Armor-piercing projectile. Damage to armor with various types of ammunition. Rotating cumulative projectiles

) and 40 tons (“Puma”, “Namer”). In this regard, overcoming the armor protection of these vehicles is serious problem For anti-tank ammunition, which include armor-piercing and cumulative shells, missiles and rocket-propelled grenades with kinetic and cumulative warheads, as well as submunitions with an impact core.

Among them, armor-piercing sabot shells and missiles with a kinetic warhead are the most effective. Possessing high armor penetration, they differ from other anti-tank ammunition in their high approach speed, low sensitivity to the effects of dynamic protection, relative independence of the weapon guidance system from natural/artificial interference, and low cost. Moreover, these types of anti-tank ammunition can be guaranteed to overcome the active protection system of armored vehicles, all in to a greater extent becoming widespread as the leading line of interception of destructive elements.

Currently, only armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles are accepted for service. They fire mainly from smooth-bore guns of small (30-57 mm), medium (76-125 mm) and large (140-152 mm) calibers. The projectile consists of a two-support drive device, the diameter of which coincides with the diameter of the barrel bore, consisting of sections that are separated after departure from the barrel, and a striking element - an armor-piercing rod, in the nose part of which a ballistic tip is installed, in the tail part - an aerodynamic stabilizer and a tracer charge.

The armor-piercing rod material used is ceramics based on tungsten carbide (density 15.77 g/cc), as well as metal alloys based on uranium (density 19.04 g/cc) or tungsten (density 19.1 g/cm3). cc) . The diameter of the armor-piercing rod ranges from 30 mm (outdated models) to 20 mm (modern models). The higher the density of the rod material and the smaller the diameter, the greater the specific pressure the projectile exerts on the armor at the point of its contact with the front end of the rod.

Metal rods have much greater bending strength than ceramic ones, which is very important when a projectile interacts with shrapnel elements of active protection or thrown dynamic protection plates. At the same time, the uranium alloy, despite its slightly lower density, has an advantage over tungsten - the armor penetration of the first is 15-20 percent greater due to the ablative self-sharpening of the rod in the process of penetrating armor, starting from an impact speed of 1600 m/s, provided by modern cannon shots.

Tungsten alloy begins to exhibit ablative self-sharpening starting at 2000 m/s, requiring new ways to accelerate projectiles. At lower speeds, the front end of the rod is flattened, increasing the penetration channel and reducing the depth of penetration of the rod into the armor.

Along with this advantage, uranium alloy has one drawback - in case nuclear conflict neutron radiation penetrating the tank induces secondary radiation in the uranium, affecting the crew. Therefore, in the arsenal of armor-piercing projectiles it is necessary to have models with rods made of both uranium and tungsten alloys, intended for two types of military operations.

Uranium and tungsten alloys also have pyrophoricity - the ignition of heated metal dust particles in air after penetration of armor, which serves as an additional damaging factor. This property manifests itself in them starting at the same speeds as ablative self-sharpening. Another damaging factor is dust. heavy metals, which has a negative biological effect on the crew of enemy tanks.

The driving device is made of aluminum alloy or carbon fiber, the ballistic tip and aerodynamic stabilizer are made of steel. The driving device serves to accelerate the projectile in the bore, after which it is thrown back, so its weight should be minimized by using composite materials instead of aluminum alloy. The aerodynamic stabilizer is exposed to thermal effects from the powder gases generated during the combustion of the powder charge, which can affect the shooting accuracy, and therefore it is made of heat-resistant steel.

Armor penetration kinetic projectiles and missiles is determined in the form of the thickness of a plate of homogeneous steel installed perpendicular to the flight axis of the striking element, or at a certain angle. In the latter case, the reduced penetration of the equivalent thickness of the plate is ahead of the penetration of the plate installed along the normal, due to the large specific loads upon entry and exit of the armor-piercing rod into/from the inclined armor.

When entering inclined armor, the projectile forms a characteristic ridge above the penetration channel. The blades of the aerodynamic stabilizer, when destroyed, leave a characteristic “star” on the armor, by the number of rays of which one can determine the identity of the projectile (Russian - five rays). In the process of penetrating the armor, the rod is intensively ground down and significantly shortens its length. When leaving the armor, it bends elastically and changes the direction of its movement.

A typical representative of the penultimate generation of armor-piercing artillery ammunition is the Russian 125-mm separate-loading shot 3BM19, which includes a 4Zh63 case with the main propellant charge and a 3BM44M case containing an additional propellant charge and the 3BM42M Lekalo sub-caliber projectile itself. Designed for use in the 2A46M1 gun and newer modifications. The dimensions of the shot allow it to be placed only in modified versions of the automatic loader.

The ceramic core of the projectile is made of tungsten carbide, placed in a steel protective casing. The driving device is made of carbon fiber. The material used for the cartridge cases (except for the steel tray of the main propellant charge) was cardboard impregnated with trinitrotoluene. The length of the cartridge case with the projectile is 740 mm, the length of the projectile is 730 mm, the length of the armor-piercing rod is 570 mm, the diameter is 22 mm. The weight of the shot is 20.3 kg, the cartridge case with the projectile is 10.7 kg, and the armor-piercing rod is 4.75 kg. The initial velocity of the projectile is 1750 m/s, armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters along the normal 650 mm of homogeneous steel.

