120mm APFSDS

[SG500]

Attached is a photo of a 120mm APFSDS practice projectile.

I think its for the Leopard 2 (I'm sure someone can confirm/correct me on that).

Note the fins on the dart, designed to reduce the flight distance of the practice dart so if it missed it would fall to earth in a relatively short distance.

Dave.

 

[HAZORD]

Dave,

By the nomenclature, it looks German. Proper Id would be TPCSDS-T Target Practice Cone Stabilized Disgarding Sabot Tracer. It is the first design for a short range practice round using the cone with the high-tech holes in it. The holes are cut with a 4 axis wire EDM machine. The current design eliminated the holes in the cone for some rifling like grooves on the outside of the cone shape.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m865.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/m865.htm

Download this file and view, it has way too much info:

http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005garm/thursday/gaines.pdf.

John

 

[HAZORD]

Dave,

I noticed that I neglected to answer your question. That projo should work in any Rheinmetall L44 or L55 smoothbore gun, so British Challenger, U.S. Abrams, French, German Leopard, Merkava Mks. 3 and 4, etc.

John

 

[SG500]

Thanks John, some good info there.
Did you see the post about the 140mm? Any thoughts about that one, how long the dart was etc?
Dave.
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/140mm-apfsds-t31478.html?t=31478

 

[HAZORD]

Dave,

I haven't seen much about the 140mm experimental tank round. I knew of one here in the states that was in a private collection, but didn't have any info about it. The ones you show are very nice.

One question about the Magenta color. I'm not familiar with Magenta other than some 20mm proof projos have been seen with that color, and I have a U.K. 155mm hicapacity he projo painted magenta. I was told that a simulated nuclear test was done here in the states, and tat anything used in the test was painted magenta. What does magenta color mean, if anything special?

Thanks,

John

 

[SG500]

Hi John, the magenta colour is a fairly standard colour for experimental rounds in the UK. Often rounds have purple stripes or blobs on them and sometimes they are painted completely in magenta.
If you have a look through the experimental part of the foum you'll see several I've posted - the 110mm apds has purple on the base of the case, the 20mm Rarden has purple blobs on the base of the case and on the projectile, the flat head proof red queen does as does an experimental 42mm Bofors round to name a few I can remember. I've also got a flat head proof 110mm that is painted completely purple.
Experimenal Adens also come in Brown with "Experimental" stencled on the side of the projectile.
Regarding the nuclear test, I suppose it is quite possible that all the things were painted magenta that were used, perhaps all the things were experimental.
Dave.

 

[apfsds]

That is a really nice TPCSDS projectile, Dave. It uses the LKL principle to reduce its range so it can be fired and contained on short target practice ranges. The LKL principle is designed to take effect after 2000 meters in most 105MM & 120MM TPCSDS ammunition. It works by using very precisely machined holes or grooves (seen in late mod US M865 TPCSDS & German 120MM TPCSDS) in the tail-cone assembly. At extreme speeds, these holes or grooves are aerodynamically "OPEN" so air freely passes threw them without altering the sub-projectile trajectory. When the sub-projectile slows over distance, these holes aerodynamically "close" at a precisely engineered velocity, which increases drag causing the sub-projectile to become unstable in flight and fall to the ground. LKL is short for Loch Kegel Leitwerk.

Jason