The Commander Series Forum

I've got a load of M48's and M60's that I was planning to paint up as opposition to my 1973 Egyptians but wanted to check out if the searchlight above the main gun was used by the Israelis in 1973 (I don't think it was) and if people bothered to remove this from the models they were using? All the models are H&R M48A5's and M60A1's.

Thanks

Cheers

Richard

I chopped around the searchlights on all but one (a dozer) of my M60A1 and A3 to sculpt into an extra HMG, one even became a double HMG mount. A couple of the mounts fell off and they just represent basic version. I chopped the turret cupola off one and replaced with one stolen from a broken M62 and then added a big Russian-style HMG.
I bought the basic Centurion ,chopped searchlights off, modified back the engine covers to represent the fact that all got new US engines. I added a self-sculpted MG to the turret of each too.
A further addition to a basic version could be ERA blocks. Recent experimenting with a coarse modelling paste bought at LIDL has allowed a convincing sandbagging or regular brick walling effect which has been used on turretless tanks to give some command/observer tanks M3 Stuart and T34. The T34 was depicted by some modeller probably in 1/35th but I haven't seen picture again.

I take the search lights off for '73, but have seem plenty of games with people leaving them on.

Adrian

Seeing this post, made me recall that I had chopped them and I must've had a reason for it so it must have been the overwhelming number of pictures of IDF tanks without one. I did another Google image search and found only one IDF M48 in Yom Kippur 1973 with one obscured by a sign. Leaving them on leaves options open for use in Vietnam or in 1956 campaign-CWC list has M48 with SL (searchlight).

Thanks guys. I've seen quite a few pics of the M60's and less of the M48's and have yet to find any with the searchlight.

I think the H&R Centurions have S/L on them as well which don't appear on the photos of the real ones so I think I'll have a lot of trimming off of S/L to do......

Yes Centurion SL and you have to be careful with gun barrels falling off.SL possibly helps strength of gun! I had a couple go off!

Yes there are drawbacks once the S/L is off and there's the potential for damage as you cut it off. Needs some thinking about as to whether it's really necessary.

Perhaps a slice through with a really sharp knife will do it, keeping the barrel straight and propped up. Did mine a few years ago, can't remember how easy it was to cut or break! M60s SL will sculpt into an MG if careful, but the gun is more solid.