The latest generation of Russian armor-piercing artillery ammunition is represented by 125-mm separate-loading rounds 3VBM22 and 3VBM23, loaded in two types sub-caliber shells- respectively 3VBM59 “Svinets-1” with an armor-piercing rod made of tungsten alloy and 3VBM60 with an armor-piercing rod made of uranium alloy. The main propellant charge is loaded into a 4Zh96 Ozon-T cartridge case.

The dimensions of the new projectiles coincide with the dimensions of the Lekalo projectile. Their weight is increased to 5 kg due to the greater density of the rod material. To accelerate heavy projectiles, a larger main propellant charge is used in the barrel, which limits the use of shots including Svinets-1 and Svinets-2 projectiles only new gun 2A82, which has an enlarged charging chamber. Armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters can be estimated, respectively, as 700 and 800 mm of homogeneous steel.

Unfortunately, the Lekalo, Svinets-1 and Svinets-2 projectiles have a significant design flaw in the form of centering screws located along the perimeter of the supporting surfaces of the driving devices (protrusions on the front supporting surface and points on the surface of the cartridge case visible in the figure ). The centering screws serve to stablely guide the projectile in the bore, but their heads have a destructive effect on the surface of the bore.

In foreign designs of the latest generation, precision obturator rings are used instead of screws, which reduces barrel wear by five times when firing an armor-piercing sabot projectile.

The previous generation of foreign armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles is represented by the German DM63, which is part of a unitary shot for the standard 120-mm NATO smoothbore gun. The armor-piercing rod is made of tungsten alloy. The weight of the shot is 21.4 kg, the weight of the projectile is 8.35 kg, and the weight of the armor-piercing rod is 5 kg. Shot length is 982 mm, projectile length is 745 mm, core length is 570 mm, diameter is 22 mm. When firing from a cannon with a barrel length of 55 calibers, the initial speed is 1730 m/s, the speed drop along the flight path is stated at 55 m/s for every 1000 meters. Armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters is normally estimated at 700 mm of homogeneous steel.

The latest generation of foreign armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles includes the American M829A3, which is also part of the unitary round for the standard 120-mm NATO smoothbore gun. Unlike the D63 projectile, the armor-piercing rod of the M829A3 projectile is made of uranium alloy. The weight of the shot is 22.3 kg, the weight of the projectile is 10 kg, and the weight of the armor-piercing rod is 6 kg. The shot length is 982 mm, the projectile length is 924 mm, the core length is 800 mm. When firing from a cannon with a 55-caliber barrel length, the initial speed is 1640 m/s, the speed drop is stated at 59.5 m/s for every 1000 meters. Armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters is estimated at 850 mm of homogeneous steel.

When comparing the latest generation of Russian and American sub-caliber projectiles equipped with armor-piercing cores made of uranium alloy, a difference in the level of armor penetration is visible, largely due to the degree of elongation of their striking elements - 26-fold for the rod of the Svinets-2 projectile and 37-fold for the rod of the M829A3 projectile. In the latter case, a quarter greater specific load is provided at the point of contact between the rod and the armor. In general, the dependence of the armor penetration value of projectiles on the speed, weight and elongation of their striking elements is presented in the following diagram.

An obstacle to increasing the elongation of the striking element and, consequently, the armor penetration of Russian shells is the automatic loader device, first implemented in 1964 in the Soviet T-64 tank and repeated in all subsequent models domestic tanks, which provides for the horizontal arrangement of projectiles in a conveyor, the diameter of which cannot exceed the internal width of the body, equal to two meters. Taking into account the diameter of the casing of Russian shells, their length is limited to 740 mm, which is 182 mm less than the length of American shells.

In order to achieve parity with the cannon armament of a potential enemy for our tank building, the primary task for the future is the transition to unitary shots, placed vertically in the automatic loader, the shells of which have a length of at least 924 mm.

Other ways to increase the effectiveness of traditional armor-piercing projectiles without increasing the caliber of guns have practically exhausted themselves due to restrictions on the pressure in the charging chamber of the barrel, developed during the combustion of a powder charge, due to the strength of weapon steel. When moving to more large caliber the size of the shots becomes comparable to the width of the tank hull, forcing the shells to be placed in the aft niche of the turret of increased dimensions and low degree of protection. For comparison, the photo shows a shot of 140 mm caliber and a length of 1485 mm next to a mock-up of a 120 mm caliber shot and a length of 982 mm.

In this regard, in the USA, within the framework of the MRM (Mid Range Munition) program, active-missiles MRM-KE with a kinetic warhead and MRM-CE with a cumulative warhead. They are loaded into a standard 120 mm cannon shot cartridge with a propellant charge. The caliber housing of the projectiles contains a radar homing head (GOS), a striking element (an armor-piercing rod or a shaped charge), impulse trajectory correction engines, an accelerating rocket engine and a tail unit. The weight of one projectile is 18 kg, the weight of the armor-piercing rod is 3.7 kg. The initial speed at the muzzle level is 1100 m/s; after the acceleration engine is completed, it increases to 1650 m/s.

