Description
TM 9-3062 Change 2 - 57mm M18, M18A1, and T15E16 Recoilless Rifles, M1917A2 Tripod, and M74 Weapon Tripod - October 1968
Publication Overview
This October 1968 Change 2 supplement updates TM 9-3062 for the 57mm M18, M18A1, and T15E16 recoilless rifles and their M1917A2 and M74 tripod mounts. It is intended for use with the original manual issued on August 19, 1957. This publication is a useful addition to a reference collection covering U.S. infantry weapons, ground mounts, and Cold War maintenance practices.
Identification and Features
The publication number, change number, and base manual date help identify the correct supplement when assembling a technical reference set.
- Publication: TM 9-3062, Change 2
- Change date: October 1968
- Original manual date: August 19, 1957
- Rifles covered: 57mm M18, M18A1, and T15E16
- Mounts covered: M1917A2 Tripod Mount and M74 Weapon Tripod Mount
- Manual category: Operation and organizational maintenance
- Publication type: Change supplement for the base manual
Function and Manual Contents
Change 2 revises selected material in the Army's operation and organizational maintenance reference for these weapons and mounts. The parent manual addresses equipment use and maintenance at the crew and unit levels. Reading the supplement alongside the base manual keeps the revised information connected to the instructions it updates.
Publication History
The original TM 9-3062 appeared in 1957, after the Korean War, when the Army continued to maintain weapons developed during World War II. This second change followed in October 1968, more than eleven years later. Such supplements allowed the Army to revise an established manual without replacing the entire publication. They also help historians trace the development of official guidance over time.
Documented Applications
Army technical references identify TM 9-3062 by its full coverage of the M18, M18A1, and T15E16 rifles, the M1917A2 tripod, and the M74 weapon tripod. This scope brings the rifles and their ground supports together in one publication series. For researchers, that connection is useful when documenting a complete infantry weapon setup or matching a mount to its period manual.
Equipment History
The M18 family grew from the T15 recoilless rifle project at Frankford Arsenal during World War II. William J. Kroeger, C. Walton Musser, and their team developed a practical 57mm design in 1943. Testing led to a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground in September 1944. Limited production began in early 1945, and the Army standardized the weapon as the M18 that June. Later publications continued to cover related models within the same weapon family.
M1917A2 Tripod Mount Background
The M1917A2 adapted an established Browning machine gun tripod design for recoilless rifle use. It shared its cradle assembly with the .30-caliber M1917A1 machine gun tripod but used a shorter rear leg. Its folding legs could be adjusted separately to suit the ground. Army equipment data described it as an interim mount for 57mm and 75mm recoilless rifles, with the M74 designated as its replacement.
M74 Weapon Tripod Mount Background
The M74 belonged to the Army's postwar generation of weapon supports and appears in early 1950s infantry equipment tables. It served as the successor to the interim M1917A2 for recoilless rifle mounting. Army references also listed the M74 for ground use with Browning .30-caliber machine guns, connecting its history with several types of infantry support weapons.
Weapon-System Background
The 57mm recoilless rifle gave infantry troops portable direct-fire support. Its design released propellant gases through the rear of the weapon to balance recoil, reducing the need for a heavy carriage and recoil mechanism. The M18 could be fired from the shoulder or supported from the ground. Tripod mounts added a stable platform, while the weapon's high-explosive firepower complemented the infantry's machine guns and mortars.
History of Use
The first shipment of 50 rifles went to the European theater in March 1945. The M18 saw service in both Europe and the Pacific before World War II ended. During the Korean War, 57mm recoilless rifles remained part of U.S. infantry weapons units. Their service history extended into postwar training and equipment support, where publications such as TM 9-3062 documented both the rifles and their mounting equipment.
Ideal For
This supplement supports research into infantry equipment, period maintenance publications, and the development of recoilless rifle mounts. It also adds context to museum libraries and historical weapon displays.
- Collectors of M18, M18A1, and T15E16 rifle manuals
- Researchers studying M1917A2 and M74 tripod mounts
- Museums and military history archives
- Historians of World War II, Korea, and Cold War infantry equipment
- Owners of the August 19, 1957 base manual seeking Change 2
Approx length 6", Approx width 9", Approx height .1", Approx weight .1lbs.
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.
Please visit our page about order lead times here: Order Lead Times.