At the Big Sandy Shoot in March of 2021, Battlefield Vegas showed up with a completely restored and battle-scarred Israeli M-50 Sherman tank. Its 75mm gun roared to the glee of the spectators.
RESTORATION PASSION
The restoration of the M-50 was completed by a group of talented individuals at Battlefield Vegas called the Heavy Hitters. As Battlefield started to offer more outdoor experiences where customers could drive and fire tanks, a team was necessary to restore and maintain the military vehicles.
OLD WARRIOR
The Israeli M-50 Sherman is one of many impressive military vehicles in Battlefield's inventory. "This tank is an old warrior," said Rickard at the Big Sandy Shoot. "It has seen some serious action in multiple conflicts over the years." Included in these battles are the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War.
BATTLE SCARS
As a result of her activity on various battlegrounds, she bears multiple scars on her steel skin.
"She's taken some hits, and we brought her back to life – fully operational capability." To the best of his knowledge, it's the only fully functional and firing M-50 in private hand in the United States.
CN 75-50 75MM GUN
After WWII, a large quantity of American M4 Sherman tanks ended up in the Israeli military service from 1948 onwards. Israel put them to good use. In 1956, they up-gunned their Shermans from the standard WWII 75mm to the more powerful French CN 75-50 75mm gun.
"Unlike your standard 75mm of World War II, which was relatively low velocity, this is a massive charge, a massive round, and it is a high-velocity gun they put on the battlefield to face up-armored enemy vehicles," said Rickard, holding a massive round in his arms. It was one of many rounds Battlefield fired from their M-50 at the event. The warheads they fired weighed approximately 12 pounds and left the barrel at approximately 3,000 feet per second.
EFFECTIVE WEAPON
By all accounts, the M-50 was an effective weapon on the battlefield. She was also bristling with smaller guns.
"You have a 1919 bow gun, a 1919 crew-commanders armor piece, you have the co-ax 1919, and then an M2 .50 cal on the top," said Rickard.
Without a doubt, the M-50 could stand her ground.
UZI DOES IT
Another interesting note about guns on the Israeli M-50 Sherman is that each of of the five-man crew had an UZI with a collapsible stock available to them inside the turret. This was in case they needed to exit the tank in an emergency in enemy territory. For this, the UZI was an ideal firearm.
If you're interested in driving or firing the Israeli M-50 Sherman, or many other tanks or military vehicles, get in contact with Battlefield Vegas. Their indoor firing range is located just behind Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas. They're Outdoor Experience is located about 30 minutes southwest of Vegas.
