Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual Change 1 to TM 9-1240-333-34 for M153 Telescope Mount, February 1974
Item Overview
This official U.S. Army Change 1 publication updates TM 9-1240-333-34 for the M153 Telescope Mount, NSN 1240-00-924-7672. Issued in February 1974, it revised the original technical manual dated February 20, 1973. This listing is for the Change 1 update only. It does not include the complete base manual, M153 mount, M126 telescope, tank, weapon, missile tracker, or other equipment.
Change 1 Update
Change publications supplied corrected or updated instructions for manuals already in service. Personnel followed the filing directions and inserted the revised material into the original manual. This Change 1 should be used with the February 1973 edition of TM 9-1240-333-34 and is not a complete replacement for that publication.
Publication Details
TM 9-1240-333-34 provided higher-level maintenance information for trained personnel responsible for the M153 mount and its role in the tank’s fire-control system.
- Publication: Change 1 to TM 9-1240-333-34
- Issue date: February 1974
- Original manual date: February 20, 1973
- Subject: M153 Telescope Mount
- National Stock Number: 1240-00-924-7672
- Manual level: Direct support and general support maintenance
- Issuing authority: Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Country of origin: United States
- Item included: Change 1 update only
About the M153 Telescope Mount
The M153 held and aligned the M126 gunner’s telescope in the M60A2 tank. It also supported the missile tracker and included a checksight used to align the telescope’s missile reticle with the tracker. Its controls allowed technicians and crew members to adjust parallax, elevation, deflection, tracker alignment, and filter selection. These features helped keep the sight correctly aligned for guided missiles, conventional ammunition, and machine-gun fire.
M60A2 Weapon-System History
The M60A2 was developed during the 1960s as an advanced version of the M60 tank. Its compact turret carried the M162 152mm gun-launcher, which could fire conventional ammunition and MGM-51 Shillelagh guided missiles. The fire-control system combined the M126 telescope and M153 mount with the M50 gunner’s periscope, a laser range finder, missile-guidance equipment, and an electronic ballistic computer. This system offered advanced aiming features but required careful inspection, alignment, and maintenance.
History of Use
The M126 telescope was the gunner’s main sight for the Shillelagh missile and was also used for canister ammunition and the coaxial machine gun. It served as a backup sight for high-explosive antitank ammunition. The M153 mount kept the telescope stable and provided the adjustments needed for boresighting, zeroing, and checking missile-tracker alignment. The February 1974 Change 1 was issued during the M60A2’s early service period, when Army maintenance procedures were being updated from field experience. The tank served mainly during the 1970s and was withdrawn from regular tank service by the early 1980s.
Collector and Research Value
This Change 1 publication is a specialized reference for studying the M60A2, M153 Telescope Mount, M126 Telescope, and MGM-51 Shillelagh fire-control system. It also shows how the Army updated technical instructions after complex optical and electronic equipment entered service. It is well suited for collectors, museums, restorers, and researchers who already own the original February 1973 manual.
Condition
This vintage military publication may show folds, edge wear, punched holes, yellowing, stains, writing, stamps, or other signs of age and storage. The number and condition of pages may vary between available copies. Confirm that you have the original TM 9-1240-333-34 before purchasing this update for maintenance-reference use.
Ideal For
This Change 1 update is well suited for collections, research projects, and exhibits covering Cold War armor and military fire-control equipment.
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M60A2 tank research and restoration
- M153 Telescope Mount documentation
- M126 Telescope and sighting-system research
- MGM-51 Shillelagh exhibits
- Military optics and fire-control collections
- Museum and archival displays
Approx length 8", Approx width 11", Approx height .25", 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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