Description
Add a strong piece of Cold War / early Vietnam War-era vehicle armament documentation to your collection with this Technical Manual TM 9-1005-245-15. This manual covers the M142 Gun Mount and the M4, M31A1, and M31C Pedestal Truck Mounts, dated October 1963.
This is a valuable reference for collectors of vehicle-mounted machine gun systems, M151 MUTT equipment, M38 and M-series Jeep mounts, pedestal truck mounts, and U.S. Army technical manuals. Military technical manuals were official working documents used to support identification, use, servicing, and field support, which makes them useful for collectors, historians, researchers, and restorers looking for authentic reference material.
Historical Significance
The mounts covered in this manual belong to the long-running U.S. military effort to arm tactical vehicles with machine gun mounts for convoy protection, reconnaissance, perimeter defense, and field support.
The M31-series pedestal mounts trace their history back to earlier Jeep machine gun mount development. The M31C was a later improvement of the M31 pedestal mount, using the E10014 cradle, pintle, and ammunition box assembly. The M31A1 was developed when the M38 began replacing World War II-era Jeeps, with changes to the base, braces, and under-floor components for the newer vehicle layout.
The M4 pedestal mount and M142 gun mount connect the manual to the next generation of tactical vehicle armament. As the M151 series became the Army’s standard 1/4-ton truck, the M4 pedestal was developed for that vehicle, while the M142 cradle, pintle, and ammunition tray assembly was designed to mount the M60 machine gun to the M4 pedestal and could also be adapted to M31-series mounts.
The Mounts Covered
This manual is especially useful because it brings several related vehicle mount systems into one technical reference.
Covered equipment includes:
- M142 Gun Mount
- M4 Pedestal Truck Mount
- M31A1 Pedestal Truck Mount
- M31C Pedestal Truck Mount
Related gunnery references later list these mount families with stock-numbered equipment references, including M142 – 1005-854-4463, M4 – 1005-419-7041, M31A1 – 1005-736-0400, and M31C – 1005-706-9767.
What This Manual Covers
As TM 9-1005-245-15, this publication served as a technical reference for machine gun mount and pedestal truck mount maintenance, support, and parts identification.
This manual is especially relevant for:
- M142 Gun Mount documentation
- M4 pedestal mount reference
- M31A1 pedestal mount research
- M31C pedestal mount research
- M151-series tactical vehicle armament displays
- M38 / M-series Jeep machine gun mount collections
- M60 machine gun vehicle mount reference
- .30cal and .50cal pedestal mount history
- U.S. Army vehicle weapons technical manual collections
- museum and archival reference libraries
Later M60 gunnery material describes the M4 pedestal mount as a standard vehicular mount and identifies the M142 machine gun mount as the cradle component for the weapon, showing the continued importance of this mount family in later Army vehicle weapons documentation.
Why This Manual Matters
This manual documents the support hardware that turned tactical vehicles into armed platforms. The machine gun itself is only part of the story. Pedestals, cradles, pintles, braces, ammunition trays, travel locks, and mount assemblies determined how those weapons were carried, secured, and used from vehicles.
For collectors, TM 9-1005-245-15 helps connect the weapon system to the vehicle. It fits especially well with M151 MUTT displays, M38 Jeep collections, M60 machine gun references, M2 Browning vehicle mount displays, Vietnam War convoy equipment, and Cold War tactical vehicle armament collections.
About This Manual
This listing is for Technical Manual TM 9-1005-245-15, covering the M142 Gun Mount and M4, M31A1, and M31C Pedestal Truck Mounts, dated October 1963.
This listing is for the manual only unless otherwise stated. No gun mount, pedestal mount, pintle, cradle, machine gun, firearm, vehicle, ammunition, tools, repair parts, storage case, or additional accessories are included unless specifically shown or noted.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- M142 Gun Mount collectors
- M4 pedestal mount reference collections
- M31A1 and M31C pedestal mount collectors
- M151 MUTT and M38 Jeep restoration-reference libraries
- Vietnam War tactical vehicle displays
- Cold War U.S. Army technical manual collections
- vehicle-mounted machine gun displays
- museum and archival reference collections
- collectors completing a vehicle armament manual set
Approx length 10", Approx width 8", Approx height .25", Approx weight 1lbs.
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