Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual TM 9-1240-311-35 for XM119 Articulated Telescope, April 1966
This U.S. Army technical manual covers field-and-depot maintenance for the XM119 Articulated Telescope. Issued as TM 9-1240-311-35 in April 1966, it documents the experimental version of a precision fire-control telescope that later entered service as the M119.
This listing is for the technical manual only. It does not include an XM119 or M119 telescope, telescope mount, missile tracker, sighting equipment, weapon, or vehicle.
Manual Coverage
The “35” suffix identifies this as a field-and-depot maintenance publication under the Army’s technical-manual system of the period. It was written for trained personnel performing work beyond normal crew and organizational maintenance.
The manual provides technical guidance related to the telescope’s construction and higher-level maintenance. Publications at this level supported inspection, troubleshooting, disassembly, cleaning, repair, reassembly, adjustment, optical alignment, and final testing. It is a maintenance manual rather than an operator’s guide or parts-only publication.
About the XM119 Articulated Telescope
The XM119 was a direct-fire optical instrument developed for the M551 Sheridan’s fire-control system. It was mounted on the associated M149 Telescope Mount and positioned coaxially with the vehicle’s 152mm gun-launcher. The telescope supported conventional ammunition and also worked with the missile-tracking equipment used for the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided missile.
An articulated joint allowed the objective section to move with the weapon while the eyepiece remained conveniently positioned for the gunner. The sealed optical system also used illuminated reticles and separate aiming patterns for conventional ammunition and missile fire.
Historical Background
The XM119 was developed during the mid-1960s as the U.S. Army prepared the M551 Sheridan for service. Its “XM” prefix shows that the telescope was still considered experimental when this manual was published. Military specification MIL-T-60156 formally covered the XM119 design and described its articulated optical arrangement.
The design was later standardized as the M119 under FSN 1240-762-9333 and installed on early M551 vehicles. The Sheridan entered Army service in 1967 and saw combat during the Vietnam War. The improved M127 telescope later replaced the M119, adding selectable 8-power and 12-power magnification.
Publication Details
- Manual number: TM 9-1240-311-35
- Publication date: April 1966
- Subject: XM119 Articulated Telescope
- Later standardized designation: M119
- Federal Stock Number: 1240-762-9333
- Manual type: Field-and-depot maintenance
- Related military specification: MIL-T-60156
- Equipment status when published: Experimental or pre-standardized
- Documented parent system: M551 Sheridan
- Associated telescope mount: M149
- Weapon system: 152mm gun-launcher and MGM-51 Shillelagh missile
- Item included: Technical manual only
Collector and Research Value
This manual is a specialized addition to a U.S. Army technical-publication, military-optics, or armored-vehicle collection. Its experimental XM119 designation makes it especially useful for studying the development of the M551 Sheridan and its combined conventional-ammunition and guided-missile fire-control system.
Ideal For
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M551 Sheridan restoration research
- XM119 and M119 telescope research
- Vietnam War armored-vehicle displays
- Cold War fire-control and military-optics collections
- MGM-51 Shillelagh missile-system research
- Museum and archival collections
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .35", Approx weight 1lbs.
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