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3 actual size
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  • Turret is surrounded with massive protective armor.Book 2 Small multi-tube apparatus on 120mm main gun is a Hoffman Device (electrically fired concussion rounds to simulate tank gunfire during training exercise, usually would not be found on Abrams serving on frontlines). Long barrel left of main gun is tubular insert for M240 co-axial machine gun for close-in defense (7.62mm NATO rounds). M240G Medium Machine Gun - www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m240g.htm

  • Commander stands in six-periscope copula armed with M2 .50-cal heavy machine gun, spare binocular hanging behind 50-cal ammo box. Copula has advanced electronics including day-night thermal optics, automatic sector scanner & target cueing to the gunner, main gun back-up fire control. M1 Abrams MBT - www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m1-intro.htm

  • Rollover : Spare wheel secured on the roof. Bolted circular plate is cover piece for laser-range finder attachment. Commander figure from 1.35th TAMIYA Abrams kit, Chocolate-Chip desert camouflage uniform was hand-painted, goggle strap made from masking tape and painted TESTOR Forest Green. Gunner figure came from 1.35th DML US Tank Crew kit, painted the same manner. Battle Dress Uniforms - www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/bdu.htm

  • Skate-mounted M240 7.62mm light machine gun on gunner's hatch, design for anti-personnel, while 50-cal heavy machine gun used against soft-skin vehicles, bunkers, other emplacements. 50-cal gun was originally developed in 1930s as a rapid-fire anti-tank gun, its firepower was capable of penetrating most armored vehicles of that era. 50-caliber BMG - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_caliber

  • Angular turret design prevented Shot-Traps by deflecting enemy rounds upwards and away from the tank. Original tank design in 1930s from all nations resembled upturned storage boxes, with bolted-on armor plates and numerous shot-trap defects. First geometric tank design rectifying this problem was the Soviet T-34 tank in 1941 ( however, T-34 chassis design actually came from 1920s US tank designer Walter Christy ). Germans captured numerous T-34 copies and quickly emulated this design via their Panther and King Tiger tanks. T-34 tank - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34
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