Even more impressive figures have been achieved within the framework of the creation of anti-tank kinetic rocket CKEM (Compact Kinetic Energy Missile), the length of which is 1500 mm, weight 45 kg. The rocket is launched from a transport and launch container using a powder charge, after which the rocket is accelerated by a booster solid propellant engine to a speed of almost 2000 m/s (Mach 6.5) in 0.5 seconds.

The subsequent ballistic flight of the missile is carried out under the control of a radar seeker and aerodynamic rudders with stabilization in the air using the tail. The minimum effective firing range is 400 meters. The kinetic energy of the striking element - the armor-piercing rod at the end of the reactive acceleration reaches 10 mJ.

During the tests of the MRM-KE projectiles and the CKEM missile, the main drawback of their design was revealed - unlike sub-caliber armor-piercing projectiles with a separable leading device, the inertial flight of the striking elements of the caliber projectile and kinetic missile is carried out assembled with a body of large cross-section and increased aerodynamic resistance, which causes a significant drop in speed along the trajectory and a decrease in the effective firing range. In addition, the radar seeker, pulse correction engines and aerodynamic rudders have low weight perfection, which forces the weight of the armor-piercing rod to be reduced, which negatively affects its penetration.

The way out of this situation is seen in the transition to the separation in flight of the caliber body of the projectile/missile and the armor-piercing rod after the completion of the rocket engine, by analogy with the separation of the driving device and the armor-piercing rod included in the sub-caliber projectiles after their departure from the barrel. Separation can be carried out using an expelling powder charge, triggered at the end of the acceleration phase of the flight. The seeker of a reduced size should be located directly in the ballistic tip of the rod, while control of the flight vector must be implemented on new principles.

A similar technical problem was solved within the framework of the BLAM (Barrel Launched Adaptive Munition) project to create guided small-caliber artillery shells, carried out at the AAL (Adaptive Aerostructures Laboratory) at Auburn University for the US Air Force. The goal of the project was to create a compact homing system that combines a target detector, a controlled aerodynamic surface and its drive in one volume.

The developers decided to change the direction of flight by deflecting the head end of the projectile at a small angle. At supersonic speed, a deflection of a fraction of a degree is quite enough to create a force capable of carrying out a control action. The technical solution was proposed to be simple - the ballistic tip of the projectile rests on a spherical surface, which plays the role of a ball joint; several piezoceramic rods are used to drive the tip, arranged in a circle at an angle to the longitudinal axis. Changing their length depending on the applied voltage, the rods deflect the tip of the projectile to the desired angle and with the desired frequency.

Calculations determined the strength requirements for the control system:
— acceleration acceleration up to 20,000 g;
— acceleration along the trajectory up to 5,000 g;
— projectile speed up to 5000 m/s;
— tip deflection angle up to 0.12 degrees;
— drive operating frequency up to 200 Hz;
— drive power 0.028 Watt.

Recent advances in the miniaturization of infrared radiation sensors, laser accelerometers, computing processors and lithium-ion power sources resistant to high accelerations (such as electronic devices for guided projectiles - American and Russian) make it possible in the period until 2020 to create and adopt kinetic shells and missiles with an initial flight speed of over two kilometers per second, which will significantly increase the effectiveness of anti-tank ammunition, and will also make it possible to abandon the use of uranium as part of their destructive elements.

The term "sabot projectile" is most often used in tank forces. These types of shells are used along with cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation shells. But if earlier there was a division into armor-piercing and sub-caliber ammunition, then now it makes sense to talk only about armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles. Let's talk about what a sub-caliber is and what its key features and operating principle are.

Basic information

The key difference between sub-caliber shells and conventional armored shells is that the diameter of the core, that is, the main part, is smaller than the caliber of the gun. At the same time, the second main part - the pallet - is made according to the diameter of the gun. The main purpose of such ammunition is to defeat heavily armored targets. Typically these are heavy tanks and fortified buildings.

It is worth noting that the armor-piercing sabot projectile has increased penetration due to its high initial flight speed. The specific pressure when breaking through armor has also been increased. To do this, it is advisable to use materials that have the highest possible specific gravity as a core. Tungsten and depleted uranium are suitable for these purposes. Stabilization of the projectile's flight is realized by fins. There is nothing new here, since the principle of flight of an ordinary arrow is used.

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile and its description

As we noted above, such ammunition is ideal for shooting at tanks. The interesting thing is that the sub-caliber does not have the usual fuse and explosive. The principle of operation of the projectile is entirely based on its kinetic energy. If you compare it, it is something similar to a massive high-velocity bullet.

