I skipped reading about half the thread, but I've had some serious issues fighting the M4A3(76)W. The armor surrounding the gun barrel seems nigh impenetrable. I went against one in a Tiger at 500 yards, me in a hull-down bunker, him hull-down under a ridge. Three shots in varying places on his mantlet bounced. He bounced four rounds, fifth killed my turret, seventh killed my tank. I dunno, but it seems to me the Sherman would lose the entire turret structure if hit point-blank with a Tiger's AP round.