I wonder why M53 and M55 should have been upgraded because of improvements to the M48 chassis, as these vehicles were based on M47 hulls.
Quote from US Military Tracked Vehicles by Fred W. Crismon
The text about the M55:
āThe M48 medium tank was the source of many components for both the 155mm T97 (M53)
and the 8-inch T108 (M55), including the tracks (T84E1, rubber chevron, double pin,
23 inches wide, 6 inch pitch) and the roadwheelsā
The text about the M53:
āMany of the mechanical components of the T97 and T108 were shared with the M48 medium tank, including the Continental AV-1790-5B engine ā¦ā
āAs changes were made to the M48 medium tanks, some of this new componentry was applied to the M53, as one of the primary goals was the interchangeability of parts. The tracks and roadwheels were M48-based: in this case T84E1 ā¦ā
The transmission in the T97 was an Allison CD-850-4A later upgraded to a -4B.
The T108 had a CD-850-4, -4A and finally -4B
The M48 went into production in 1952, the M53 was produced from the summer of 1952 until spring 1955.
I donāt want to open up a new thread here (especially as I donāt have access to most of my books etc. right now), but I am positive that the AFV Club tracks for the M48 are almost 2 mm wider than the Italeri ones for their M47. TM 9-2350-210-12 of july 1959 for the M53/55 speaks of ācombat track T80E6ā and ātraining track T84E1ā to be used.
Guess weāll have to wait for what the promised kits will show.
1 Like
M46/M47/M53/M55 share the tracks
M47/M48/M60/M88 use the same steel roadwheels:
It seems as if Fred Crismon was only correct about the wheels, engines and transmissions.
Fred also writes that the early M53/M55 used āwobble stickā steering as the M47 and then switched to steering wheel.
as the M48.
This release is certainly welcomed but I am just afraid of what the price is going to be for these M53 and M55ā¦ Trumpeter/Hobby Boss/I love kit brands have become almost unreasonably expensive and I have refused to buy their new releases (e.g., ILK M48A1). Trumpeter/HB used to be less expensive brands but that changed fast sadly. 
I have a feeling they are going to charge like 80+ USDā¦ Weāll seeā¦
3 Likes
I look at it in how much it costs me per hour compared to other hobbies. $80 for the kit and say 40 hours to build it, that is only $2 per hour. Shooting is one of my other hobbies. Each round for my Mosin-Nagant cost about $1.25. Hell, going to a movie now costs about $50 for two people w/popcorn and drinks; $12.5 an hour each to go to the movies. So modeling is still way cheaper and a better bargain than most hobbies.
2 Likes
As for the M53/M55 steering, it seems that only early samples with āwobble sticksā made it into the museums and the internet photo walkaraounds - once again, weāll have to wait for the kits to surprise us.
Well, we canāt ask Fred where he got his information from,
maybe with an Ouija-board but I doubt it.
Looking forward to those kits!
Outstanding news that they are releasing both the M55 and the M53. I really did not want to build the old Elite resin kits of these weapons.
a tank chassis and running gear does not make a good SPG, and vise versa of course. Just different animals. The main gun can be similar, but one will always be better. Not the tank of course.
The M108/ M109, and the M107 / M110 were really the first true dedicated SPG hulls ever used in the U.S.A. The power packs are much different for good reasons, and the suspension system is also radically different. Why you ask? Itās all to do with accuracy, and making round two, three, etc repeat. Tanks donāt do that well, and this is very critical in shooting indirect fire. Still tanks do some things better as well. Those short range shots are a real bugger in an SPG, and often separates the men from the boys. Iāve shot WP 100 feet out front and HE 23 miles out as well. You must master both ends, but few actually master the short range crap. On a good SPG the suspension actually locks up to keep the hull in the same spot for repeatability. At the same time the entire drive train is locked up solid (usually in the gear box). The trajectory of the round is similar to a triangle (to be over simplified) and this is where the term āmilsā comes to work. Yet the actual trajectory is a basic Algebra II equation. You learn to combine the triangle with the equation. A quarter inch on the gun (movement) will show up down range, but still not a lot. Six inches will show an ugly face. You watch a tank shoot and it jumps around (often off the ground), and you just canāt have that with a 19 year old kid begging for your help.
The first shot does a little thing we call out as displacement. They all will; no matter what they tell you. You learn to adjust that out for the next round, or you often will drop the round three or four hundred yards to the left and then adjust all the āmovementā out for the next round. All gunners are taught this in one form or another. Itās also very critical when shooting close to friendlies (nobody wants to get the wrong guys)
Iāve noticed that with the M777 they use one guy to seat the round into the refiling. This is fine as long as you are consistent. We used about one and a half men to do this; even though one was good enough. I remember just putting the round in the chamber, and it was shown to us that the seated round was a little better down range. Thereās a lot of little factors that start to add up fast in a fire mission. Things like barrel heat, powder temps, wind, and rain. The more of these little things you remove the better you shoot.
gary
2 Likes
I just spent $89 for an in country M110 from AFV. I compared it to the last M110 I had in the stash (think I paid close to $40) and it was an awakening! It really needs little if any after market, while the Italeri needs everything. About the only thing I see it needs are figures and the correct 8" rounds. I see it as a win!
gary
1 Like
Reloads cost slightly more than 40 cents per round. If you want to be ālegitā you can even use Russian primers. I buy them 5000 at a whack at Dongās in Tulsa. Havenāt had one fail yet.
Before someone says anything, yes, you obviously use rifle primers.
Thanks, but I donāt need to start another hobby of reloading. Too many extracurriculars already.
Iām not suggesting you do. However, I reload .500 S&W for a friend for $2.50 a pop. they would cost him $5.00 per round plus tax and shipping. A reloader making them for .40 a round would only charge .60 at the most.
But hereās the puzzling thing. Are you using mil-surp? Whether the answer is yes or no, there is far superior, non corrosive factory ammo out there for .65/rd.
I was buying the Tula Arms boxes, but most places have run out of them since the embargo. The cheapest I found them last time I bought any (a few months ago), that was the price I paid.
Yes, I remember I was actually attending the 40 level Field Artillery course three or nfour years ago when someone on the archived site made the claim that the M109 Paladin had a lock out. It does not.
Similarly, another clain was made that you could not stand on the rear deck of an M110 while it fired, which is of course also false. For exactly the reason you posted - it does have a lock out.
in neither of these instances did I think it merited started a pissing contest (there was already one about towed artillery being less mobile) but in the future I shall correct any BS being put out.
1 Like
Nr 9 and nr 10
The same problem can be solved in many ways, spades for instance or modern targeting systems.
This is how Sweden does it:
Three rounds, start rolling before the first round impacts.
The M109 rocks a little but doesnāt move in any direction.
A locked suspension ccould cause other problems when all the recoil forces have to be absorbed without any suspension travel.
Three soldeirs on the deck as its fired. Puts another myth to rest. A little jump, but lock out mitigates most of it.
A nice detail - note the swab and bucket hung outside the vehicle to the right.
Didnāt jump but it DID roll backwards a little.
There is also the other myth that battleships moved sideways when firing a broadside
Just look at that huge wake,
which isnāt a wake,
itās the muzzle blast whipping the surface of the water
It goes hand in hand with the laws of physics defying victim of a shotgun blast being thrown backwardsā¦ Doesnāt happen.
1 Like