This Technical Manual TM 9-240 covers the 37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4 and is dated March 1942. For collectors of U.S. military technical manuals, World War II aircraft armament references, ordnance publications, and dated government documents, this is a strong period piece tied to a specialized category of American military aviation weaponry.

Issued during the early months of U.S. involvement in World War II, this manual reflects a time when the military was rapidly expanding its aircraft, armament, training, maintenance, and ordnance-support systems. Manuals like this were official working documents, intended to support identification, inspection, maintenance context, and technical reference needs for the equipment they covered. That makes this publication especially useful for collectors, historians, researchers, restorers, and museums looking for authentic wartime reference material rather than general background information.

The 37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4

The 37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4 belongs to the broader family of World War II aircraft armament and automatic cannon equipment. As identified by its nomenclature, it was a 37mm aircraft gun system, placing it in a specialized category of military ordnance associated with aviation firepower, aircraft equipment, and wartime armament development.

Equipment in this class required detailed technical documentation because aircraft armament involved not only the gun itself, but also the support systems, mounting context, inspection standards, and ordnance procedures needed to keep the materiel properly documented and supported. This manual preserves that technical side of World War II aviation ordnance history.

For collectors, that gives this manual strong appeal. It represents the aircraft armament side of Army ordnance documentation and fits especially well in collections focused on World War II aviation, aircraft weapons, U.S. Army Ordnance Department publications, automatic cannon, and wartime technical manuals.

What This Manual Covers

As a technical manual for the 37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4, TM 9-240 would have served as an official military reference connected to this aircraft gun materiel and its ordnance-support documentation.

In practical terms, a manual like this is especially relevant for:

nomenclature and identification reference
World War II aircraft armament documentation
U.S. Army Ordnance Department reference collections
aircraft gun and automatic cannon research
museum and display documentation
archival and restoration research
historical reference for aviation ordnance collections

That makes it useful not only as a collectible, but also as a practical historical reference for anyone studying how the U.S. military documented aircraft armament and ordnance materiel during World War II.

Historical Significance

The date March 1942 places this publication squarely in the early World War II period, shortly after the United States entered the war. During this time, the U.S. military was rapidly building the technical, logistical, and training systems needed to support a massive expansion of aircraft, vehicles, weapons, and specialized equipment.

For collectors and historians, this manual is especially relevant to subjects such as:

World War II U.S. Army technical manuals
37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4 documentation
U.S. Army aircraft armament references
World War II automatic cannon manuals
U.S. Army Ordnance Department publications
wartime aviation ordnance documentation
dated World War II government publications

Because it covers a specialized 37mm aircraft gun rather than a more common small arm, vehicle, or general maintenance subject, this manual adds focused historical depth to collections centered on World War II aviation, aircraft armament, ordnance equipment, and military technical publications.

About This Manual

This listing is for Technical Manual TM 9-240 for 37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4, dated March 1942.

It is especially well suited for:

World War II U.S. military technical manual collections
aircraft armament and aviation ordnance displays
U.S. Army Ordnance Department publication collections
automatic cannon and 37mm ordnance reference libraries
museum exhibits on World War II aircraft weapons and support systems
archival collections focused on dated government publications

Because manuals were working documents, surviving examples are valued not only for their content, but also for their connection to real military documentation, inspection, maintenance support, and wartime technical publication practice.

Why This Manual Matters

Many military manuals focus on rifles, vehicles, artillery, communications gear, or general shop equipment. This one documents a more specialized subject: the 37mm Aircraft Gun Materiel M4. That makes it especially useful for collectors who want to preserve the broader technical and logistical picture of wartime military aviation rather than only the aircraft themselves.

For collectors, it is a strong stand-alone World War II technical manual with a focused aircraft-armament subject. For researchers, it offers a useful reference point for U.S. Army ordnance documentation during the early war period. For museums, it helps support displays that explain not only aircraft and weapons of the period, but also the technical literature and ordnance-support systems that kept wartime equipment documented and serviceable.

Ideal For

This manual is a strong fit for:

World War II U.S. Army technical manual collections
aircraft armament and aviation ordnance displays
37mm automatic cannon reference collections
U.S. Army Ordnance Department publication collections
museum and archival reference libraries
World War II aviation and ordnance historians

Approx length 9", Approx width 6", Approx height .2", Approx weight 1lbs.

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