M3 (90 mm)

The M3 (90 mm) on the M36B2 gun mantlet.

This page is about the the tank cannon M3 (90 mm). For other uses, see M3 (Disambiguation).

Description

The 90 mm M3 is an American anti-tank cannon mainly equipping the M36 Jackson and the M26 Pershing families. Put into service in 1944 shortly before the end of WW2, it also served in the Korean War and until the 1960s.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

Vehicles equipped with this weapon
Light tanks	Super Hellcat
Medium tanks	T25 · M26 · M26 T99 · M26 "D.C.Ariete"
Heavy tanks	T26E5
Tank destroyers	M36 GMC · ␗M36 GMC · M36B2 · ▄M36B2

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.

Available ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M77 shot	AP	162	160	148	135	123	113
T33 shot	APBC	175	172	160	146	134	122
M82 shot	APCBC	185	182	169	155	142	130
M82 shot	APCBC	185	182	169	155	142	130
M304 shot	APCR	287	281	259	234	211	191
M71 shell	HE	20	20	18	17	16	16
M82 shot (M36B2)	APCBC	185	182	170	156	144	132
M348 shell	HEATFS	305	305	305	305	305	305

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M77 shot	AP	822	10.61	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
T33 shot	APBC	853	10.91	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.91	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M82 shot	APCBC	853	10.91	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M304 shot	APCR	1,021	7.62	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°
M71 shell	HE	823	10.55	0.2	0.1	1,210	79°	80°	81°
M82 shot (M36B2)	APCBC	853	10.91	1.2	14	137.2	48°	63°	71°
M348 shell	HEATFS	853	6.5	0.05	0.1	926.17	65°	72°	77°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M313	821	10.7	9	5	20	50

Comparison with analogues

The 90 mm M3 is broadly similar to the German 88 mm Flak 18 and Soviet 85 mm M1939; in-game the 90 mm M3 has impressive performance that is somewhat inferior in penetration relative to the German 88 mm and inferior in explosive damage relative to the Soviet 85 mm. The 90 mm M3 is a considerable improvement for US tankers accustomed to fighting heavier late-war tanks with the 75 mm and 76 mm.

Usage in battles

Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• The 90 mm M3 is a substantial improvement over the 76 mm gun and offers US tankers a weapon roughly comparable the German 88 mm Flak 18 and Soviet 85 mm.
• The 90 mm M3 is a weapon used on numerous US late-war and postwar tank designs, ensuring that users become intimately familiar with its capabilities and experts in its effective employment due to frequent usage as they progress through Rank VI and Rank V.
• M82 shot has a large amount of high-explosive filler - frequently kills enemy vehicles with one shot.
• Notable step up from the preceding 76 mm M1 - enemies like the Tiger I and Panther series are easier to destroy at range.
• Offers a large selection of shells: AP, APCBC, HE, smoke and APCR to engage any type of enemy.

Cons:

• By the time you get this thing, the Germans are fielding tanks and tank destroyers toting the 75 mm Kwk42 L/70 (AKA the long 75) and even some vehicles with the 88 mm KwK43/PaK43 L/71 (AKA the long 88), the Soviets are fielding similarly heavy armour and numerous vehicles with the legendary 122 mm gun.
• The 90 mm M3 is unlikely to frontally penetrate most of the opposing vehicles you'll face, and the extra power relative to the 76 mm is somewhat irrelevant when taking side shots.
• Requires the use of APCR to engage heavily armoured tanks like the Tiger II (H) from the front.
• Lacking in firepower compared to the German 88 mm KwK43/PaK43, British 84 mm QF 20-pounder and Soviet 122 mm D-25T - flanking is frequently required to effectively engage enemy tanks.
• Reload is noticeably longer than on the 76 mm M1.
• The medium tank T25 is the only 90 mm M3 armed tank with a stabilizer .