The subcaliber consists of a reel body. A core is inserted into it, which is often 3 times smaller than the caliber of the gun. High-strength metal-ceramic alloys are used as core material. If previously it was tungsten, today depleted uranium is more popular for a number of reasons. During the shot, the entire load is taken by the pallet, thereby ensuring the initial flight speed. Since the weight of such a projectile is less than that of a conventional armor-piercing projectile, by reducing the caliber it was possible to achieve an increase in flight speed. We are talking about significant values. Thus, a finned sabot projectile flies at a speed of 1,600 m/s, while a classic armor-piercing projectile flies at 800-1,000 m/s.

The effect of a sub-caliber projectile

Quite interesting is how such ammunition works. During contact with the armor, it creates a small diameter hole in it due to high kinetic energy. Part of the energy is spent on destroying the target’s armor, and projectile fragments scatter into the armored space. Moreover, the trajectory is similar to a diverging cone. This leads to the machinery and equipment breaking down and the crew being injured. Most importantly, due to the high degree of pyrophoricity of depleted uranium, numerous fires occur, which in most cases leads to the complete failure of the combat unit. We can say that the sub-caliber projectile, the principle of operation of which we have examined, has increased armor penetration at long distances. Evidence of this is Operation Desert Storm, when the US Armed Forces used sub-caliber ammunition and hit armored targets at a distance of 3 km.

Types of PB shells

Currently, several effective designs of sub-caliber projectiles have been developed, which are used by the armed forces of various countries. In particular, we're talking about about the following:

With non-detachable tray. The projectile travels the entire path to the target as a single whole. Only the core is involved in penetration. This solution has not received sufficient distribution due to increased aerodynamic drag. As a result, the indicator of armor penetration and accuracy drops significantly with the distance to the target.
With non-detachable tray for conical implement. The essence of this solution is that when passing along a conical barrel, the pallet is crushed. This reduces aerodynamic drag.
A sub-caliber projectile with a detachable tray. The point is that the pallet is torn off by air forces or centrifugal forces (with a rifled gun). This allows you to significantly reduce air resistance in flight.

About cumulative

Such ammunition was first used by Nazi Germany in 1941. At that time, the USSR did not expect the use of such projectiles, since their principle of operation was known, but they were not yet in service. Key Feature similar shells were that they had high armor penetration due to the presence of instantaneous fuses and a cumulative notch. The problem encountered for the first time was that the projectile rotated during its flight. This led to the dispersion of the cumulative arrow and, as a result, reduced armor penetration. To exclude negative effect, it was proposed to use smoothbore guns.

Some interesting facts

It is worth noting that it was in the USSR that arrow-shaped armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles were developed. This was a real breakthrough, as it was possible to increase the length of the core. Almost no armor protected against a direct hit from such ammunition. Only a successful angle of inclination of the armor plate and, consequently, its increased thickness in the reduced state could help out. In the end, BOPS had such an advantage as flat trajectory flight range up to 4 km and high accuracy.

Conclusion

A cumulative sabot projectile is somewhat similar to a conventional sabot projectile. But in its body it has a fuse and an explosive. When armor is penetrated, such ammunition provides destructive effect both for equipment and manpower. Currently, the most common shells for guns are 115, 120, 125 mm, as well as artillery pieces 90, 100 and 105 mm. In general, this is all the information on this topic.

Secrets of Russian artillery. The last argument of the kings and commissars [with illustrations] Shirokorad Alexander Borisovich

Focus 3rd - sub-caliber shells

Work on creating sub-caliber shells began in our country at the end of 1918, and it is more convenient to talk about them in chronological order. The first domestic sub-caliber shells were manufactured in Petrograd at the beginning of 1919. By the way, in the documents of the Art Directorate of the Red Army 1918–1938. they were called combined. I use more modern name for the convenience of readers. The "combined" projectile consisted of a sabot and an "active" projectile. The weight of the entire structure was 236 kg, and the active projectile of 203 mm caliber was 110 kg.

The combined shells were intended for 356/52 mm guns, which were to be armed with Izmail-class battlecruisers. Initially, the Maritime Department planned to order 76 356/52 mm guns, of which 48 were going to be installed on cruisers, 24 as spare ones for cruisers, and 4 on a naval range. 36 guns were ordered to the Vickers plant in England and 40 to the Obukhov steel plant.

The 356/52 mm MA guns should not be confused with the 356/52 mm guns of the Army (SA). In 1912–1914 The GAU ordered the OSZ 17 356/52-mm SA cannons, which differed from naval guns in their greater weight and larger chamber volume.

Until October 1917, at least ten 356/52 mm guns were delivered from England, but the OSZ did not deliver a single one. Field tests of 356/52 mm guns began in 1917 on a special Durlyakher testing machine. In 1922, 8 finished Vickers guns and 7 unfinished OSZ guns were stored at the OSZ, of which 4 were 60% ready.

As a result, by 1918, only one 356/52-mm cannon, installed on the Durlyakher machine gun on Rzhevka, could fire. On this installation, the barrels were constantly changed, and it was always ready to fire. In 1941–1944 A 356-mm range installation from a standard 356/52-mm barrel fired at the German troops besieging Leningrad. The Durlyakher installation is still located on Rzhevka (but at least it was there in 2000).

