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Joe, I just ran over to where the M60A3 was parked while on a beer run before the SuperBowl. These are the outside shots I took. I'm not sure they show what you are looking for. I have 10 pictures of the interior I took as well and I will post them for you shortly. Glad to help.

HEY....!!!!



Is that a 'T-REX' in the back ground....!!!

If you mean an M578 is the "T-Rex", then you're right. This particular tank belonged to B Co. 2nd Battalion, 185th Armor, of the 40th ID, California National Guard, located in National City, CA. Did you know that the Army Master Data File Acquisition Price for this tank was $1,291,865.00. This tanks serial number is 1364, USA number is JJ05UF. Anything else you would like to know?

- Tumbleweed

I'm wondering why it still has the mounting bracket for a searchlight? Also I noticed the guard is still in place so the cupola machine gun can't shoot the searchlight. Thought these were both removed.

'Weed...
The mounts are there, but the receptacle for the searchlight power cord appears to be blanked. I would assume these were all difficult and un-necessary to remove....just like the left rangefinder "ear".
I notice there is no stowage rack for the searchlight on the rear bustle.

Is this a "new" M60A3 turret, or a refit M60A1? The chin fillets look welded in, to me.

Jeff,
Thanks for the pictures, They are great. It also answered some of my questions about her. She's a later model true A3 TTS. That's why she doesn't have the "J" bracket I'm looking for. The models with that bracket generally were A3 Passives or earlier A3 TTS. Collecting Serial numbers helps me narrow down the cutoff. Now if only I could save them. The MWR rules won't let me.
"Weed", The searchlight mounts on the gun were retained for TASC devices like the Telfare .50 cal and Laser training device which was used on snakeboards. The Telfare was just an M2 put on single shot with an extra long charging handle and solenoid. The interupter was retained to protect these devices. We would use the Telfare with the M85 and 240 for gunnery training to save rounds. As far as the receptacle is concerned, it was easier to cap them then grind/cut. Why the later model A3 true TTS has them is a good question. I believe it was because we were still making A1's at the time (Export) and all turrets are the same until the decision was made what it would be. Kinda like Chevy and GMC.
"Jeff", The rangefinder ear could have been removed or filled. They did it (Filled) with the CEV (M728). It had no rangefinder. The 5 A3's (US Army)that had reactive armor packs put on removed the left ear and plated the hole over. One idea is it was for OPSEC/Deception. Another one is it was easier to keep the ear instead of fabricating a plug/plate. I'm leaning towards the latter. Look at the ears in these pictures. The one on the right (LRF) had the turret ground to allow line of sight. The left didn't, If the coincedence range finder was installed you couldn't see through it. It's also another way to tell if the turret was ever an A1. All tank turrets had to have the holes machined. I pretty sure CEV production had ceased by the time A3's came out.

Joe D

- Joe_D

Jeff,
"Weed", The searchlight mounts on the gun were retained for TASC devices like the Telfare .50 cal and Laser training device which was used on snakeboards. The Telfare was just an M2 put on single shot with an extra long charging handle and solenoid. The interupter was retained to protect these devices. We would use the Telfare with the M85 and 240 for gunnery training to save rounds. As far as the receptacle is concerned, it was easier to cap them then grind/cut. Why the later model A3 true TTS has them is a good question. I believe it was because we were still making A1's at the time (Export) and all turrets are the same until the decision was made what it would be. Kinda like Chevy and GMC.
"Jeff", The rangefinder ear could have been removed or filled. They did it (Filled) with the CEV (M728). It had no rangefinder. The 5 A3's (US Army)that had reactive armor packs put on removed the left ear and plated the hole over. One idea is it was for OPSEC/Deception. Another one is it was easier to keep the ear instead of fabricating a plug/plate. I'm leaning towards the latter. Look at the ears in these pictures. The one on the right (LRF) had the turret ground to allow line of sight. The left didn't, If the coincedence range finder was installed you couldn't see through it. It's also another way to tell if the turret was ever an A1. All tank turrets had to have the holes machined. I pretty sure CEV production had ceased by the time A3's came out.

Joe D

Hey, Joe...I remember the "Telfare" device (named for the Sgt. what thunk it up, I believe. It was just coming around when I was in so we never used it..we fired the big caps.

Good tip about the rangefinder ear being a clue to whether it was a new casting A3 or a refitted A1...I didn't know that one (was well out of the service when the A3 came online).