Don't pound the round!

Depending on how it's handled, the ammunition for your tank's main gun can be deadly to you as well as the enemy, crewmen.

Ammunition that is improperly stored in the ammo ready racks can be damaged, resulting in an explosion or fire. So when placing ammo into the ready racks, follow these tips:

* Make sure the tapered part of the round is past the tube edge before pushing it into the rack. The round can be damaged if it snags on the rack edge.

* Push the round in with only enough force to allow the spring clip to engage. Too much force damages the round.

* Make sure the round is locked into the tube with the spring clip. Unsecured rounds may be hit as the ammo door slides open and closed. If the primer is hit, the round could fire inside the ammo compartment.

* Remove only one round at a time during a fire mission or when downloading ammunition from the tank.

* Place a few bags of desiccant, NSN 6850-00-264-6571, on the floor of the ammo compartment. That keeps down moisture that can lead to corrosion damage. Replace the desiccant when you begin seeing sings of moisture reappearing in the ammo compartment.

* Before operation, check the ammo door seals for cracks, breaks, tears or missing rubber. A damaged seal makes your tank NMC, so make a note until the info is added to your TM.