Description
Own a highly specialized piece of Cold War U.S. Army ordnance documentation with this Technical Manual TM 9-1000-202-35 for Evaluation of Cannon Tubes, dated March 1964. This manual is tied to the serious inspection side of artillery, tank guns, howitzers, recoilless rifles, and other cannon systems.
This is not a basic weapon manual. It covers the technical process of judging cannon tube condition, identifying wear or damage, and determining whether a tube remained serviceable. For collectors, that gives it strong appeal. It documents the behind-the-scenes ordnance work that kept major gun systems safe, accurate, and ready for service.
Historical Significance
The TM 9-1000-202 manual family was created for ordnance personnel responsible for cannon tube inspection and calibration. A documented earlier edition states that the series covered current instructions for judging cannon tubes, including evaluation of cannon tubes, bore inspection devices, and velocity-measuring equipment.
That makes this March 1964 edition especially interesting. It belongs to the Cold War period, when the U.S. Army was operating a wide range of cannon-armed systems. Tanks, towed artillery, self-propelled guns, howitzers, recoilless rifles, and other large-bore weapons all depended on proper tube inspection.
A cannon tube was not just a barrel. It was a life-limited, high-stress component. Wear, erosion, cracks, scoring, chamber damage, and rifling damage could affect safety and accuracy. This manual documents the official evaluation mindset behind those decisions.
What This Manual Covers
As a technical manual for Evaluation of Cannon Tubes, TM 9-1000-202-35 would have served as a working reference for ordnance personnel inspecting cannon tubes in field, support, and depot environments.
The documented contents of the manual family include:
- types of erosion and damage
- erosion in plated and non-plated bores
- manufacturing defects
- coppering, rust, expansions, and constrictions
- deformation of lands
- heat checks and progressive stress damage
- visual inspection
- gage inspection
- borescopes and comparison gages
- pullover gage methods
- estimation of remaining tube life
- condemnation criteria and limits
- calibration of cannon tubes
This is the kind of manual that helps explain how the Army decided whether a cannon tube could remain in service or needed further action.
Key Features
- Technical Manual TM 9-1000-202-35
- Covers Evaluation of Cannon Tubes
- Dated March 1964
- Cold War-era U.S. Army ordnance publication
- Focused on cannon tube inspection, evaluation, and serviceability
- Relevant to artillery, tank guns, howitzers, and recoilless rifle tube research
- Covers wear, erosion, cracks, scoring, rifling damage, and inspection methods
- Strong companion manual for artillery and tank gun technical libraries
- Excellent reference for museums, collectors, restorers, and ordnance historians
Why This Collectible Stands Out
Most military manuals cover a specific rifle, tank, gun, or vehicle. This one covers something more technical and more universal: the health of the cannon tube itself.
That gives it real collector value. It explains the inspection standards behind the weapons. It also fits perfectly with manuals for 90mm tank guns, 105mm tank guns, 155mm howitzers, 8-inch artillery, recoilless rifles, and Cold War gun systems.
For a serious ordnance library, this is a strong support manual. It adds depth to any collection focused on artillery maintenance, tank-gun service life, bore inspection, or U.S. Army weapon-system readiness.
About This Manual
This listing is for Technical Manual TM 9-1000-202-35 for Evaluation of Cannon Tubes, dated March 1964.
This listing is for the manual only unless otherwise stated. No cannon tube, artillery piece, tank gun, recoilless rifle, inspection gage, bore scope, pullover gage, tool, part, or additional accessory is included unless specifically shown or noted.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- U.S. Army technical manual collections
- Cold War ordnance reference libraries
- artillery and tank gun collectors
- cannon tube inspection research
- howitzer and recoilless rifle reference collections
- museum and archival displays
- military maintenance documentation collections
- serious ordnance historians and technical manual collectors
Approx length 10", Approx width 8", Approx height .25", 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.
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