The Izmail-class battlecruisers were not completed. Several projects for the construction of naval monitors armed with 356 mm cannons were developed, but they were not implemented. In the mid-1930s, the TM-1–14 railway transporters (the first naval transporter with a 14-inch gun) were armed with 356/52 mm cannons. In total, two railway batteries were formed, each of which had three TM-1–14 transporters. One of these batteries was based near Leningrad, and the other two - near Vladivostok.

But let's return to combined projectiles. During their firing at Rzhevka in 1919, an initial velocity of 1291 m/s was obtained at a pressure in the barrel bore of 2450 kg/cm2 (that is, slightly more than with a standard projectile - 2120 kg/cm2).

On October 15, 1920, the Perm plant received an order (in excess of the program) for 70 combined 356/203-mm shells for the Marine training ground. The first 15 shells were delivered to the customer in June 1921.

For several years, the projectile was designed by trial and error, and finally in June 1924, when firing a 203-mm active projectile weighing 110 kg at a speed of 1250 m/s, a maximum range of 48.5 km was obtained. However, during these firings, large dispersion in accuracy and range was noted.

The test managers explained the dispersion by the fact that the steepness of the rifling of the standard 356/52-mm cannon of 30 calibers does not ensure the correct flight of projectiles.

In this regard, it was decided to drill out the barrel of the 356/52 mm gun to 368 mm with a steeper rifling. After calculating several options, the rifling steepness of 20 calibers was finally adopted.

The bore of the 368 mm gun No. 1 was bored in 1934 at the Bolshevik plant. At the beginning of December 1934, tests of gun No. 1 began, which were unsuccessful due to the quality of the shells.

At the beginning of 1935, the Bolshevik plant produced new 220/368-mm sub-caliber projectiles of drawings 3217 and 3218 with belt pallets, which were fired in June - August 1935. The weight of the structure was 262 kg, and the weight of the 220-mm active projectile - 142 kg, powder charge - 255 kg. During testing, a speed of 1254–1265 m/s was obtained. Received during shooting on August 2, 1935 average range 88,720 m at an elevation angle of about 50°. The lateral deviation during firing was 100–150 m.

To further increase the firing range, work began to reduce the weight of the pallet.

At the end of 1935, shells with belt pallets of drawing 6125 were fired. The weight of the active projectile was 142 kg, and the weight of the pallet was 120 kg, the firing range was 97,270 m at an angle of +42°. Average dispersion over four shots: lateral - 55 m, longitudinal - 935 m. Expected range at an angle of +50° - 110 km. The pallets fell at a distance of 3–5 km. A total of 47 shots were fired with projectiles of design 6125.

By that time, the conversion of the second 356mm gun into a 368mm gun had been completed. When testing the 368-mm gun No. 2 in 1936 - early 1937 with the projectile of drawing 6314, satisfactory results were obtained, and on their basis, in March 1937, tables were compiled for firing from a 368-mm cannon with projectiles of drawing 6314. Design of the projectile of drawing 6314 weighed 254 kg, of which the belt pallet accounted for 112.1 kg, and the active projectile accounted for 140 kg. The length of the 220 mm active projectile is 5 calibers. The explosive used was 7 kg of TNT and an RGM fuse. When firing a full charge of 223 kg, the initial speed was 1390 m/s and the range was 120.5 kg. Thus, the same range was obtained as that of the Paris Gun, but with a heavier projectile. The main thing was that an ordinary naval cannon was used, and the survivability of the barrel was much greater than that of the Germans. The 368-mm barrels were supposed to be installed on TM-1–14 railway transporters.

However, at this stage work with belt pallets was suspended, since preference was given to star pallets. But before moving on to shells with star-shaped trays, I’ll finish the story about ultra-long-range guns with conventional belt shells.

In 1930–1931 in the design bureau of the Bolshevik plant they designed a 152-mm ultra-long-range AB cannon, and in 1932 an agreement was concluded with the plant for the production of an experimental 152-mm AB cannon, or more precisely, for the conversion of the barrel of a 305/52-mm standard cannon. A new 152mm inner tube was inserted into the old barrel and a new muzzle was made. The outer dimensions of the clip were made according to the outlines of a 356/52 mm gun, since all tests were supposed to be carried out on a 356 mm Durlyacher system machine. The length of the AB gun was 18.44 m (121.5 caliber). The steepness of the rifling is 25 calibers, the number of rifling is 12, the depth of rifling is 3.0 mm. Remaking the barrel was delayed due to technological difficulties. Therefore, the AB cannon arrived from the Bolshevik to NIAP only in September 1935. According to calculations, when firing a light caliber projectile of drawing 5465 weighing 41.7 kg, the initial speed should have been 1650 m/s, and the range should have been 120 km.

The first firing from a 152-mm AB cannon with a projectile of drawing 5465 was carried out on June 9, 1936. A charge of B8 gunpowder weighing 75 kg was used. However, the initial speed was only 1409 m/s, and the estimated range was not obtained.

