Description
Add a specialized piece of U.S. military fire-control optics hardware to your collection with this M13 Rangefinder Housing End Assembly, identified by P/N 8201262 and NSN 1240-00-346-8071. This is a component-level part associated with the M13 rangefinder / fire-control rangefinder equipment family, not a complete rangefinder or optical sight.
Public parts indexing identifies NSN 1240-00-346-8071 as Housing Assy, End under manufacturer code 19200, a U.S. Army design-control reference. The same public index also lists P/N 8201262 as a related Housing Assembly under NSN 1240-00-507-9276, so buyers using this item for restoration should verify the part number, stock number, and physical configuration against their own manual or equipment before installation.
Historical Significance
The M13 rangefinder belongs to the Cold War era of optical fire-control equipment. Before modern laser rangefinders became standard, tank crews and fire-control systems relied on precision optical rangefinders to estimate distance, feed firing data, and support accurate main-gun engagement.
Period tank gunnery material references the Stereo Range Finder, M13, showing its role in the optical ranging and gunnery-training world of U.S. armored vehicle fire-control systems. A technical manual listing also identifies TM 9-1240-218-35P as the field and depot maintenance repair-parts manual for the Range Finder M13 (T45E1) and M13A1 (T46E4), confirming the M13 as part of the Army fire-control optics publication family.
The M13 Rangefinder Connection
The M13 rangefinder was part of the mechanical-optical fire-control era. Equipment in this class helped tank crews determine range before firing, making it an important part of armored vehicle gunnery before laser systems replaced older optical methods.
Related public NSN data for an M48A3 tank modification kit identifies a kit for converting Range Finder F.C. M13 to M17B1C status, tying the M13 rangefinder family to the broader Patton tank fire-control equipment story.
This housing end assembly is especially relevant for collectors interested in:
- M13 rangefinder components
- tank fire-control optics
- Cold War armored vehicle sighting equipment
- optical rangefinder parts
- U.S. Army fire-control manuals and hardware
- Patton-era gunnery equipment
- military surplus optical components
Known Identification Details
- Item: M13 Rangefinder Housing End Assembly
- Part Number: 8201262
- NSN: 1240-00-346-8071
- Catalog Nomenclature: Housing Assy, End
- Federal Supply Class: 1240 – Optical Sight and Range Equipment
- Associated Equipment Family: M13 / M13A1 rangefinder fire-control optics
- Design-Control / Manufacturer Code in public listing: 19200
- Item Type: Military-surplus optical fire-control component
- Included Item: Housing end assembly only, unless otherwise shown or stated
The 1240 Federal Supply Class covers optical sight and range equipment, including range and height finders, telescopic sights, and optical instruments integrated with fire-control equipment.
Why This Part Matters
The M13 Rangefinder Housing End Assembly helps preserve the mechanical and optical side of Cold War armored vehicle gunnery. Rangefinder components were part of the precision equipment that supported distance measurement, firing data, and crew training before digital and laser fire-control systems became common.
For collectors, this is a focused component with clear part-number and NSN identification. It pairs well with M13 rangefinder references, M48 Patton fire-control displays, tank optical instrument collections, U.S. Army rangefinder manuals, and Cold War armored vehicle restoration-reference projects.
About This Housing End Assembly
This listing is for one M13 Rangefinder Housing End Assembly, identified by P/N 8201262 and NSN 1240-00-346-8071.
This listing is for the housing end assembly only unless otherwise stated. No complete rangefinder, optical elements, prisms, lenses, mount, tank, storage case, tools, manuals, or additional accessories are included unless specifically shown or noted.
This item is intended for collection, display, restoration reference, historical research, or military surplus parts study.
Ideal For
This housing end assembly is a strong fit for:
- M13 rangefinder collectors
- Cold War tank fire-control displays
- M48 Patton-era optics reference collections
- U.S. Army optical instrument collectors
- military surplus fire-control parts collections
- armored vehicle restoration-reference projects
- museum and archival ordnance exhibits
Approx length 5.5", Approx width 8", Approx height 5.5", Approx weight 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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