Description
Technical Manual (TM 9-1240-269-34) for M34 Tank Periscope April 1964 FSN 1240-980-9290
This Technical Manual TM 9-1240-269-34 covers the M34 Tank Periscope and is dated April 1964. The publication is a direct and general support maintenance reference for the daylight optical instrument identified by FSN 1240-980-9290.
The M34 served at the tank commander's station as a protected binocular observation and sighting instrument. Its association with the M60A1 family gives this manual clear value for armored-vehicle, fire-control, and military-optics research.
Historical Significance
The M34 belonged to the generation of optical fire-control equipment developed for postwar U.S. tanks. Installed in the commander's cupola, it combined a wide observation window with a magnified binocular viewing system so the commander could observe and sight while remaining under armor protection.
On the M60A1, the commander's station could use the daylight M34 or the M36 periscope with infrared capability. This pairing reflects the Army's transition from daylight optical systems toward sights that also supported night operations.
M60A1 Commander’s Periscope Application
The M34 was positioned in the commander's cupola as a direct-view observation and sighting instrument. It included a unity-power window, binocular optics, focusing and interpupillary adjustments, and elevation and deflection boresight controls. The M34 was also used in the commander's station on the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, another vehicle based on the M60 family.
What This Manual Covers
TM 9-1240-269-34 is the direct support and general support maintenance publication for the M34 Tank Periscope. Its scope concerns maintenance of the periscope as a complete optical and mechanical assembly at those support levels.
The manual focuses on the M34 instrument rather than the operation or maintenance of an entire tank. It serves as a specialized technical reference for the commander's periscope and its role in armored-vehicle observation and sighting.
Key Features
- Publication number: TM 9-1240-269-34
- Documented equipment: M34 Tank Periscope
- Publication date: April 1964
- Federal Stock Number: 1240-980-9290
- Maintenance scope: direct support and general support
- Primary application: commander's cupola on the M60A1 tank family
- Optical role: protected daylight observation and sighting
Why This Manual Matters
The M34 was more than a simple vision block. It was an adjustable commander's optical instrument tied to the tank's observation and fire-control arrangement. TM 9-1240-269-34 preserves maintenance-level documentation for that specialized assembly and helps place it within the M60A1 sighting system.
The combination of publication number, date, model designation, and FSN makes this manual a focused reference for identifying the correct periscope and its support documentation.
About This Manual
TM 9-1240-269-34 is a Department of the Army technical manual dated April 1964. It documents direct and general support maintenance for the M34 Tank Periscope, identified by FSN 1240-980-9290.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- M60A1 tank historians and restoration researchers
- M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle researchers
- Military-optics and fire-control collectors
- Technical-manual reference libraries
- Museum staff and armored-vehicle educators
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .2", Approx weight .2lbs.
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