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Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
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OT - Where are all the M1/M1IP's?
exgrunt
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Massachusetts, United States
Joined: December 17, 2013
KitMaker: 301 posts
Armorama: 301 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 28, 2020 - 02:26 PM UTC
Random question, what happened to all the earlier 105mm M1's? Are they sitting in a field somewhere rusting away, did they all get scrapped or did they get rebuilt into later A1 versions?

They were all over Europe for a short time in the 80's and then it seems like they simply disappeared.

HermannB
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Bayern, Germany
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Saturday, March 28, 2020 - 04:48 PM UTC
Why should they be brought to storage when you can rebuild them into M1A1`s or M1A2`s?
panamadan
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: July 20, 2004
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Posted: Saturday, March 28, 2020 - 05:40 PM UTC
I'm sure many were rebuilt and many put out to pasture.
The Army isn't so big now and not so many tanks are needed.
D
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Saturday, March 28, 2020 - 08:17 PM UTC
Just waiting for better days...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bFKFcp0LM0

H.P.
JohnTapsell
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United Kingdom
Joined: August 24, 2011
KitMaker: 227 posts
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Posted: Saturday, March 28, 2020 - 09:10 PM UTC
A lot of them went to the National Guard, although they have long since been replaced with newer Abrams variants. I climbed all over one such example back in 2000 but it must have been virtually at the end of its service life.

With the exception of less than 100(?) vehicles that were 'new-builds' off the production line, all subsequent M1A2s are rebuilds of earlier variants. That included a major program to upgrade the M1/IPM1 to M1A2 standards. Inevitably, not every single vehicle will have gone through the upgrade process, but the vast majority did so.

I don't think the US Army has purchased any truly new Abrams since the early '90s.

John
exgrunt
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Massachusetts, United States
Joined: December 17, 2013
KitMaker: 301 posts
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 12:59 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Just waiting for better days...


H.P.



Wow, 105 tubes as far as the eye could see. Where was this pic taken?

Glad to hear that they were rebuilt, just curious, did they just use the hulls or were they able to refab the turrets for the new gun and upgraded armor? The history of the M1 is truly fascinating.
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 02:42 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Wow, 105 tubes as far as the eye could see. Where was this pic taken?



I guess it could be Anniston Army Depot in Alabama.

H.P.
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 02:49 AM UTC
I went to SFAUC with 20th SFG back in 2004 there. If they were there, they were very well hidden. I searched that post completely looking for interesting things, like the fabled two headed frogs that dwell there as a result of the chemical munitions...
AKirchhoff
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Germany
Joined: September 12, 2008
KitMaker: 307 posts
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 04:48 AM UTC
Hi,

if you watch the youtube video linked it the post, just at the beginning of it it´s said that it is recorded at Sierra Army Depot. Just east of Reno, at the CA/Nevada border.

Andreas
Kenaicop
#384
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Nevada, United States
Joined: August 23, 2005
KitMaker: 1,426 posts
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 07:03 AM UTC
And if you google earth Sierra Depot, it looks like there is still quite a bit of unmodified tanks out there. Hard to tell, but it doesn’t look like there are any tanks out there with the manhole covers on the turrets, for the CITV. also looks like a lot of them are missing their commanders weapon stations. Strange.

To add, just found another area to the east that looks like A1’s / A2’s, the manhole covers are distinct, although blurry. There’s a lot of freaking M1’s out there.
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 10:06 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi,

if you watch the youtube video linked it the post, just at the beginning of it it´s said that it is recorded at Sierra Army Depot. Just east of Reno, at the CA/Nevada border.



The Anniston Depot was mentioned in a caption I've found for this picture. It's not related to the video.

H.P.
panamadan
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: July 20, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 12:49 PM UTC
Around 7-8K were made.
Certainly don't need many now.
Dan
Tankrider
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Oklahoma, United States
Joined: October 07, 2002
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2020 - 03:20 AM UTC
John,
As many have mentioned, the big turret M1IPs (or more correctly IPM1s) have been rebuilt into M1A2 SEPs/SEP V2s over the past 10 or so years as part of the AIM program. The small turreted M1s have have been put out to pasture, gate guards or possibly long term storage.

John
SWATdoc
#503
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2006
KitMaker: 147 posts
Armorama: 138 posts
Posted: Monday, March 30, 2020 - 12:50 PM UTC
Hello Frenchy,

I believe that this is a photo taken at Camp Shelby, MS.

Respectfully,

Allen
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2020 - 01:19 PM UTC
Again, like Anniston, Camp Shelby is another base I've spent considerable time at. I actually took the family there twice for vacations. They rent two bedroom cabins on the lake for $30/night. I search this base every time I'm there. While they do have both an Abrams and Bradley refit facility (my daughter TC'ed a Bradley several years ago) I've never found any Abrams more interesting than one being being upgraded.



Or this one old school example rusting away all by itself:



I did find a slew of original Bradley A0's, set to be re-purposed.



Sadly, the last time I was there just a few months ago this is the most interesting vehicle I could find to do a walk around of:



At least the barbecue in Mizzssippi is still good, especially the place outside of Shelby on Highway 49 that proudly proclaims in all its neon garishness that "Nobody beats our meat."
b2nhvi
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Nevada, United States
Joined: June 17, 2016
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Posted: Monday, March 30, 2020 - 03:49 PM UTC
I saw a video (might have been posted on here) of a train load of M1s heading somewhere. Video was over in the Cal. Central Valley. SWAG is they were coming out of the Sierra Depot. Looked like they were 105 gunned and had lots of bits and pieces missing.
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