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M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3?

#1: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: Neil_Baumgardner, Location: Arlington, VA

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:12 am
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I was able to confirm a couple from the TACOM Registry:

M60A3 at American Legion Post 15

No A or M designation in the SN, just 1857 like the registry said. Assume that means it was a new build A3 instead of a conversion?

Also, it had this stamping on the front hull

And aside from the graphiti, there appears to be a layer of something added onto the front hull?

M110A2 at VFW Post 3034

I discovered where the SN is on M110s, right by the left front tow lug - this one is BMY 1199.

Neil

#2: Re: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: bsmart, Location: Central Maryland

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:54 am
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With the overall green spray paint they have that 'green army men' look.

Where was the TTS 64 stamping located on teh front hull?

Were you down in SC this weekend? What was the weather like?

#3: Re: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: Neil_Baumgardner, Location: Arlington, VA

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:25 am
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On the left side of the front hull, near the headlight.

I was in Columbia briefly - 100 Years of Carolina Basketball celebration. The weather was pretty nice...

But tomorrow I head to Fort Lauderdale - where the weather should be very nice Wink

- for a few days for the AUSA Winter show. I also hope to make a few side trips, to confirm a couple of M60s and take a look at an M53 down there. Of course I should have some pics of any armor from the show.

Neil

#4: Re: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: MarkHolloway, Location: Beatty, Nevada

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:19 pm
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Is that "TTS" stamp stardard? Never seen those before. (But I never looked.)

#5: Re: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: Neil_Baumgardner, Location: Arlington, VA

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:52 am
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Never seen the TTS stamp before either - and didnt see it on the M60A3 I looked at today either...

Neil

#6: Re: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: Neil_Baumgardner, Location: Arlington, VA

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:55 am
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Never seen the TTS stamp before either - and didnt see it on the M60A3 I looked at today either...

Neil

#7: Re: M60A3 & M110A2 in Sumter SC - another "new build" M60A3? Author: Joe_D, Location: Razorback Country

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:06 am
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Neil, everyone, Howdy,

Glad you could verify another new production M60A3. You also have raised some interesting questions that I hope to answer to everyones satisfaction.

The TTS stamp. That is not that unusual. Many get over looked because they are usually covered up after a while with many layers of paint. It is usually located a foot to the right of the left headlight gaurd about 6-8 inches from the forward edge of the front slope (facing the tank). This was done during production to ID the TTS tanks from the Passive A3's. The first 700 plus US Army A3's were made with Passive sights. Then as they switched to TTS they ID'd them from the export models that some nations ordered that still wanted Passives (Austria for instance). This is not something unique to the M60A3. During the big ramp up of production of M60A1's in the 70's, many tanks were marked in the same place as IR to distinguish them from the Passives. I've only seen this mark on the Generation 4 hulls which corresponds to the production increase.

About that "Layer of something" on the front. Very typical of later cast hulls and turrets that came from the East Chicago foundries. Any imperfections in the original casting were then repaired with these fills. Some like this tank are very large, others can be smaller than a square foot. Jeff Button posted a picture of an A1 a while back that had a turret with this repair.

Joe D

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