After testing, the shells were modified. But the machine at NIAP was occupied at least until October 1940 (as already mentioned, all experiments with heavy guns were carried out from a single Durlyakher machine). In addition, in 1940, new shells for the TM-1-14 railway installations were intensively fired from the standard 356/52-mm cannon. As a result, repeated testing of the AB gun was repeatedly postponed. The author does not have information about its testing in 1941.

It is interesting that, along with testing of ultra-long-range sabot shells for 356–368 mm guns, tests were carried out of sabot shells for 152 mm land guns with a capacity of 200 poods (model 1904). Such shells were supposed to be adopted for service with 6-inch guns with a capacity of 200 poods and 6-inch guns image. 1910 About two dozen 152 mm sub-caliber projectiles were designed. The weight of the entire structure was 17–20 kg, and the weight of the active projectile of 95 mm caliber was 10–13 kg, the rest was on the pallet. The estimated firing range was 22–24 km.

When firing at NIAP from 6-inch guns with 200 poods on October 21, 1927, 152/95-mm sub-caliber shells with a total weight of 18.7 kg and charges weighing 8.2 kg of C42 gunpowder at an elevation angle of 37, an initial speed of 972 m was achieved. With. An active projectile weighing 10.4 kg fell at a distance of 18.7 km (Fig. 5.3).

Rice. 5.3. 152/95 mm sub-caliber shells.

In 1935, turbo pallets for 152/95 mm combined (sub-caliber) shells were developed at the ANII of the Red Army under the leadership of P. V. Makhnevich. Shells with a turbo sump could be fired from both conventional rifled and smooth-bore guns. The turbo pan did not have copper or other belts, and its rotation was “provided by the action of jets moving along grooves milled on the outer surface of the pan.”

The total weight of the combined projectile of drawing 6433 was 20.9 kg, while the weight of the active projectile was 10.14 kg, and the turbo sump was 10.75 kg.

The first firing tests of the turbo sump were carried out on April 3, 1936 from a 152 mm (6-inch) gun mod. 1904. The weight of the charge was 7.5–8.4 kg, the initial velocity of the projectile was 702–754 m/s. The pan gave the projectiles a satisfactory spin rate. The separation of the projectile elements occurred at a distance of 70 m from the muzzle, and the average distance of the sabot falling was about 500 m.

Nevertheless, by mid-1936, the ANII recognized work on combined projectiles with turbo-pallets as unpromising and decided to stop them.

By that time, work was in full swing at the ANII on the so-called “star-shaped” pallet for combined projectiles, which had begun already in 1931.

Guns with star trays had a small number of riflings (usually 3–4) of great depth. The cross-sections of the shell trays repeated the cross-section of the channel. These guns can formally be classified as guns with rifled projectiles.

To begin with, ANII decided to test toothed pallets on a small-caliber gun. In the standard 76 mm barrel anti-aircraft gun arr. 1931, a 67/40 mm caliber liner was inserted (rifling/margin). The liner had 3 grooves with a depth of 13.5 mm. The weight of the active projectile is 1.06 kg, the weight of the pallet is 0.6 kg.

Work on the production of the liner began in 1936 at plant No. 8 (in Podlipki). When testing guns with a 67/40 mm liner, an initial speed of 1200 m/s was achieved at a pressure of 2800 kg/cm2; the range was not determined during the tests. The shells tumbled in flight (“had the wrong flight”). According to the commission, the 40-mm active projectiles did not receive the required rotation speed due to the rotation of the pallets relative to the projectiles.

The ANII conducted similar experiments with the standard 152-mm Br-2 cannon, into which a free tube of 162/100 mm caliber (along the rifling/along the fields) was inserted. The pipe was cut using the CEA system at the Barrikady plant. During testing, a projectile with a total weight of 22.21 kg and an active projectile weight of 16.84 kg achieved an initial speed of 1100 m/s at a pressure of 2800 kg/cm2; the firing range was not determined, since the projectiles tumbled here too.

According to the resolution of the Council of Labor and Defense of October 10, 1935 No. S-142ss, the Barrikady plant was given the task of developing working drawings and converting the 368-mm gun No. 1 into a 305/180-mm cannon for firing sub-caliber shells with star-shaped trays. The deadline was set for May 1937.

The final version of the project was carried out by the ANII under the leadership of M. Ya. Krupchatikov with the assistance of E. A. Berkalov. The caliber of the CEA channel was changed from 305/180mm to 380/250mm, and the number of riflings was changed from three to four. The drawings were signed at the ANII on June 4, 1936, and were received by the Barrikady plant only in August 1936. At the end of autumn 1936, forging inner tube was on annealing. The barrel of the 368-mm gun No. 1 was delivered from NIAP to the plant. However, the work was delayed, and a new deadline for the delivery of the barrel was set - February 1, 1938 (Fig. 5.4).

Rice. 5.4. 380/250 mm rifled projectile.

Calculations were carried out for a chamber volume of 360 dm3 and a charge of NGV gunpowder weighing 237 kg. The length of the channel is the same as that of the standard 356/52 mm gun. The barrel is fastened at the breech in 5 layers. The bolt is standard from a 356/52 mm gun. Increasing the number of rifling to four was done to strengthen the barrel and better center the active projectile.

