Parting

Sub-caliber inert projectile. Sub-caliber shells of the present and the future. Sharp-headed and blunt-headed armor-piercing shells

) and 40 tons ("Puma", "Namer"). In this regard, overcoming the armor protection of these vehicles is a serious problem for anti-tank ammunition, which include armor-piercing and cumulative projectiles, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades with kinetic and cumulative warheads, as well as striking elements with an impact core.

Among them, armor-piercing sub-caliber shells and missiles with a kinetic warhead are the most effective. Possessing high armor penetration, they differ from other anti-tank munitions in their high approach speed, low sensitivity to the effects of dynamic protection, the 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 more gaining ground as a frontier for the interception of submunitions.

Currently, only armor-piercing sub-caliber shells have been adopted for service. They are fired 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-bearing leading device, the diameter of which coincides with the diameter of the barrel bore, consisting of sections separated after departure from the barrel, and a striking element - an armor-piercing rod, in the bow of which a ballistic tip is installed, in the tail - an aerodynamic stabilizer and a tracer charge.

As the material of the armor-piercing rod, 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 / cc) are used. cc). The diameter of the armor-piercing rod ranges from 30 mm (obsolete models) to 20 mm (modern models). The higher the density of the rod material and the smaller the diameter, the greater the specific pressure exerted by the projectile 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 the projectile interacts with active protection shrapnel elements or explosive dynamic protection plates. At the same time, the uranium alloy, despite its somewhat 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.

The tungsten alloy begins to exhibit ablative self-sharpening starting at 2000 m/s, requiring new ways to accelerate projectiles. At a lower speed, the front end of the rod flattens out, increasing the penetration channel and reducing the penetration depth of the rod into the armor.

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

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

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

armor penetration kinetic projectiles and missiles is defined as the thickness of a homogeneous steel plate, installed perpendicular to the axis of flight 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 at the entrance and exit of the armor-piercing rod into / out of the inclined armor.

Upon entering the sloping armor, the projectile forms a characteristic roller above the penetration channel. The blades of the aerodynamic stabilizer, collapsing, leave a characteristic "star" on the armor, by the number of rays of which it is possible to determine the belonging of the projectile (Russian - five rays). In the process of breaking through the armor, the rod is intensively ground off and significantly reduces its length. When leaving the armor, it elastically bends and changes the direction of its movement.

A characteristic representative of the penultimate generation of armor-piercing artillery ammunition is the Russian 125-mm separate-loading round 3BM19, which includes a 4Zh63 cartridge case with the main propellant charge and a 3BM44M cartridge case containing an additional propellant charge and actually under caliber projectile 3BM42M "Lekalo". 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 case. The leading device is made of carbon fiber. As the material of the sleeves (except for the steel pallet of the main propellant charge), cardboard impregnated with trinitrotoluene was used. 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, and the diameter is 22 mm. The weight of the shot is 20.3 kg, the cartridge case with the projectile is 10.7 kg, the armor-piercing rod is 4.75 kg. The initial speed of the projectile is 1750 m / s, armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters along the normal is 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, equipped with two types of sub-caliber projectiles - respectively 3VBM59 "Lead-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 the 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 disperse heavy shells in the barrel, a more voluminous main propellant charge is used, which limits the use of shots, including Lead-1 and Lead-2 shells, only to the new 2A82 gun, which has an enlarged charging chamber. Armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters along the normal can be estimated as 700 and 800 mm of homogeneous steel, respectively.

Unfortunately, the Lekalo, Lead-1 and Lead-2 projectiles have a significant design flaw in the form of centering screws located along the perimeter of the supporting surfaces of the leading devices (protrusions visible in the figure on the front supporting surface and points on the surface of the sleeve ). The centering screws serve to guide the projectile steadily in the bore, but their heads at the same time 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 a factor of five when fired with an armor-piercing sub-caliber 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. 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, 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 on the flight path is declared at the level of 55 m / s for every 1000 meters. Armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters normal is 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 shot for the standard 120-mm NATO smoothbore gun. Unlike the D63 projectile, the armor-piercing rod of the M829A3 projectile is made of a uranium alloy. The weight of the shot is 22.3 kg, the weight of the projectile is 10 kg, the weight of the armor-piercing rod is 6 kg. Shot length is 982 mm, projectile length is 924 mm, core length is 800 mm. When firing from a cannon with a barrel length of 55 calibers, the initial speed is 1640 m/s, the speed drop is declared at the level of 59.5 m/s for every 1000 meters. Armor penetration at a distance of 2000 meters is estimated at 850 mm homogeneous steel.

When comparing the latest generation of Russian and American sub-caliber projectiles equipped with armor-piercing uranium alloy cores, a difference in the level of armor penetration is visible, to a greater extent due to the degree of elongation of their striking elements - 26-fold for the lead of the Lead-2 projectile and 37-fold for the rod projectile М829А3. In the latter case, a quarter greater specific load is provided at the point of contact between the rod and armor. In general, the dependence of the armor penetration value of shells on the speed, weight and elongation of their striking elements is shown in the following diagram.

