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At Camp Mabry they had two M114's. Each had a number stamped just below the rear left tail light. The one had the "non-slip" paint applied to the front hull and I think it obscured the original stamping.
One M114 had 607 on the rear with 108 / 12U049 on the front hull. The other M114 which was painted over on the front hull had 76 stamped into the same location on the rear of the vehicle.
Both appeared to be in pretty poor shape as did many of the out-door vehicles. However I believe everything that was stored inside actually ran.

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Super! Thanks Jeff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sgt, Scouts out!

Roy, Glad to post these for you. Do these locations look accurate for S/N and Reg numbers?

I don’t know what the numbers on the exterior mean, but I will speculate that they are associated with the build process. The only place I know that the serial number is located is on the ID plate, and stamped into the hull behind the ID plate which is located to the left and just behind the driver. Any resemblance to the serial number should be considered coincidence.

wgtactical,
Most vehicles - going back to the Sherman, but also including more modern vehicles such as the M60, M113, etc - have serial numbers stamped somewhere onto the hull (on the rear or on tow lugs) that match the serial number on the data plate inside.

I'll admit I am perplexed by what is stamped under the headlight, as it looks like an RN (first series) and SN (second series) - although that wouldnt match whats on the rear under the tow lugs.

Can you check your 114s - since they're the only ones I know of that we have access to data plates for - to see if the stamped numbers under the rear tow lugs, or under the front left headlight, match your data plate numbers?

Neil

All three of mine has different serial numbers than are stamped on the exterior of the hull. The early one has 12U058 on the front with 091 just below that, and on the rear is 609. The only number that matches from the three digit serial number to any of the other numbers is the #1 in 091. So I really have no idea (other than the build process) as to what the other numbers mean.

Here is an M114A1 over in the 1st CAV area I was able access a few months back. Data plate looks to say 5427 or 3427, (I can't find my notes from this one). Delivery date of 7-65. The serial number seems to have nothing to do with the front hull stampings, however I believe 13B909 is the registration number.

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Well, the M114s appear to be an oddity then. Dont know what to make of it. Every other vehicle has SNs stamped on the outside somewhere. I'll admit, I had thought it odd that many M114s had different SNs under the left & right rear tow lugs... I'm fairly certain that is the RNs stamped on the front, no idea what the erstwhile SNs would mean... Perhaps FMC SNs as opposed to Ordnance / Army SNs?

Neil

Okay, I'm wondering if there is a possible mathematical correlation between hull SN stampings and actual SNs on the dateplates. Sortof like there is between Sherman SNs & RNs...

What I need to test this theory is the following, for at least 2 examples, if not more:

Front hull "SN" stamping (below the RN), rear "SN" stamping(s) (below tow lugs), and actual data plate SN.

Neil

I've also asked this question on the M114-M113 Yahoo Group. Hopefully we'll get the M114 SN mystery resolved...

Neil

Neil said:

I'm wondering if there is a possible mathematical correlation between hull SN stampings and actual SNs on the dateplates

Good luck with that one Neil , hope it's nothing like the M60's mess where there is no apparent reasoning of assignment other than what seems like some accessions command officer came up with at the time of acquisition of the vehicle.

Joe D