Description
USGI 106mm M40 Recoilless Rifle Sight Cover Locking Hardware Kit
Product Overview
This USGI sight cover locking hardware kit is intended for the 106mm M40 recoilless rifle’s sight-cover assembly. USGI means U.S. government issue. The kit suits collectors preserving the smaller mechanical details of an M40 display or sight-cover restoration. This listing is for the hardware kit only; the sight cover is not included.
Identification and Features
This kit relates to the protective sight-cover hardware used with the M40 recoilless rifle family.
- Item: Sight cover locking hardware kit.
- Military origin: USGI equipment.
- Intended application: 106mm M40 recoilless rifle sight-cover assembly.
- Collector use: Sight-cover restoration, reference, and display projects.
Function
The locking hardware’s purpose is to secure the protective sight cover in its closed position. The cover helps shield the sight assembly from dirt and incidental contact during handling, storage, and transport. For a historical display, this hardware contributes to the external detail of the cover assembly and shows how the military protected its sighting equipment.
Documented End-Item Application
The intended application is the sight-cover locking assembly of the U.S. 106mm M40 recoilless rifle. The Army’s May 1964 field manual, FM 23-82, illustrates the M92D elbow telescope and M90 telescope mount in Figure 13, with the protective cover and cover latch identified. This provides a period reference for the sight-cover arrangement associated with the rifle.
Product History
The Army continued to support the M40 family through updated maintenance and spare-parts publications. Its May 1986 manual, TM 9-1015-221-34P, lists the M90 telescope mount, elbow telescope, and cover as separate items. These records show that protective sight equipment had its own place within the weapon’s repair-parts system, alongside the larger gun and mount assemblies.
Equipment History
By the 1950s, the M40 family had become part of infantry antitank equipment. It could be used from a ground mount or carried on military vehicles, helping units move a large-caliber weapon with their troops. Its sighting equipment formed part of the standard field setup, with protective fittings supporting the care of the optical assembly.
Weapon-System Background
The M40 is a crew-served, breech-loaded, single-shot recoilless rifle. Its recoilless system directs propellant gases rearward to counter recoil, allowing a lighter mounting arrangement than conventional artillery of similar caliber. An optical sight and a mounted spotting rifle supported direct-fire aiming. The sight cover and its locking hardware belonged to the protective equipment surrounding that sighting system.
History of Use
M40-family rifles served with U.S. forces and allied armies during the Cold War and Vietnam War. The U.S. Marine Corps’ M50 Ontos carried six M40 rifles and provided direct-fire support, including during the fighting in Hue. Australian forces also used vehicle-mounted 106mm rifles in Vietnam, including modified Land Rovers. This service history gives the M40’s associated equipment a place in collections covering infantry support weapons and military vehicles.
Condition
Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item. It is USGI so it may have dents, dings, missing paint and slight bends. This listing is for the hardware kit only. It does not come with the sight cover, pictures are for reference only.
Ideal For
This hardware kit is useful for collectors and institutions preserving the details of M40 sight-cover assemblies. It also suits reference collections that explain the smaller support components used around military optical equipment.
- M40 recoilless rifle display and restoration projects.
- Museum exhibits on Cold War and Vietnam-era equipment.
- USGI hardware and military optics accessory collections.
- Reference displays explaining sight-cover locking components.
Approx length 3", Approx width 1", Approx height 1", Approx weight 0.5lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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