An obstacle to increasing the elongation of the striking element and, consequently, the armor penetration of Russian projectiles is the automatic loader device, first implemented in 1964 in the Soviet T-64 tank and repeated in all subsequent models of domestic tanks, which provides for a horizontal arrangement of projectiles in a conveyor, the diameter of which is not may exceed the internal width of the hull, equal to two meters. Taking into account the case diameter 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 weapons of a potential enemy for our tank building, the priority for the future is the transition to unitary shots, located vertically in an 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 barrel chamber developed during the combustion of a powder charge, due to the strength of weapon steel. When moving to a larger 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 with increased dimensions and a 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 shot of a 120 mm caliber and a length of 982 mm.

In this regard, in the United States, as part of the MRM (Mid Range Munition) program, MRM-KE active rockets with a kinetic warhead and MRM-CE with a cumulative warhead have been developed. They are loaded into the cartridge case of a standard 120-mm cannon shot with a propellant charge of gunpowder. In the caliber body of shells are located radar head homing (GOS), striking element (armor-piercing rod or shaped charge), impulse trajectory correction engines, booster rocket engine and 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 level of the muzzle is 1100 m/s, after the completion of the accelerating engine, it increases to 1650 m/s.

Even more impressive figures have been achieved in the framework of the creation of an anti-tank kinetic rocket CKEM (Compact Kinetic Energy Missile), whose length 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 an accelerating solid-propellant engine to a speed of almost 2000 m / s (Mach 6.5) in 0.5 seconds.

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

During the tests of the MRM-KE projectiles and the CKEM rocket, the main drawback of their design was revealed - unlike sub-caliber armor-piercing projectiles with a separating leading device, the inertia flight of the striking elements of a caliber projectile and a kinetic missile is carried out assembled with a body of large cross-section and increased aerodynamic resistance, which causes a significant drop in speed on the trajectory and a decrease in the effective firing range. In addition, the radar seeker, impulse correction engines and aerodynamic rudders have a low weight perfection, which makes it necessary to reduce the weight of the armor-piercing rod, 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 / rocket and the armor-piercing rod after the completion of the rocket engine, by analogy with the separation of the leading device and the armor-piercing rod, which are part of the sub-caliber projectiles, after their departure from the barrel. Separation can be carried out with the help of an expelling powder charge, which is triggered at the end of the accelerating section of the flight. Reduced-size seeker should be located directly in the ballistic tip of the rod, while the flight vector control must be implemented on new principles.

A similar technical problem was solved as part of the BLAM (Barrel Launched Adaptive Munition) project to create small-caliber guided artillery shells, performed at the Adaptive Aerostructures Laboratory AAL (Adaptive Aerostructures Laboratory) of Auburn University by order of the US Air Force. The aim 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 projectile tip at a small angle. At supersonic speed, a fraction of a degree deflection is enough to create a force capable of implementing a control action. A simple technical solution was proposed - the ballistic tip of the projectile rests on a spherical surface, which plays the role of a ball bearing, 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.

The calculations determined the strength requirements for the control system:
- accelerating acceleration up to 20,000 g;
- acceleration on the trajectory up to 5,000 g;
- projectile speed up to 5000 m / s;
— tip deflection angle up to 0.12 degrees;
— drive actuation frequency up to 200 Hz;
- drive power 0.028 watts.

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

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

Focus 3rd - sub-caliber shells

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

Combined shells were intended for 356 / 52-mm guns, which were to be armed with battlecruisers of the Izmail type. Initially, the Naval Department planned to order 76 356 / 52-mm guns, of which 48 were going to be put on cruisers, 24 - spares for cruisers and 4 - on a sea range. 36 guns were ordered from the Vickers plant in England and 40 from the Obukhov steel plant.

The 356/52 mm MA guns should not be confused with the 356/52 mm guns of the Land Office (SA). In 1912–1914 GAU ordered OSZ 17 356 / 52-mm SA guns, which differed from the marine ones in their large weight and large chamber volume.

Until October 1917, at least ten 356/52-mm guns were delivered from England, and the OSZ did not hand over a single one. Field trials of 356/52-mm guns were started in 1917 on a special Durlyakher proving machine. In 1922, the OSZ stored 8 finished Vickers guns and 7 unfinished OSZ guns, of which 4 were 60% complete.

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

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

But back to the combined shells. During their firing at Rzhevka in 1919, an initial velocity of 1291 m / s was obtained at a pressure in the bore of 2450 kg / cm2 (that is, a little 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 range. The first 15 shells were handed over 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, a 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 gun of 30 calibers does not ensure the correct flight of the projectiles.

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

The bore of the barrel of the 368-mm gun No. 1 was made 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 manufactured new 220/368-mm sub-caliber projectiles of drawings 3217 and 3218 with girdle 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, gunpowder charge - 255 kg. On tests, a speed of 1254–1265 m/s was obtained. When shooting on August 2, 1935 received medium range 88,720 m at an elevation angle of about 50°. Lateral deviation during firing was 100–150 m.

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

At the end of 1935, shells with girdle 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 for 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. In total, 47 shots were fired with projectiles of drawing 6125.

By that time, the conversion of the second 356mm gun into a 368mm one had been completed. When testing the 368-mm gun No. 2 in 1936 - early 1937 with a projectile of drawing 6314, satisfactory results were obtained, and on their basis, in March 1937, tables of firing from a 368-mm gun with projectiles of drawing 6314 were compiled. The design of the projectile of drawing 6314 weighed 254 kg, of which 112.1 kg accounted for the girdle pallet, 140 kg for the active projectile. The length of the 220 mm active projectile is 5 calibers. The explosive used was 7 kg of TNT, RGM fuse. When firing with 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 Cannon", but with a heavier projectile. The main thing was that an ordinary naval gun was used, and the survivability of the barrel was much greater than that of the Germans. 368-mm trunks were supposed to be installed on railway transporters TM-1-14.