History

Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• M3A1 (90 mm) - Successor installed on the M46 Patton
• Cannone da 90/50 M3A1 (90 mm) - Italian variant of the M3A1
• T15E1 (90 mm) - Experimental gun developed to remedy the lack of penetration of the M3 against heavy German armour

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

USA tank cannons
20 mm	M139
25 mm	LW25 · M242
37 mm	M3 · M5 · M6
57 mm	M1
75 mm	M2 · M2 Howitzer · M3 · M6 · M1897A4 · XM274
76 mm	M1 · M7 · M32 · T185E1
90 mm	M3 · M3A1 · M36 · M41 · M54 · T15E1 · T15E2 · T54 · T208E9
105 mm	M4 · M68 · M68A1 · M68A1E8 · T5E1 · T5E2 · T140E2 · T140E3 · XM35
106 mm	M40A1C
120 mm	M58 · M256 · T53
152 mm	M81 · M162 · XM150E5
155 mm	M185 · T7
165 mm	M135
	Foreign:
20 mm	Rh202 (Germany)
57 mm	6pdr OQF Mk.III (Britain) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
105 mm	Sharir (Israel)
120 mm	IMI MG251 (Israel)

China tank cannons
30 mm	ZPL02 · ZPZ02
73 mm	Type 86
76 mm	M32K1
85 mm	Type 56 · Type 63
100 mm	PTP86 · Type 59 · Type 69 · Type 69-II · ZPL04
105 mm	88B-105T · Type 83 · WMA301 · ZPL94 · ZPL98A
120 mm	122TM · PTZ89
125 mm	Type 88C · Type 99A · ZPT98
130 mm	PL59A Gai
152 mm	PL66 Gai
	Foreign:
20 mm	KwK30 (Germany)
37 mm	M6 (USA)
45 mm	20-K (USSR)
47 mm	Type 1 (Japan)
57 mm	Type 97 (Japan) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
75 mm	M2 Howitzer (USA) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA)
76 mm	D-56T (USSR) · F-34 (USSR) · M1 (USA) · M7 (USA) · ZIS-3 (USSR)
85 mm	ZIS-S-53 (USSR)
90 mm	M3 (USA) · M41 (USA)
100 mm	D-10S (USSR)
105 mm	M68 (USA) · M68A1 (USA)
115 mm	U-5TS (USSR)
122 mm	A-19 (USSR) · D-25T (USSR)
152 mm	ML-20S (USSR)

Italy tank cannons
20 mm	Breda Mod.35 · Fucile Controcarri S Mod.39
25 mm	Oerlikon KBA B02
37 mm	Vickers-Terni 37/40 mod.18
47 mm	47/32 mod.35 · 47/32 mod.39 · 47/40 mod.38
60 mm	Cannone da 60/70 · OTO HVG
75 mm	75/18 mod.34 · 75/32 mod.37 · 75/34 mod.39 · Ansaldo 75 L/34 · OTO 75/43 mod.40
90 mm	90/53 mod.41 · Cannone da 90/50 M3A1 · Cockerill Mk.3
100 mm	Cannone da 100/17 Mod.1914
105 mm	Cannone Ansaldo da 105/25 · OTO Melara 105/52 · OTO Melara 105/55
106 mm	Cannone da 106 s.r.M40A1
120 mm	OTO Breda 120/44 · OTO Melara 120/45
	Foreign:
30 mm	Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
37 mm	M6 (USA)
75 mm	KwK37 (Germany) · KwK40 L48 (Germany) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA) · StuK40 L48 (Germany)
76 mm	M1 (USA) · QF 17-pounder (Britain)
90 mm	M3 (USA)
105 mm	L7A3 (Germany) · M68 (USA)
155 mm	M126 (USA)
	Hungary
20 mm	Solothurn QF.36M
40 mm	37/42M · MÁVAG 41.M 40/51
75 mm	41.M · 43.M
105 mm	MÁVAG 40/43M
	Foreign:
30 mm	2A72 (USSR) · MK 30-2/ABM (Germany)
88 mm	KwK36 (Germany)
120 mm	Rh120 L/44 (Germany) · Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany)
122 mm	2A31 (USSR)
125 mm	2A46 (USSR)