According to calculations, the TM-1–14 installation was supposed to withstand fire from a 380/250 mm cannon.

On January 17, 1938, the Ordnance Department notified Barricades that work on the 380/250 mm barrel was suspended.

From the book Battle for the Stars-2. Space Confrontation (Part I) author Pervushin Anton Ivanovich

Projectile aircraft “Navaho”, “Snark”, “Regulus II” For a long time in the Soviet Union, decisions on the development of certain promising military projects were made according to the “logic” of the arms race: if the enemy has some new “toy”, then we should do the same

From the book Battle for the Stars-2. Space Confrontation (Part II) author Pervushin Anton Ivanovich

Projectile aircraft “Tu-121” (“S”) “Tu-123” (“D”) In 1956, a new division “Department K” was created at Tupolev OKB-156, whose task was to develop unmanned aircraft for various purposes. Gradually this new unit turned into a full-fledged

From the book Inventions of Daedalus by David Jones

“Space” shells by Gerald Bull As you know, everything new is well forgotten old. Using the example of the material in the previous chapter, we were convinced that the development of technology is largely based on this well-known consideration. Time after time, design thought on the next From the book Rockets and space flights by Leigh Willie

Focus 1 - polygonal shells In the late 1920s - early 1930s, the USSR attempted to rearm all land and naval artillery with polygonal guns. Official military historians will be indignant - not in any of the many books on our history

From the book 100 Great Achievements in the World of Technology author Zigunenko Stanislav Nikolaevich

Focus 2 - rifled projectiles As already mentioned, in the 50s–70s of the 19th century, dozens of systems were manufactured whose projectiles had rifling or protrusions. In Soviet artillery systems for rifled projectiles, the channel structure differed little from the usual channels of the 1877 model,

From the author's book

Guns and shells When firearms appeared six hundred years ago, at the beginning of the 14th century, the first guns fired spherical shells - cannonballs. At first they were hewn from stone, and then, at the end of the 15th century, cast from cast iron. There were no plants and factories then. Cannons and cannonballs

From the author's book

Anti-aircraft guided missiles "Reintochter I" and "Reintochter"

From the author's book

II. US missiles and missiles as of 1956 General information. The Corporal, Dart, Nike and Redstone missiles are in service with the Army; the Lacrosse missile is in service with the army and corps Marine Corps; missiles "Bomark", "Falcon", "Matador", "Raskle", "Snark" and

From the author's book

Projectiles for defense A projectile, as a rule, is more commonly classified as an attribute of an offensive weapon. However, Honored Inventor of Russia V.A. Odintsov came up with shells that can be classified as self-defense weapons. Member of the Committee's scientific expert council State Duma By

The term "sub-caliber projectile" is most often used in tank forces. These types of shells are used along with cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation shells. But if earlier there was a division into armor-piercing and sub-caliber ammunition, now it makes sense to talk only about armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles. Let's talk about what a sub-caliber is and what its key features and operating principle are.

Basic information

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile and its description

The effect of a sub-caliber projectile

Types of PB shells

Currently, several effective designs of sub-caliber projectiles have been developed, which are used by the armed forces of various countries. In particular, we are talking about the following:

With non-detachable tray. The projectile travels the entire path to the target as a single whole. Only the core is involved in penetration. This solution has not received sufficient distribution due to increased aerodynamic drag. As a result, the indicator of armor penetration and accuracy drops significantly with the distance to the target.
With non-detachable tray for conical implement. The essence of this solution is that when passing along a conical barrel, the pallet is crushed. This reduces aerodynamic drag.
A sub-caliber projectile with a detachable tray. The point is that the pallet is torn off by air forces or centrifugal forces (with a rifled gun). This allows you to significantly reduce air resistance in flight.

About cumulative

Such ammunition was first used by Nazi Germany in 1941. At that time, the USSR did not expect the use of such projectiles, since their principle of operation was known, but they were not yet in service. The key feature of such projectiles was that they had high armor penetration due to the presence of instantaneous fuses and a cumulative notch. The problem encountered for the first time was that the projectile rotated during its flight. This led to the dispersion of the cumulative arrow and, as a result, reduced armor penetration. To eliminate the negative effect, it was proposed to use smooth-bore guns.

Some interesting facts

It is worth noting that it was in the USSR that arrow-shaped armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles were developed. This was a real breakthrough, as it was possible to increase the length of the core. Almost no armor protected against a direct hit from such ammunition. Only a successful angle of inclination of the armor plate and, consequently, its increased thickness in the reduced state could help out. In the end, BOPS had the advantage of a flat flight path over a range of up to 4 km and high accuracy.

Conclusion

A cumulative sabot projectile is somewhat similar to a conventional sabot projectile. But in its body it has a fuse and an explosive. When penetrating armor, such ammunition provides a destructive effect on both equipment and manpower. Currently, the most common shells for cannons are 115, 120, 125 mm, as well as artillery shells 90, 100 and 105 mm. In general, this is all the information on this topic.

