Description
Technical Manual (TM 9-1240-293-34) for M137/T186E3 Telescope Mount November 1962
U.S. Army Technical Manual TM 9-1240-293-34 for M137/T186E3 Telescope Mount, November 1962
Item Overview
This U.S. Army technical manual covers higher-level field maintenance for the M137/T186E3 Telescope Mount. Issued as TM 9-1240-293-34 in November 1962, it was prepared for trained personnel responsible for maintaining and repairing this specialized artillery fire-control component.
This listing is for the technical manual only. It does not include an M137 telescope mount, M115 telescope, artillery weapon, tools, or other optical equipment.
About the M137/T186E3 Telescope Mount
The T186E3 was the developmental designation for the mount later standardized as the M137. It was designed to hold and support the separate M115 Panoramic Telescope.
The mount provides elevation and cant, or cross-level, adjustments for indirect fire. Its upper assembly supports the telescope and electrical illumination system. The lower assembly contains the mounting bracket and controls used to adjust elevation, correction, and cross-level.
Vehicle power operates the built-in lighting system, allowing the telescope controls and aiming references to be used in low-light conditions.
Historical Background
TM 9-1240-293-34 was published during the early Cold War as the U.S. Army introduced a new generation of mobile heavy artillery. The M137 mount and M115 telescope were used with the M107 175-mm Self-Propelled Gun and M110 8-inch Self-Propelled Howitzer families. Together, the mount and telescope helped the gun crew aim the weapon during indirect-fire missions.
Accurate indirect fire depended on properly adjusted optical equipment. The M137 mount held the panoramic telescope steady and allowed the crew to correct for elevation and vehicle cant. Even a small alignment error could affect accuracy at long range. The M107 and M110 gave field units long-range firepower on tracked chassis and later served during the Vietnam War.
The manual’s use of both the M137 and T186E3 designations records the equipment’s transition from development into standardized Army service.
Publication Details
- Manual number: TM 9-1240-293-34
- Publication date: November 1962
- Subject: M137/T186E3 Telescope Mount
- Standardized designation: M137
- Developmental designation: T186E3
- Federal Stock Number: 1240-895-6492
- Later NSN format: 1240-00-895-6492
- Part number: 8587295
- Manual type: Higher-level field maintenance
- Associated telescope: M115 Panoramic Telescope
- Documented artillery systems: M107 and M110 families
- Item included: Technical manual only
Collector and Research Value
This manual is a specialized addition to a U.S. Army technical-publication, artillery, or military-optics collection. It provides useful information about the maintenance of a precision fire-control component used with major Cold War artillery systems.
It is also suitable for museums, restorers, historians, and collectors researching the M137 mount, M115 telescope, M107 gun, or M110 howitzer.
Ideal For
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M107 and M110 artillery research
- Cold War and Vietnam War displays
- Military-optics collections
- Fire-control equipment restoration references
- Museum and archival collections
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .2", Approx weight .2lbs.
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