However, at this stage, work with girdle pallets was suspended, since star pallets were preferred. But before moving on to shells with star-shaped pallets, I will finish the story about ultra-long guns with conventional belt shells.

In 1930–1931 in the design bureau of the Bolshevik plant, a 152-mm ultra-long AB gun was designed, and in 1932 an agreement was signed with the plant for the manufacture of an experimental 152-mm AB gun, more precisely, for reworking the barrel of a 305/52-mm standard gun. A new inner tube of 152 mm caliber 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 the 356/52 mm gun, since all tests were supposed to be carried out on a 356 mm machine of the Durlacher system. The length of the AB gun was 18.44 m (121.5 calibers). The steepness of the grooves is 25 calibers, the number of grooves is 12, the depth of the groove is 3.0 mm. Alteration of the barrel was delayed due to technological difficulties. Therefore, the AB cannon arrived from the Bolshevik at the 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 - 120 km.

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

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

When firing at the NIAP from 6-inch cannons at 200 pounds 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 velocity of 972 m / from. An active projectile weighing 10.4 kg fell at a distance of 18.7 km (Fig. 5.3).

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

In 1935, at the ARI of the Red Army, under the leadership of P.V. Makhnevich, turbo pallets for 152/95-mm combined (sub-caliber) shells were developed. Shooting shells with a turbo pallet could be carried out both from conventional rifled and from smoothbore 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 drawing 6433 was 20.9 kg, while the weight of the active projectile was 10.14 kg, and the turbo pallet was 10.75 kg.

The first firing tests of the turbo pan 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 pallet gave the shells a satisfactory rotational speed. The separation of the projectile elements took place at a distance of 70 m from the muzzle, and the average drop distance of the pallet was about 500 m.

Nevertheless, by the middle of 1936, the ARI recognized work on combined shells with turbo pallets as unpromising and decided to stop them.

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

Guns with star-shaped pallets had a small number of rifling (usually 3-4) of great depth. The cross sections of the pallets of the shells repeated the cross section of the channel. These guns can formally be attributed to guns with rifled shells.

To begin with, the ARI decided to test toothed pallets on a small caliber gun. In the trunk of a standard 76 mm anti-aircraft gun arr. In 1931, a liner of caliber 67/40 mm was inserted (along the rifling / along the fields). 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 manufacture 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.

Similar experiments were carried out by the ARI with a regular 152-mm Br-2 cannon, into which a free tube of 162/100 mm caliber was inserted (along the rifling / along the fields). The pipe was cut according to the CEA system at the Barrikady plant. During tests with a projectile with a total weight of 22.21 kg and an active projectile weight of 16.84 kg, an initial speed of 1100 m / s was achieved at a pressure of 2800 kg / cm2, the firing range was not determined, since the projectiles tumbled here too.

According to the decision 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 gun for firing sub-caliber projectiles with star-shaped pallets. The deadline was set - May 1937.

The final version of the project was made by the ARI under the direction of M. Ya. Krupchatikov with the assistance of E. A. Berkalov. The caliber of the CEA channel has been changed from 305/180mm to 380/250mm, and the number of grooves has been changed from three to four. The drawings were signed at the ARI on June 4, 1936, and received by the Barrikady plant only in August 1936. In the late autumn of 1936, the forging inner pipe was on fire. The barrel of the 368-mm gun No. 1 was submitted from the NIAP to the factory. However, the work was delayed, and a new deadline for the completion of the shaft was set - February 1, 1938 (Fig. 5.4).

Rice. 5.4. Rifled 380/250 mm projectile.

The 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 the standard 356/52 mm gun. The barrel is fastened in the breech in 5 layers. The shutter is standard from a 356 / 52-mm gun. The increase in the number of rifling to four was done to harden the barrel and better center the active projectile.

According to the calculation, the TM-1-14 installation had to withstand the firing of a 380/250-mm gun.

On January 17, 1938, the Artillery Directorate notified Barricades of the suspension of work on the 380/250 mm barrel.

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The term "sub-caliber projectile" is most often used in tank forces. Such shells are used along with cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation. 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 shells. Let's talk about what a subcaliber is and what are its key features and principle of operation.

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 less 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. Usually these are heavy tanks and fortified buildings.

It is worth noting that the armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile has increased penetration due to the high initial flight speed. Also increased the specific pressure when breaking through the armor. To do this, it is desirable to use materials having the highest possible specific gravity as the core. For these purposes, tungsten and depleted uranium are suitable. Stabilization of the flight of the projectile is implemented by plumage. There is nothing new here, since the principle of the flight of an ordinary arrow is used.

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile and its description

As we noted above, such ammunition is ideal for firing at tanks. It is interesting that the subcaliber does not have the usual fuse and explosive. The principle of operation of the projectile is completely based on its kinetic energy. In comparison, it is something like a massive high-velocity bullet.

