Description
This cartridge is an armor-piercing antitank cartridge and is intended for use in 105mm, M68 gun against armored targets.
The projectile consists of a subprojectile and sabot. The subprojectile consists of a monolithic staballoy (depleted uranium) core, which is fitted with an aluminum windshield with steel tip to eliminate aerodynamic heating and an aluminum fin assembly. The aluminum sabot, composed of three 120 degree sections, is assembled around the subprojectile. A steel bourrelet, containing three shear cuts, is screwed to the sabot forward face. A nylon obturator and polypropylene seal is assembled around the sabot, and a silicone rubber seal is applied over the rear face of the sabot. An M13 Tracer is assembled to the fin and is held in place by a threaded plug and disc assembly. The projectile is crimped to an M148A1B1 Cartridge Case, which holds approximately 13 pounds of M30 propellant, and is fitted with an M120 electric primer. A gun tube wear-reducing titanium dioxide liner is assembled to the interior wall of the cartridge case.
The projectile is black with white markings.
Functioning
During projectile flight, the tracer burns for a minimum of 2.5 seconds. The sabot discards upon leaving the gun tube by aerodynamic and centrifugal forces. The projectile is fin stabilized in flight. In order that only minimal spin is imparted to the projectile when the obturator engages the gun tube rifling, the plastic seal under the obturator reduces the coefficient of friction, producing approximately 80 percent slippage. The core penetrates the target solely by kinetic energy.
Hazardous Components
Cartridge case - M148A1B1
Propelling charge - M30 (13 lb. 5.9 kg)
Primer - M120
Tracer - M13
Physical Data
Length, overall - 35.75 in, 908 mm
See Also
Nothing else to see.
Source(s)
