However, the increased weight of the vehicle combined with narrow tracks led to poor off-road mobility.

Consequently, for the rest of the conversions, hulls fitted with HVSS suspension and Cummins V-8 460 horsepower (340 kW) diesel engine were adopted.

[7] In total, about 300 M-50s were built by 1964 (though it's possible that this number includes 120 155 mm self-propelled guns on Sherman chassis, also designated M-50).

[8] In the 1960s, 180 Sherman tanks received a shortened version of the even more powerful French 105 mm Modèle F1 gun.

The barrel length of the gun was reduced from 56 caliber to 51[9] and it was equipped with a unique double-baffle muzzle brake; ammunition was altered to use a smaller cartridge.

[5] The first 25 M-50s were finished just in time for Operation Kadesh – the Israeli 29 October 1956 invasion of the Sinai – against the Egyptian Army[5] (which also employed its own up-gunned version of the M4 Sherman, fitted with the French AMX-13 turret, making it equal to the M-50 in firepower).

The Arab nations were in uproar, and Syria began a project to divert water into Jordan (the Headwater Diversion Plan).

A few days later, General Tal, with an M-50 and a Centurion Mk III tank, was waiting for a chance to fire upon the Syrian water diverting project.

The M-51 served well during its time, and is regarded as an excellent example of how an obsolete tank (the Sherman) can be upgraded beyond the limits of its original capabilities.