The subcaliber consists of a coil body. A core is inserted into it, which is often made 3 times smaller than the caliber of the gun. High-strength metal-ceramic alloys are used as the core material. If earlier it was tungsten, today depleted uranium is more popular for a number of reasons. During the shot, the pallet takes over the entire load, thereby ensuring the initial flight speed. Since the weight of such a projectile is less than a conventional armor-piercing one, by reducing the caliber, it was possible to increase the flight speed. These are significant values. So, a feathered sub-caliber projectile flies at a speed of 1,600 m/s, while a classic armor-piercing projectile flies at 800-1,000 m/s.

The action 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 the destruction of the target's armor, and the projectile fragments fly into the armored space. Moreover, the trajectory is similar to a divergent cone. This leads to the fact that the mechanisms and equipment of the equipment fail, the crew is affected. 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 which we have considered, 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.

Varieties 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-separable tray. The projectile passes all the way to the target as a single whole. Only the core is involved in the penetration. This solution has not received sufficient distribution due to increased aerodynamic drag. As a result, the armor penetration rate and accuracy drop significantly with the distance to the target.
With non-detachable tray for conical implements. The essence of this solution is that when passing through the conical shaft, the pallet is crushed. This allows you to reduce aerodynamic drag.
Sub-caliber projectile with detachable pallet. The bottom line is that the pallet is torn off by air forces or by centrifugal forces (with a rifled gun). This allows you to significantly reduce air resistance in flight.

About cumulatives

For the first time, such ammunition was used by Nazi Germany in 1941. At that time, the USSR did not expect the use of such shells, since their principle of operation, although known, was not yet in service. Key Feature similar projectiles was that they had high armor penetration due to the presence of instantaneous fuses and a cumulative recess. The problem, which was encountered for the first time, was that the projectile rotated during the 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 smoothbore guns.

Some interesting facts

It is worth noting that it was in the USSR that arrow-shaped armor-piercing sub-caliber shells were developed. This was a real breakthrough, as it was possible to increase the length of the core. Almost no armor protected from a direct hit of 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 at a distance of up to 4 km and high accuracy.

Conclusion

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

One of the tasks of the modern basic battle tank is the destruction of similar enemy equipment, for which he needs a powerful weapon and appropriate armor-piercing shells. Russian tanks are armed with several anti-tank munitions that allow them to deal with well-protected enemy vehicles. In addition, in the near future, new samples intended for use with weapons of advanced technology should go into large-scale production.

Armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectiles (BOPS) show the highest armor penetration characteristics. Such ammunition appeared several decades ago, and later proved to be a convenient means of destroying armored vehicles with powerful protection different types. As a result, at present, it is BOPS that turn out to be the main tool for tanks to fight other tanks. The development of this class of projectiles continues.

Serial "Mango"

According to various sources, Russian armored units are currently armed with several types of BOPS, and the most widespread representative of this class is the 3BM-42 Mango product. The development of a new projectile with increased power under the code "Mango" began in the first half of the eighties. Through the use of certain materials, technologies and solutions, it was necessary to increase armor penetration in comparison with existing projectiles. The future projectile 3BM-42 was supposed to be used with the existing tank guns of the 2A46 family.

The T-72B3 main tank carries an improved automatic loader compatible with extended projectile lengths. Photo Vitalykuzmin.net

A few years later, the 3VBM-17 round with the 3BM-42 BOPS entered service. It includes the so-called. a burning cylinder, inside of which a driving device with a projectile is rigidly attached. Also, a separate partially combustible cartridge case with means of ignition is used for the shot. The cavities of the sleeve and cylinder are filled with tubular powder, which ensures the acceleration of the projectile.

The creators of the Mango projectile coped with the task of increasing armor penetration, and they did it very interesting way. The projectile has a special design, due to which an increase in the main characteristics is achieved. At the same time, outwardly, 3BM-42 is almost no different from other products of its class. This BOPS is a hollow cylindrical body of small diameter, made of steel and equipped with a tail stabilizer. The front end of the body is closed with a ballistic cap and the so-called. armor-piercing damper. Two tungsten cores are located one behind the other in the housing cavity, held in place by a low-melting metal jacket.

A resettable lead device made of aluminum is installed on the projectile. It has a conical shape with a widening front. Interaction with the bore is provided by several rings on the outer surface of the device. Shot 3VBM-17, including a cylinder, a projectile and a leading device, has a length of 574 mm with a diameter of 125 mm. The mass of the projectile itself is 4.85 kg.

Shot 3VBM-17 with a projectile 3BM-42 "Mango". Photo Fofanov.armor.kiev.ua

The combustion of gunpowder in the sleeve and cylinder makes it possible to accelerate the projectile with the driving device to a speed of no more than 1700 m / s. After exiting the barrel, the master device is reset. Upon hitting the target, the holding jacket melts, after which tungsten cores can pierce armor. The maximum armor penetration at a distance of 2 km is determined as 500 mm. With a meeting angle of 60 ° at the same distance, this characteristic is reduced to 220 mm.

The 3VBM-17 shot with the 3BM-42 projectile was put into service in 1986 and had a noticeable effect on fighting qualities all existing main tanks Soviet army. This product is still used in tank troops and is almost the basis of their arsenals. Subsequently, modernization was carried out, which consisted in increasing the length of the body and cores. As a result, "Mango-M" weighs 5 kg and can penetrate up to 270 mm of armor at an angle of 60 °.