Sub-caliber shells are called shells whose caliber is smaller than the caliber of the gun barrel. The idea of sub-caliber shells arose a long time ago; the main goal is to obtain the highest possible initial speed, and therefore the maximum range of the projectile. Sub-caliber shells designed so that lightweight, specially designed medium caliber projectiles can be thrown from larger caliber guns.
The projectile is equipped with a tray, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the gun. The weight of the projectile together with the pallet is significantly less than the standard one.
The powder charge used is the same as for a standard shot of a given gun caliber. The design of the sub-caliber projectile makes it possible to obtain a significantly higher initial speed of 1,500 - 1,800 m/sec., without resorting to constructive changes guns. Under the influence of centrifugal force and due to air resistance, the pan, after leaving the barrel bore, is separated from the projectile, which travels a much greater distance than a conventional (caliber) projectile of a given gun. A significant initial speed in this case is used to destroy such a strong barrier as the armor of a tank, when a durable projectile with great manpower (speed at the moment of impact on the armor) is required.
The property of sub-caliber shells - high initial speed - was used in anti-tank artillery.

Rice. 1 3.7 cm armor-piercing tracer projectile mod. 40 (3.7 cm Pzgr. 40)

1—core; 2 - pallet; 3 - plastic tip; 4 - ballistic tip; 5 - tracer.

Rice. 2. 75-mm armor-piercing tracer projectile mod. 41 (75/55cm Pzgr. 41)

1 - pallet; 2 - core; 3 - screw head;
4 - ballistic tip; 5 - tracer.

Sub-caliber armor-piercing shells There are two types: arr. 40 (Fig. 1) and arr. 41 (Fig. 2). The first applies to the usual 3.7 cm and 5 cm, anti-tank guns, the second - to guns with conical bores, - i.e. to a 28/20-mm heavy anti-tank rifle mod. 41, and to 75/55 mm anti-tank gun PAK-41. There are shells 7.5 cm Pzgr.41(HK) with tungsten carbide core and 7.5 cm Pzgr.41 (StK) with steel core, 7.5 cm Pzgr.41(W) blank without a core. In addition to armor-piercing sub-caliber shells, high-explosive fragmentation sub-caliber shells were also produced.
The design of Pzgr. projectiles. 40 Pzgr. 41 looks like it. The projectile consists of a core—
1, pan - 2, ballistic plastic tip - 3, metal cap - 4 and tracer - 5. Sub-caliber armor-piercing projectiles do not have a breaker, a bursting charge and a copper leading belt.
The projectile core is made of an alloy of high hardness and brittleness.
The pallet is made of mild steel.
The ballistic tip, which gives the projectile a streamlined shape, is made of plastic and covered with a metal cap made of a magnesium alloy with aluminum.

The main difference between shells mod. 40 from shells mod. 41 lies in the design of the pallet. Shell pallets mod. 40 (Fig. 1) for conventional anti-tank guns (3.7 cm and 5.0 cm with cylindrical barrels) consist of a body with 2 centering annular protrusions. The upper protrusion acts as a leading belt, the lower one as a centering thickening.

7.5cm Pzgr.41

2.8cm sPzB-41

3.7cm Pzgr. 40

When a projectile is fired and moves along the channel of the barrel, the upper protrusion of the pallet, which has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the gun along the fields, cutting into the rifling of the gun, imparts a rotational force to the projectile
movement. The lower protrusion of the pan, which has the diameter of the barrel bore, centers the projectile in the bore, i.e., protects it from distortion.
Shell pallets mod. 41 (see Fig. 2) for systems with conical bores consist of a body with 2 conical centering annular protrusions. The diameters of the protrusions are equal to the larger diameter
bore (at the breech). The cylindrical part of the pan is equal to the smaller diameter of the barrel bore (at the muzzle). When the projectile moves along the conical barrel, both protrusions are compressed and cut into the rifling, while ensuring rotational movement projectile in flight.

Weight of projectiles mod. 40 and arr. 41 is significantly less than the weight of conventional armor-piercing shells of the corresponding calibers. The combat (powder) charge is used in the same way as for conventional projectiles. As a result, shells arr. 40 and 41 have significantly greater initial speeds than conventional armor-piercing shells. This provides increased armor penetration. However, the shape of the projectile, which is unfavorable from a ballistic point of view, contributes to a rapid loss of speed during flight and therefore firing such projectiles at distances exceeding 400-500 m is not very effective.
The effect of projectiles on an obstacle (armor) is the same for both types.
When a projectile hits an obstacle, the ballistic tip and the pan are destroyed,
and the core, having high speed, penetrates armor as a whole. Having encountered a second obstacle in the tank - the opposite wall, the core, which already has a low speed, due to
due to its fragility, it breaks into pieces and hits the tank crew with its fragments and fragments from the tank’s armor. The armor-piercing ability of these projectiles is significantly higher than conventional armor-piercing projectiles and is characterized by the data given in the table.

7.5 cm Pzgr.41 W and7.5 cm Pzgr.41 (StK):