Description
U.S. Army M34 Tank Commander’s Binocular Daylight Periscope with Shock-Mounted Transport/Storage Container, P/N 8619700, NSN 1240-00-980-9290
This U.S. Army M34 Tank Periscope is a Cold War-era daylight observation instrument used by the tank commander on M60-series armored vehicles, including the M60A1 and M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle.
The M34 gave the commander two useful optical views in one instrument: a wide-angle unity-power view for general observation and a 7× binocular channel for closer examination of terrain, vehicles, and other points of interest. Unlike the gunner’s M31/M32-family sights, the M34 was primarily a commander’s observation instrument.
This example is stored in its shock-mounted military transport and storage container. The container is designed to accept several related tank periscopes, but the identification plate on the instrument itself clearly reads PERISCOPE / TANK / M34 / ARMY.
Historical Significance
The M34 was developed during the early Cold War as U.S. armored vehicles gained more advanced optical systems for both the commander and gunner.
On the M60 family, the commander needed a protected way to scan the battlefield without relying only on exposed binoculars or vision blocks. The M34 provided both a broad natural-size view and a higher-powered binocular view while the commander remained behind armor.
The M60 entered U.S. Army service at the beginning of the 1960s, followed by the improved M60A1. These tanks became major American armored vehicles throughout the Cold War.
The M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle was developed from the M60 family for combat-engineer work. It combined an armored turret and 165mm demolition gun with a dozer blade, winch, and other engineering equipment. Like the tanks from which it was derived, the M728 required specialized observation equipment for its crew.
The M34 therefore represents an important generation of armored-vehicle optics from the Vietnam War and Cold War periods.
What This Item Is and Does
The M34 is a daylight binocular tank periscope designed for protected observation from inside an armored vehicle.
Its two viewing systems served different purposes:
- 1× wide-angle view for scanning the surrounding area and maintaining situational awareness
- 7× binocular view for examining distant terrain and objects in greater detail
This combination allowed the commander to move quickly between a broad field of view and a magnified view without changing to a separate handheld optical instrument.
The M34 should not be confused with the M31 or M32-series gunner’s periscopes. Those instruments were associated with the gunner’s sighting and fire-control duties. The M34 served the commander's observation role.
Complete Periscope vs. Body Assembly Numbers
Several numbers associated with this item identify different levels of the assembly.
Complete M34 Periscope
- Official nomenclature: Periscope, Tank: M34
- Complete assembly P/N: 8619700
- Complete NSN: 1240-00-980-9290
- Earlier FSN format: 1240-980-9290
M34 Body Assembly
- Body assembly P/N: 8619880
- Body assembly NSN: 1240-00-890-7554
- Army-controlled drawing marking: 19200-8619880
The 8619880 / NSN 1240-00-890-7554 identification applies to the periscope's body assembly and should not be confused with the stock number for the complete M34.
Army maintenance documentation specifically identifies the M34 as Periscope, Tank: M34, 1240-980-9290 and separately references body assembly 8619880.
Shock-Mounted Transport and Storage Container
The military container protects the precision optical instrument from shock, vibration, and handling damage during transportation and storage.
Its adjustable internal mounting frame was designed to accept several related tank periscopes. The instruction placard specifically lists:
- M32
- M34
- M35
- M36
The container uses different clamp positions for the different periscope configurations. This explains why several model numbers appear on the container even though the instrument in this listing is positively identified as an M34.
The original instruction sheet separately groups the M34 and M36 and the M32 and M35, showing how the adjustable frame was configured for these different periscope bodies.
Key Features
- Official nomenclature: Periscope, Tank: M34
- Service: U.S. Army
- Role: Tank commander’s daylight observation periscope
- Complete periscope P/N: 8619700
- Complete NSN: 1240-00-980-9290
- M34 body assembly P/N: 8619880
- Body assembly NSN: 1240-00-890-7554
- Army drawing marking: 19200-8619880
- Instrument identification plate: PERISCOPE / TANK / M34 / ARMY
- Wide-angle viewing channel: 1× / unity power
- Binocular viewing channel: 7×
- Associated vehicle family: M60-series armored vehicles
- Known applications include M60A1 and M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle
- Commander observation equipment
- Separate from the gunner’s M31/M32-family primary periscopes
- Shock-mounted military storage and transport container
- Container compatible with M32, M34, M35, and M36 periscopes
- Army technical reference: TM 9-1240-269-34
- Army repair-parts reference: TM 9-1240-269-35P
Why This Item Matters
Complete armored-vehicle optical instruments are much harder to find than ordinary vehicle hardware, and surviving examples with their dedicated transport containers are especially useful for restoration and display.
The M34 also shows how sophisticated tank observation equipment had become by the 1960s. Its combination of a natural-size panoramic view and a 7× binocular view gave the commander two observation tools in one protected instrument.
The separate Army part numbers on the body and complete periscope also make this a useful technical-reference piece for identifying loose M34 components.
For an M60A1 or M728 restoration, this assembly represents an important piece of the vehicle's crew-observation equipment rather than a generic military optical device.
About This Item
The periscope is positively identified as an M34 by its original identification plate.
The multi-model markings inside the transport container refer to the adjustable container mounting system, not to uncertainty about which periscope is included.
This listing is for the M34 Tank Periscope and shock-mounted transport/storage container shown.
Because this is vintage military optical equipment, optical clarity, internal completeness, seals, dry-nitrogen charge, adjustment, and calibration should not be assumed unless specifically stated. The assembly may show wear from military use and long-term storage.
Ideal For
- M60A1 tank restorations
- M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle restorations
- M60-series armored-vehicle collections
- Vietnam War tank displays
- Cold War U.S. Army collections
- Tank commander’s station displays
- Military optical-instrument collections
- Armored-vehicle fire-control and observation exhibits
- Military museums
- Technical-reference collections
- Historic vehicle restoration projects
Approx length 24", Approx width 24", Approx height 28", Approx weight 101.5 lbs.
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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