M60 / M48 Searchlight question / help

You can always count on Rob G. to break out the M48A5 pix. Thanks for sharing these, they bring back memories of my first year as a TC on one. That really made you appreciate the tech that went into the Abrams.

That's ok, Rob.  I decided to just order the Tamiya M60a1.  It's a kit was going to do sometime in the future anyway.  It was a toss up between ordering the M60a1 or Tamiya's M48.  I really didn't want to order another M48 just for the mounting parts but if the M60's mounting parts are adaptable, I'll go with ordering that.

Thanks again for you help and the pictures,

Jesse

I'll take a look through my parts box to see if I have an extra searchlight and mounts. Here is a photo of my old M48A5 with searchlight for inspiration.

Thanks, Rob.  I appreciate your looking into this for me.

-Jesse

OK, the Academy M60A1 RISE/Passive w/ERA kit #1349 does come with the searchlight mounting parts, but the searchlight is the more modern AN/VSS-3 1kW xenon arc tank searchlight and not the same that the Tamiya kit includes. Those parts are D41 (x2) and D40 and are only used if you do not use the reactive armor (although the instructions incorrectly call it passive armor, passive refers to the gunner's night vision sight).

The IDF Blazer kit #1367 also has those same parts as unused.

Yes, the Tamiya USMC M60A1 RISE/Passive w/ERA kit #35157 includes the searchlight and mounting pieces. They are listed as "unused" and are parts C13, C14, C26, C27, D26 (x2) and D27. Since this kit is basically a reissued Tamiya M60A3 105mm Gun Tank kit #35140 with new ERA sprues, that kit also includes the parts as well.

I have the Academy version as well, but will have to dig around to find the USMC version. I see the IDF Blazer box in the stash and will check that one as well.

The parts are on the "C" & "D" sprues in the Tamiya M60 kits.