The M915 line-haul tractor was widely used by the U.S. Army, starting in the late 1970s, and has been repeatedly upgraded for decades. The Trumpeter 1/35 scale M915 Gun Truck plastic model kit takes an early version of the semi-tractor and depicts a field conversion from a hauler to an armed and armored truck for convoy security.
Trumpeter did a nice job with the parts in this kit, all exhibiting good detail and mostly decent fits. The instructions are easy to comprehend and follow, too, though there are no color callouts except for the exterior.
The armored box, trailer, cab, and hood are all molded as single pieces. Unfortunately, the gun turret is molded into it, but it would be simple enough to cut this out and replace it with an aftermarket one for better detail.
The cab doors come molded separately, so you can pose them in the open if you choose. It is helpful to have this option because there are some nice details inside, including a fan on the dash, dome light, and the photo-etched (PE) details. So, open those doors and place some gear inside, too.
The chassis shows nice details despite there being no engine, just an oil pan. The fuel tank has adequate PE steps attached, and there is a antenna base on the other side in case you decide to add a radio (which isn’t included). There’s lots of room in the back for various gear, coolers, and water bottles.
Unfortunately, there are no unit markings for the gun truck. On the one hand, it leaves it open for you to finish it however you’d like. On the other, it would be nice to know which truck this model was specifically based on. There’s only one decal in the kit, and it’s for the dash. I cut the decal into smaller parts to make it easier to place them. The included window masks work well.
The brass PE that comes in the kit is good quality, easy to bend, and doesn’t require annealing. There are a few additional parts provided that are used for a different kit or configuration. I recommend hanging onto the extras because you never know when you might find them useful for another model.
I found references online to help with painting, and I had to research colors for the interior and frame. The M915 had mostly green frames, though a couple were black. I also found that they were camo and the armored box was desert color with wear, probably due to the lack of primer and sandstorms.
Overall, the Trumpeter 1/35 scale M915 gun truck plastic model kit was a fun one to build. I would recommend this kit to anyone with a few builds under their belt and hope to see others finish it; I’m interested to see alternate build choices and painting decisions. It would lend itself to fictitious replicas, like a zombie response vehicle. Let your imagination be your guide!