Back in the old days (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) grabbing a kit was the only way to do it, especially for dimensions.

But now with so many nice publications and the Internet, it's too pricey PLUS... which one is correct?

The DML/Dragon is still currently a highly sought after 1/35th for the M46 PATTON kit but there are quite a few up and coming companies. Amusing Hobby, Tasca and Bronco to name a few. It would pretty exhaustive to chase down what is the best kit to copy off and then you have to build it to get the general idea.

Just be leery of museum pieces and even 'gate guards' because someone could have added/changed a critical detail and then you've made a mistake copying. Check with someone in the area of a tank and let them know you need measurements from it. A lot of modelers help each other out that way. I only have a couple of M47's and one M60 near me.