Description
M40 106mm Recoilless Rifle Night Vision Sight Mount - SM-D-850230
Item Overview
This military night vision sight mount is an accessory for the M40 106mm recoilless rifle. Its slide bracket carries the stamp "80063 SM-D-850230," connecting it to an Army drawing specifically listed for the M40 mounting bracket in AN/TVS-2 night sight specifications. This listing is for the mount only.
Identification and Features
The stamped markings connect this accessory to Army engineering and supply records. They provide useful references for collectors researching military night vision equipment and its weapon mounts.
- 80063: The government organization code associated with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Older records call this a Federal Supply Code for Manufacturers, or FSCM. Later records use the term Commercial and Government Entity, or CAGE code.
- SM-D-850230: The Army drawing reference specifically named for the M40 mounting bracket in the AN/TVS-5 specification.
- Slide bracket: The marked mechanical mounting component that helps identify this accessory within the weapon's night sight equipment.
Function
The mount provided the mechanical connection between a compatible night vision sight and the recoilless rifle. Its role was to support the sight in the proper position for viewing and aiming. The sight supplied the optics and electronics, using available nighttime light to produce a brighter image.
Documented End-Item Application
Military specification MIL-PRF-49064E, dated March 4, 1999, lists an "M40 mounting bracket per SM-D-850230" among the accessories for the AN/TVS-5 crew-served weapon night sight. The Army's AN/TVS-5 equipment plan also identifies the M40A1 as a supported weapon when fitted with the appropriate bracket. Together, these records document the relationship between this drawing number, the night sight, and the M40 weapon family.
Product History
Dedicated M40 night sight mounts developed alongside the Army's passive night vision equipment during the Cold War. By 1974, Army data sheets listed an M40 adapter among the components of the AN/TVS-2 sight system. The later AN/TVS-5 was introduced to replace the AN/TVS-2B and offered a lighter sight for weapons operated by a crew. Weapon-specific brackets allowed this newer equipment to serve existing weapons, including the M40. The SM-D-850230 drawing reference appears in the later system's official specification, placing this mount design within that continuing program of night sight support.
Parent-Equipment History
The M40 entered U.S. Army service in 1955 as a replacement for the 105mm M27 recoilless rifle. The earlier weapon had shown problems with reliability, accuracy, and its heavy mounting equipment during the Korean War. The M40 improved the concept and became a widely adopted Cold War anti-tank weapon. Its suitability for mounting on light vehicles gave units heavy firepower with greater mobility than many conventional artillery pieces.
Weapon-System Background
The M40 followed the U.S. Army's World War II recoilless weapons, including the 57mm M18 and 75mm M20. These systems addressed the need for powerful weapons that troops could move more easily. By releasing propellant gases through the rear, a recoilless rifle reduced the recoil that normally required a heavy gun carriage. This approach, combined with shaped-charge ammunition, helped make portable anti-tank weapons practical and shaped postwar designs such as the M40.
History of Use
The M40 saw service with U.S. and allied forces during the Cold War. An Australian War Memorial photograph records an M40 defending the New Zealand section of the Nui Dat base in South Vietnam in October 1967. Italy adopted the weapon in 1957 and kept it in service for decades. Night vision accessories formed part of the wider effort to extend observation and aiming into darkness as sight technology improved.
Condition
Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item. Review the mounting surfaces and components shown when assessing this piece for your collection or display.
Ideal For
This mount adds a useful equipment detail to collections that explain how military weapons and night vision technology developed together.
- M40 recoilless rifle accessory collections.
- Cold War military optics and night vision displays.
- Museum exhibits about crew-served weapons.
- Researchers studying Army equipment markings and mounting systems.
Approx length 15", Approx width 10", Approx height 5.5", Approx weight 4.9lbs.
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