The first Tamiya M-1 Abrams was released in 1982. On the cover of the box it shows a version that belonged to 1st Armor Training Brigade, Charlie Company Fort Knox, Kentucky. The " bumper numbers " on the tank are AC 1BG / 1C13. The commander in the tank was Staff Sergeant Jim Bias. He was one of my drill sergeants when I did my Basic Training in the summer of 1984, and I was assigned to that very tank on the box.
The Academy versions of the Abrams releases are copies of the Tamiya releases. The molds are identical. They cost a little less.
I favor the Tamiya kits. They do build easy and look great when completed. I built the Merkava kit from Tamiya and like it. As far as what the best kits are, everyone has an opinion. But I think you cant go wrong with Tamiya.
Randy.