The M60A1+ (series) has “3” first stowage ammo racks, one in the back of the turret with 21 rounds, one upright in the left hull with 13 rounds, and 3 more right next to the previous. The racks found in the hull are prioritized to the ones in the turret which really doesn’t make sense. If you were a M60 loader, wouldn’t you rather move a large 105mm round from right behind you at chest level than lift one off the floor in an upright position? If the rounds in the turret were prioritized, you would be able to carry 21+1 rounds without immediately dying from any penetrating shot anywhere in half of the entire hull (frontally). This would greatly improve survivability of the M60 which has great armor at is BR (most of the times I can tank 2-3 shots) but with the unrealistically prioritized ammo situation, any shot in half the hull one shots me. I would have to take 14 rounds (which already isn’t a lot) any still 1/3-1/2 of my hull is ammo detonation zone, while the turret is empty. Sure, having ammo all grouped together in the back of the turret isn’t the best situation being shot in the side of the turret or shot on the left, but you are pretty much dead if an enemy has LOS and flanked you and getting shot by a high penning round in the left turret isn’t all too likely to happen or even to detonate ammo due to the good armor.
I don’t have any confirmed sources stating the proper prioritization of the ammunition in the M60 tank series, but common sense and all three parts equally considered “first stage” should at least give the tank the favorable spot to put ammo. I’ve read some things and someone said, “An interesting note was an smoke rounds should be stored in one of the 13 spaces in the 'ready rack” next to the main gun and in front of the loader station. That’s because at high temps, the WP in the projectile would liquify. By storing them vertically, the stuff settled evenly to the base as opposed to the “bottom” if stored in the turret or hull racks." I would imagine that this only applied to the smoke shells, meaning only the smoke shells were preferred/needed to be stored in the hull. ([email protected] | Ammo Load Out for M60A1 - Does anyone know?)
TLDR: M60A1+'s three first stage ammo racks prioritizes hull ammo over the turret ammo, greatly decreasing survivability.