Description
This armor-piercing cartridge is for use in 90mm guns against armored materiel.
The body of the projectile is made of hardened steel, has a flat base, and has a nose that is shaped to a relatively short ogive. A lightweight aluminum windshield is welded to the projectile. The base of the projectile is threaded to receive a tracer. The cartridge case is loosely packed with propellant, and the base is fitted with a percussion primer. An igniter to assist uniform propellant ignition is fitted below the closing disk.
The projectile is black with white markings.
Functioning
When the weapon is fired, the burning propellant creates gases which propel the projectile out of the gun tube and ignite the tracer which burns for a minimum of three seconds of projectile flight. The projectile is designed to penetrate the target solely by kinetic energy.
Hazardous Components
M318:
Cartridge case - M19, M19B1
Propelling charge - M6 (8.6 lb, 3.9 kg)
Primer - M49 (T33)
Tracer - Red, M5A2, M5A2B1
M318 (T33E7), or M318A1:
Cartridge case - M108, M108B1
Propelling charge - M17, M30 (8.6 lb, 3.9 kg)
Primer - M58
Tracer - Red, M5A2, M5A2B1 or M13
Physical Data
Length, overall (M318) - 37.43 in, 950.7 mm
Length, overall (T33E7 or M318A1) - 37.11 in, 942.6 mm
See Also
Nothing else to see.
Source(s)
TM 9-1300-203, Artillery Ammunition (1967)
