instead of their "Magic Tracks", in most of their re-boxes of older kits. As I said in my original post, Russ mentioned "new sprues", and I admitted that I hadn't seen these new sprues yet, so that's why I said that I was "going to refrain from any further comment on that subject", in my first post in this thread. I don't know what's up with the box top illustration of the M4A1(76)W, either- Maybe it's just another one of CYBERHOBBY/DRAGON's "sins of omission or lack of attention to detail". Enough said on THAT- I don't want to stick my head in a beehive again!!! I'm reasonably sure that any mistakes in the box art won't be "included" in the kits, themselves!!!! Question: Wouldn't it be cheaper for CYBERHOBBY/DRAGON just to keep all the older parts contained in the "Cobra" M4A1 and M4A3 "ETO" kits, ASIDE of the "Indy-links" and Extended End Connectors being replaced with "DS" Tracks in the "Cobra" kit? The M4A3 "ETO" kit already has the "DS" Tracks... I have to admit that it WOULD be nice to see the "Cobra" kit updated with the LATEST pertinent CYBERHOBBY/DRAGON M4A1 parts. If that happens, it would be GREAT! Once again, I haven't seen any illustrations of the parts contained in either of these two re-boxings yet, so I'm not going to comment on that until I do...

Since the M4A1's original release, Dragon's 76 mm turret mold has been revised (compare the M4A3 Battle of the Bulge kit to the newer M4A3 Premium Edition kit, and you'll notice that the angle of the loader's hatch has been changed, and the lifting rings for the gun mantlet have been raised to the correct position). This mold has also been used in the Thunderbolt VII HVSS kit, and will presumably be used in this reissue. On the other hand, it will probably have the original M4A1 hull, which did not have the countersunk mountings for the grouser vent covers. Incidentally, apparently only the first batch of Operation Cobra M4A1 kits (issued mainly for Japan) had link to link track. The one I bought had the superior DS track (Dragon's DS Sherman tracks use four-sided slide molds, with excellent edge detail--as long as you don't use enamels or lacquers on them, they should be fine).

Considering I got mine third hand off of eBay, I lucked out to get the indy links with extended end connectors. I'm pretty sure we'll see the revised turret sprue since that was a permanent change to the tooling. I have read some later issues of the Cobra kit had the revised turret in it already. I used to notice that when comparing what was in my box to the pictures on PMMS.

Mine had the DS track as well, but IIRC (and it's been around 7 or more years since I got it) I think it also had the link by link in the kit. I built it with the DS tracks though.