Long way "Lead"

Soon after the appearance of the Mango BOPS, well-known unpleasant events began in our country that hit a mass of spheres, including the development of promising shells for tank guns. Only towards the end of the 1990s was it possible to obtain real results in the form of another projectile with enhanced performance. This ammunition was the result of development work with the code "Lead".

Scheme of the product "Mango". Figure Btvt.narod.ru

Experience has shown that a further increase in the main combat characteristics is associated with a mandatory increase in the length of the projectile. This parameter was increased to 740 mm, but this fact did not allow the use of the future projectile with existing tank loaders. As a result, the next project for the modernization of armored vehicles had to include an update of the automation that serves the gun.

From the point of view of the general appearance, the 3VBM-20 shot with the 3BM-46 "Lead-1" projectile is somewhat similar to the older 3VBM-17 and also consists of a projectile in a burning cylinder and a cartridge case with a metal pallet. At the same time, the design of the projectile itself is seriously different from the existing one. This time it was decided to use a monolithic depleted uranium core (according to other sources, from a tungsten alloy), which is actually the basis of the projectile. A ballistic cap and tail stabilizers are attached to the metal core, the diameter of which is less than the caliber of the barrel.

For a longer projectile, an improved lead device was created. It is distinguished by its large length and the presence of two contact zones. In front of the device there is a large cylinder of the usual type, and the second zone is created by three rear supports. After exiting the barrel, such a master device is reset and releases the projectile.

"Mango-M" and a cartridge case with a propelling charge. Photo btvt.narod.ru

According to available data, Lead-1 has a mass of 4.6 kg and is capable of accelerating to a speed of 1750 m/s. Due to this, it penetrates up to 650 mm of homogeneous armor at a shot distance of 2000 m and a zero encounter angle. It is known about the existence of the "Lead-2" project, which provided for the replacement of the core with a product made of another material. Thus, similar shells from uranium and tungsten could appear in the arsenals.

Due to its long length, the new type of projectile could not be used with existing automatic loaders for mass-produced tanks. This problem was solved in the middle of the 2000s. The T-90A armored vehicles of the new series were equipped with modified machine guns compatible with "long" shells. In the future, the upgraded T-72B3 began to receive similar equipment. Thus, a significant part of the equipment of the armored forces can use not only the relatively old "Mango" with limited characteristics.

"Vacuum" for "Armata"

The observed increase in the protection characteristics of tanks of a potential enemy is a real challenge for weapons developers. Further research work led to the conclusion about the need for a new increase in the length of the ammunition. An BOPS 1000 mm long could show the optimal ratio of characteristics, but such a projectile, for obvious reasons, could not be used with the 2A46 gun and its automatic loader.

Projectile 3BM-46 with a leading device. Photo Fofanov.armor.kiev.ua

The way out of this situation was the creation of a completely new weapon with additional equipment. The promising gun later became known under the index 2A82, and the new projectile received the code "Vacuum". From a certain time new complex weapons began to be considered in the context of the project of the promising Armata tank. In case of successful completion of work on the gun and BOPS, the new tank could receive them as the main armament.

According to some sources, the Vacuum project was turned off in favor of new developments. In connection with the start of the development of the 2A82-1M gun, instead of such a projectile, it was proposed to create a smaller BOPS with the code "Vacuum-1". It was supposed to have a length of "only" 900 mm and be equipped with a carbide core. In the recent past, representatives of the defense industry mentioned that organizations from Rosatom were involved in the development of a new projectile. Their participation is due to the need to use depleted uranium.

According to some reports, a projectile called "Vacuum-2" is being created in parallel. In its design, it should be similar to a product with a unit, but at the same time differ in material. It is proposed to make it from a tungsten alloy, more familiar to domestic BOPS. Also, for use with the 2A82-M gun, a high-explosive fragmentation munition with a controlled detonation with the Telnik code and a 3UBK21 Sprinter guided missile are being created. Accurate information about the creation of a new 125-mm cumulative projectile is not yet available.

Main tank T-14 with 2A82-1M gun. Photo by NPK "Uralvagonzavod" / uvz.ru

The appearance and exact technical characteristics of the promising BOPS of the Vacuum family have not yet been specified. It is only known that a projectile with a uranium core will penetrate about 900-1000 mm of homogeneous armor. Probably, such characteristics can be obtained with an ideal angle of impact. Other details are missing.

Promising "Slate"

According to various reports of past years, promising domestically developed tanks were also supposed to receive an armor-piercing projectile called the Lead. However, there was not too much information about him, which led to confusion and misconceptions. So, for some time it was believed that the "Slate" was intended for new 125-mm guns. It is now known that this product is planned to be used with a more powerful 152 mm 2A83 gun.

Apparently, the projectile for high-powered cannons will be similar in appearance to other representatives of its class. He will receive a core of high elongation, equipped with a ballistic cap and an armor-piercing damper in the head, as well as a relatively small caliber stabilizer. Earlier it was reported that the "Grifel-1" and "Grifel-2" projectiles will be equipped with tungsten and uranium cores. At the same time, there are no data on the parameters of the armor penetration of new shells.

