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I am new to miniature painting so I have been doing a lot of research here and elsewhere.

Every miniature painting forum/review I see says Kolinsky Sable is the best brush type for models.
Art stores say that Kolinsky Sable is for watercolors and acrylic paint can damage the fibers. They say synthetic brushes are better for acrylic.

I understand that the acrylic paint you paint on a canvas is significantly thicker than model paint but these are still acrylic paints. Do model paints
not include the damaging acrylic resin?

I don't want to spend $20/brush if I am going to be destroying it.

I bought a kolinsky and it is amazing, seriously, and i started by using really cheap brushes and adjusting my paint style as they began to fork and fall apart. I went through at least thirty to forty in two years but it was okay because I d buy in sets of five or so for two bucks each. I have had one kolinsky for more than six months and it works for base coats and fine detail work perfectly. A proper brush is totally worth it mate, just get one and save yourself the heartache. They don't have any issues with normal citadel paints that I've seen.

I've been using Taklon which is a synthetic. Does okay, but wears quickly, and synthetic brush tips curl which in some instances can be beneficial but, is mostly obnoxious. There are many different types of synthetics, Taklon seems to be widely available and one of the better ones. Great for just starting out while you learn painting and brush care techniques before stepping up to Sable.

I also did a lot of research, and initially balked at the prices. Now, there are plenty of options that are lower priced. Windsor & Newton 7's are considered by many to be the best and are used widely. I've seen people use the same brushes for well over a year with dilligent, proper care and cleaning after every use. Much better than my Taklons which are only lasting maybe 2-3 months which for me atm was 20 SW troops, a Land Speeder, Razorback, and one Wolf. This includes being used in conjunction with an airbrush.

So, with proper care, the quality and durability are worth it. The paints you'll use won't destroy the brushes. Just clean them properly. Natural fiber brushes like Sable, also hold more paint than a synthetic.

That being said, you don't HAVE to have the best of the best, but then you don't have to get the lowest cost ones either. There seems to be a wide range of quality and performance between brands and lines, but ultimately they're all pretty good. I've had a really hard time finding any genuine pure Sable, either Red Sable (which is also good and a bit cheaper than Kolinsky) and Kolinsky, locally. I finally found one model shop that sells them. A brand I can't remember, both Red and Kolinsky. I can get a 0, 1, and 2 Kolinsky Sable for about $20-$25.

I'm sure they're not quite as durable or springy as the Raphaels or Windsor & Newtons, but I bet they're far superior to what I've been using.

However, with oil paints, which I use for washes and some weathering like water and rust stains around bolts and such, I stick with synthetic like Taklon. They clean up much easier, and I don't need a brush to hold a lot of paint for that.

The acrylics that the art store are generally referring to are much more viscous than Citadel's product. Also most here would advise to thin down citadels paint even further with water (an acrlyic flow aid, fluid retarder, mediums etc theres a lot of choice for thinning each with its own use)

Properly thinned paint for miniatures isnt a great deal thicker than milk or cream and so the problem of using a soft brush with acrylics is mostly solved provided you take good care of your brush with propper cleaning, use brush soap for best results.

Kollinsky Sable in my experience has been the nicest hair to use as a general brush. I've been using mongoose hair for a drybrush, but as the mongoose has become endangered sourcing those will get more and more difficult, badger hair is said to be a good alternative.
Rosemary & Co has been my favorite brush supplier so far, Ive got a set of Windsor and Newton Series 7 sizes 0 through 3 and theyre great dont get me wrong, but I'd much rather have 2 Rosemary and Co kolinsky sable series 33 for the price of one W&N series 7. I place them at equal quality for a huge difference in price

edit; Citadels brushes have been complete garbage in my experience, knowing they are made from sable too just irritates me they have all split on me very quickly, and cost about the same as the Rosemary and Co Im so fond of which so far have lasted me over a year and are still perfectly servicable.

The damage warned against when using acrylics with a sable brush are due more to the (usually) heavier body than the chemical composition. When painting miniatures, one generally wants dilute paint that flows off the brush, as with watercolors, not thick paint to be pushed and smeared around, as for a canvas painter using impasto techniques.

Harsh solvents will fry delicate natural bristles (hence the use of synthetics for oils), but most acrylics are water-soluble. The resin itself won't hurt the bristles, only dried paint that can splay the tips or physical abuse that can kink the hairs. With a bit of care (clean out residue that rinsing missed with a gentle brush cleaner, condition the bristles every now and again - they are natural hair, after all), a sable brush will treat you well. Some common sense and a small puck of Master's Brush soap (cleaner, conditioner, and tip-shaper all in one - smells nice, to boot) are enough to keep you painting comfortably for quite some time.

Sounds great. I just ordered some Kolinsky Sable Brushes and brush cleaner from dickblick.com. I can't wait to try em out.