Description
This cartridge is fired from 90mm guns and is intended primarily for antipersonnel use at close range. The cartridge is effective in dense foliage.
The canister consists of a thin steel cylindrical body welded to a heavy steel cup-shaped base assembly with a gilding metal rotating band. The body has four equally spaced axial grooves extending from the forward end of the canister for approximately half the canister length. The canister body is filled with flechettes held in place by a crimped closing cup. A percussion primed cartridge case filled with propellant is crimped to the projectile.
The projectile is painted olive drab with white markings and white diamonds.
Functioning
When the weapon is fired, the burning propellant creates gases which propel the canister out of the gun tube. Immediately after the canister leaves the muzzle of the gun, the air pressure on the closing cup and the centrifugal force acting on the body and flechettes cause the canister to break at the four grooves on the body resulting in conical dispersion of the flechettes. The conical angle of dispersion is approximately 14°.
Hazardous Components
Filler - 5600 8gr flechettes (6.8 lb, 3.09 kg)
Cartridge case - M108B1
Propelling charge - M6, 9 lb
Primer - Primer, Percussion, M58
Physical Data
Length, overall - 34.07 in, 865.4 mm
See Also
Nothing else to see.
Source(s)
TM 43-0001-28, Artillery Ammunition (chg 11, 2003)
TM 9-1300-203, Artillery Ammunition (1967)
TM 9-1385-51, Ammunition (Conventional) for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (1967)