Models of 125-mm guns 2A82-1M. Photo Yuripasholok.livejournal.com

According to various estimates, based on the caliber and estimated energy indicators, the Leads will be able to penetrate at least 1000-1200 mm of homogeneous armor at the optimal angle of impact. However, there are reports of some characteristic problems in the development of such ammunition. Due to certain objective limitations, the efficiency of using shot energy for 152-mm guns may be lower than for systems of a smaller caliber. Whether it will be possible to cope with such problems and fully use the energy reserve of the propellant charge is unknown.

The promising 2A83 tank gun is currently being developed in the context of the further development of the Armata unified tracked platform. The already created main tank T-14 is equipped with an uninhabited turret with a 2A82-1M gun. In the foreseeable future, it is expected that new version tank, featuring a different fighting compartment and a more powerful 2A83 gun. Along with them, the improved Armata will also receive the BOPS of the Grifel line.

Shells of the present and future

Currently, the armored forces are armed with several armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectiles designed for use with guns of the rather old but successful 2A46 line. A significant part of the main tanks of existing models has a relatively old automatic loader, and therefore can only use Mango shells and older products. At the same time, late-series T-90A tanks, as well as modernized T-72B3 tanks, are equipped with improved automatic loaders, thanks to which they can use relatively long shells of the Lead line.

The alleged appearance of the BOPS type "Slate". Picture Otvaga2004.mybb.ru

BOPS 3BM-42 and 3BM-46 have fairly high performance, and due to this they are able to deal with a wide range of targets present on the battlefield. At the same time, sub-caliber ammunition is not the only means of combating enemy tanks. For the same purposes, our tanks can use guided missiles and cumulative shots. Thus, "Mango", "Lead" and other tank ammunition ensure the fight against various targets in a wide range of ranges.

The next generation of Russian tanks, so far represented only by the T-14 Armata, is equipped with a new 2A82-1M gun, which shows higher performance and is compatible with new ammunition. The new family of shells and missiles will provide a noticeable increase in combat qualities and is quite capable of bringing the Armata to a leading position in the world.

It is no secret that in the recent past there has been a significant lag of domestic BOPS from modern foreign models. However, the situation is gradually changing, and new models of this kind are coming into service. In the foreseeable future, armored units will receive fundamentally new combat vehicles with modern weapons and ammunition. There is every reason to believe that the gap will at least narrow. Moreover, one cannot rule out the possibility of being ahead of foreign competitors with understandable consequences for the combat capability of the army.

According to the websites:
http://vpk.mane/
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://otvaga2004.ru/
http://btvt.narod.ru/
http://russianarms.ru/
http://fofanov.armor.kiev.ua/
http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/

120 mm shots of the Israeli company IMI. In the foreground is an M829 shot (USA), manufactured by IMI under license.

Terminology

Armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectiles can be abbreviated as BOPS, OBPS, OPS, BPS. Currently, the abbreviation BPS is also applied to feathered sabot arrow-shaped projectiles, although it should be correctly used to designate sabot armor-piercing projectiles of the usual elongation for rifled artillery projectiles. The name of the armor-piercing feathered arrow-shaped ammunition applicable to rifled and smoothbore artillery systems.

Device

Ammunition of this type They consist of an arrow-shaped feathered projectile, the body (body) of which (or the core inside the body) is made of a durable and high-density material, and the feathers are made of traditional structural alloys. The materials most used for the body include heavy alloys (of the VNZh type, etc.), uranium alloys (for example, the American Stabilloy alloy or the domestic analogue of the UNTs alloy type). The plumage is made of aluminum alloys or steel.

With the help of annular grooves (forgings), the BOPS body is connected to a sector pallet made of steel or high-strength aluminum alloys (type V-95, V-96Ts1 and similar). A sector pallet is also called a master device (VU) and consists of three or more sectors. The pallets are fastened to each other by leading belts made of metal or plastic and in this form are finally fixed in a metal sleeve or in the body of a burning sleeve. After leaving the gun barrel, the sector pallet is separated from the body of the BOPS under the action of the oncoming air flow, breaking the leading belts, while the body of the projectile itself continues to fly towards the target. Dropped sectors, having high aerodynamic drag, slow down in the air and fall at some distance (from hundreds of meters to more than a kilometer) from the muzzle of the gun. In the event of a miss, the BOPS itself, which has low aerodynamic drag, can fly away to a distance of 30 to more than 50 km from the muzzle of the gun.

The designs of modern BOPS are extremely diverse: the bodies of shells can be either monolithic or composite (a core or several cores in a shell, as well as longitudinally and transversely multilayered), plumage can be almost equal to the caliber of an artillery gun or sub-caliber, made of steel or light alloys. Leading devices (VU) can have a different principle of distribution of the gas pressure action vector into sectors (VU of the “expanding” or “clamping” type), different amount sectors, made of steel, light alloys, as well as composite materials - for example, carbon composites or aramid composites. Ballistic tips and dampers can be installed in the head parts of the BOPS bodies. Additives can be added to the material of tungsten alloy cores to increase the pyrophoricity of the cores. Tracers can be installed in the tail parts of the BOPS.

The mass of BOPS bodies with plumage ranges from 3.6 kg in old models to 5-6 kg or more in models for advanced tank guns of 140-155 mm caliber.

The diameter of BOPS bodies without plumage ranges from 40 mm in older models to 22 mm or less in new promising BOPS with a large elongation. The elongation of BOPS is constantly increasing and ranges from 10 to 30 or more.

