M-68 105mm Gun

The M-60A1 and A3 are armed with the British-designed L7 105mm L/52 gun. Midway along the barrel is an eccentrically-mounted bore evacuator. The bore evacuator serves to reduce propellant gas leakage into the turret after firing.¹ The ammunition has a fixed cartridge case and includes, besides the standard armor piercing discarding sabot and high explosive rounds, several special-purpose rounds such as high explosive squash-head and white phosphorus.²

1. Wikipedia: Bore Evacuator

2. Wikipedia: Royal Ordnance L7

M-60 Turret

Three crew members occupy the M-60’s roomy turret, with the gunner on the right, the commander seated behind him, and the loader on the left side of the 105mm gun.¹ The small commander's cupola mounts an M-85 .50 caliber machine gun with 900 rounds of ammunition. Fire control includes an M21 ballistic computer, AN/VVG-2 laser rangefinder, AN/VSG-2 thermal sights, and Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride (HgCdTe) IR detector for passive night and dust vision.²

1. Patton-mania: M60 Patton

2. FAS Military Analysis Network: M60 Series Tank

M-60 Hull

The cast steel hull of the M-60 tank is divided into three compartments. The front compartment houses the driver, the middle is the turret well, and the rear contains the engine. The tank is powered by a V-12 air-cooled diesel engine, the Continental AVDS-1790 that develops 750 hp. The suspension consists of six aluminum road wheels and three return wheels. There is an escape hatch on the underside of the hull.¹ The engine and suspension combine to give the M-60 a cross-country speed of up to 10-12 mph and a road speed of about 30 mph with a range of some 300 miles. It can climb a 36 inch vertical step and a 60% gradient. A fording kit allows the vehicle to enter up to 90 inches of water; without it the tank can ford a 48 inchdeep stream.²

1. Wikipedia: M60 Patton

2. Army Technology: M60A3 Main Battle Tank

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