Heavy alloy cores with elongations exceeding 30 are prone to bending deformations when driven through the bore and after separation of the pallet, as well as to destruction when interacting with multi-barrier and spaced armor. The density of the material is currently limited, since at present there are no materials denser than tungsten and uranium in technology that are practically used for military purposes. The speed of the BOPS is also limited to values in the range of 1500-1800 m / s and depends on the design of artillery pieces and ammunition for them. A further increase in speed is associated with research work carried out in the field of projectile throwing with the help of artillery guns on liquid propellant substances (LMW), with the electrothermochemical method of throwing, with the electrothermal method of throwing, with the electric (magnetic) method of throwing with the help of railguns, gauss systems, their combinations, as well as combinations of electrothermochemical and electromagnetic methods of throwing. At the same time, an increase in velocity above 2000 m/s for many variants of projectile materials leads to a decrease in armor penetration. The reason is the destruction of the projectile upon contact with most variants of armored barriers, which ultimately exceeds the increase in armor penetration due to the increase in speed. As such, projectile velocity generally increases armor penetration as it increases, while the durability of armor materials decreases at the same time. The effect in some cases can be summed up, in some - not, if we are talking about complex armored barriers. For mono-obstacles, it is often simple different names the same process.

In the USSR and Russia, several types of BOPS are widely known, created in different times and having their own names, which arose from the name / cipher of R&D. The BOPS are listed below in chronological order from oldest to newest. The device and material of the BOPS body are briefly indicated:

"Hairpin" 3BM22 - a small core of tungsten carbide in the head of the steel body (1976);
"Nadfil-2" 3BM30 - uranium alloy (1982);
"Hope" 3BM27 - a small core made of tungsten alloy in the tail section of a steel body (1983);
"Vant" 3BM32 - a monolithic body made of a uranium alloy (1985);
"Mango" 3BM42 - two elongated tungsten alloy cores in a steel body jacket (1986);
"Lead" 3BM48 - a monolithic body made of a uranium alloy (1991);
Anker 3BM39 (1990s);
"Lekalo" 3BM44 M? - improved alloy (details unknown) (1997); perhaps this BOPS is called the "Projectile of increased power";
"Lead-2" - judging by the index, a modified projectile with a uranium core (details unknown).

Other BOPS also have proper names. For example, a 100 mm anti-tank smoothbore gun has the Valshchik ammunition, a 115 mm tank gun has the Kamerger ammunition, etc.

Armor penetration indicators

Comparative evaluation of armor penetration indicators is associated with significant difficulties. The assessment of armor penetration indicators is influenced by quite different test methods for BOPS in different countries, the lack of a standard type of armor for testing in different countries, different conditions placement of armor (compact or spaced apart), as well as constant manipulations by developers of all countries with firing ranges of test armor, armor installation angles before testing, various statistical methods for processing test results. As a material for testing in Russia and NATO countries, homogeneous rolled armor is adopted, to obtain more accurate results, composite targets are used.

According to published data [ ] , an increase in the elongation of the flight part to a value of 30 made it possible to increase the relative thickness of the RHA homogeneous armor pierced by rolled armor (the ratio of armor thickness to gun caliber, b / d p) to the following values: 5.0 in caliber 105 mm, and 6.8 in caliber 120 mm.

a number of other US

BOPS М829А1 for a gun of caliber 120 mm (USA) - 700 mm;
BOPS M829A2- 730 mm;
BOPS M829A3- 765 mm; often mentioned for many years "before 800"
BOPS M829A4 nothing has been announced, outwardly it is quite consistent with its predecessor.

Germany

Of the known BPS of other countries, any record-breaking ammunition for recent decades at the moment it has not been noticed, which has little to do with the actual state of the situation, especially in the sense of additional data (for example, the number of shells and guns and the security of the carrier).

History

The emergence of BOPS was due to the lack of armor penetration of conventional armor-piercing and sub-caliber rounds for rifled artillery in the years after World War II. Attempts to increase the specific load (that is, to lengthen their core) in sub-caliber projectiles ran into the phenomenon of loss of stabilization by rotation with an increase in the length of the projectile over 6-8 calibers. Strength modern materials did not allow more to increase the angular velocity of rotation of the shells.

In 1944, for a 210 mm caliber gun of an ultra-long-range railway installation K12(E) German designers created a caliber projectile with a drop-down plumage. The length of the projectile was 1500 mm, weight 140 kg. With an initial speed of 1850 m / s, the projectile was supposed to have a range of 250 km. For firing feathered projectiles, a smooth artillery barrel 31 m long was created. The projectile and gun did not leave the testing stage.

The most famous project that used an ultra-long-range finned sub-caliber projectile was the project of the chief engineer of the Rechling company Conders. The Conders gun had several names - V-3, "HDP-High Pressure Pump", "Centipede", "Hardworking Lizhen", "Buddy". A multi-chamber gun of 150 mm caliber used an arrow-shaped feathered sub-caliber projectile weighing in different versions from 80 kg to 127 kg, with an explosive charge from 5 kg to 25 kg. The caliber of the projectile body ranged from 90 mm to 110 mm. Different versions of the shells contained from 4 folding to 6 permanent stabilizer feathers. The elongation of some models of projectiles reached 36. A shortened modification of the LRK 15F58 gun fired a 15-cm-Sprgr swept projectile. 4481, designed at Peenemünde, and saw action firing at Luxembourg, Antwerp and the US 3rd Army. At the end of the war, one gun was captured by the Americans and taken to the United States.

Feathered shells of anti-tank guns

In 1944, the Rheinmetall company created a smooth-bore anti-tank artillery gun. 8Н63 caliber 80 mm, firing a feathered cumulative projectile weighing 3.75 kg with an explosive charge of 2.7 kg. The developed guns and shells were used in combat until the end of World War II.

In the same year, the Krupp company created a smoothbore anti-tank gun P.W.K. 10.H.64 caliber 105 mm. The gun fired a feathered cumulative projectile weighing 6.5 kg. The projectile and gun did not leave the testing stage.

Experiments were carried out on the use of high-speed arrow-shaped projectiles of the Tsp-Geschoss type (from German Treibspiegelgeschoss - a sub-caliber projectile with a pallet) for anti-tank combat (see below "arrow-shaped anti-aircraft guns"). According to unconfirmed reports, German developers at the end of the war experimented with the use of natural uranium in pierced feathered projectiles, which ended to no avail due to the insufficient strength of unalloyed uranium. However, even then the pyrophoric nature of uranium cores was noted.

Arrow-shaped shells of anti-aircraft guns

Experiments with arrow-shaped feathered sub-caliber projectiles for high-altitude anti-aircraft artillery were carried out at a training ground near the Polish city of Blizna under the guidance of designer R. Herman ( R. Hermann). Anti-aircraft guns of 103 mm caliber with a barrel length of up to 50 calibers were tested. During the tests, it turned out that arrow-shaped feathered projectiles, which reached very high speeds due to their small mass, have insufficient fragmentation action due to the impossibility of placing a significant explosive charge in them. [ ] In addition, they demonstrated extremely low accuracy due to rarefied air at high altitudes and, as a result, insufficient aerodynamic stabilization. After it became clear that swept finned shells were not applicable for anti-aircraft fire, attempts were made to use high-velocity finned piercing shells to fight tanks. The work was stopped due to the fact that serial anti-tank and tank guns at that time had sufficient armor penetration, and the Third Reich was living out its last days.

Arrow-shaped bullets of handguns

Arrow-shaped bullets for manual firearms were first developed by AAI designer Irwin Bahr.

Firms "AAI", "Springfield", "Winchester" designed various arrow-shaped bullets, having an arrow mass of 0.68-0.77 grams, with an arrow body diameter of 1.8-2.5 mm with stamped plumage. The initial speed of arrow-shaped bullets varied depending on their type from 900 m/s to 1500 m/s.

The recoil momentum of the rifles when firing arrow-shaped ammunition was several times lower than that of the M16 rifle. During the period from 1989 to 1989, many modifications of arrow-shaped ammunition were tested in the United States and special weapons under it, but the expected advantages over conventional shell bullets (both medium and small caliber) were not achieved. Arrow-shaped bullets of small mass and caliber with a high flatness of the trajectory, had insufficient accuracy and insufficient lethal effect at medium and long distances.grain) (19.958 g) in a detachable pallet. With an initial speed of a swept bullet of 1450 m / s, the muzzle energy of a sniper rifle is 20,980 J. At a distance of 800 meters, a tungsten alloy sub-caliber feathered arrow pierces an armor plate 40 mm thick when it hits at an angle of 30 °, when firing at a distance of 1 km, the maximum excess of the trajectory over the aiming line is only 80 cm.

Hunting arrow-shaped bullets

Most types of elongated bullets for hunting smoothbore weapons have an aerodynamic principle of flight stabilization and belong to lancet (arrow-shaped) projectiles. Due to the slight elongation of conventional hunting bullets in most models (1.3-2.5 or even less (for example, the Mayer bullet, which is also stabilized not by the turbine, but by the lancet method)), the lancet (sweep) of hunting bullets is not visually obvious.

The most pronounced arrow-shaped form currently have Russian Zenith bullets (designed by D. I. Shiryaev) and foreign Sovestra bullets. For example, some types of Sovestra bullets have an elongation of up to 4.6-5, and some types of Shiryaev bullets have an elongation of more than 10. Both arrow-shaped feathered bullets with a large elongation differ from other hunting lancet bullets in high rates of accuracy of fire.

Arrow-shaped feathered bullets of underwater weapons

Russia is developing arrow-shaped (needle-shaped) underwater ammunition without plumage, which is part of the SPS cartridges of 4.5 mm caliber (for the special underwater pistol SPP-1; SPP-1M) and MPS cartridges of 5.66 mm caliber (for special underwater machine APS). Non-feathered arrow-shaped bullets for underwater weapons, stabilized in water by a cavitation cavity, practically do not stabilize in the air and require not regular, but special weapons for use under water.

Currently, the most promising underwater-air ammunition, which can be fired with equal efficiency both under water at a depth of up to 50 m, and in the air, are cartridges for regular (serial) machine guns and assault rifles, equipped with a Polotnev arrow-shaped feathered bullet developed by at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "TsNIIKhM". Stabilization of Polotnev's bullets under water is carried out by the cavitation cavity, and in air - by the plumage of the bullet.

ISBN 978-5-9524-3370-0; BBK 63.3(0)62 K59.

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