Need help on this 105 mm projectile

[pylon1357]

Hello all, I am posting this here in an attempt to help a member out at GMIC. My knowledge of everything that goes BANG is quite poor but I am learning.

Below is the text and photos Brian Posted. If this is the style of photo that belongs in a Tank Casing, I will post my casing a little later....

Hello everyone,

First let me explain that I work for a quasi-governmental body where for some reason security is extremely tight and my coworkers have no sense of humour regarding most of what I am about (military interest) A week ago the item which is the subject of this post showed up on my desk. I had been expecting it to be there as another empolyee was getting rid of it and I said I'd take it off his hands. As you can imagine there was quite a stir in the office at the sight of this ordnance, albeit inert

Anyway, it's a 105mm round and from my searches on the internet it looks like it is meant to be mounted in an artillery shell of some sort. The ones I found were H.E.A.T. rounds which I think stands for High Explosive Anti Tank round. It weighs 20 pounds and is 26 inches long. I am hoping that some of the members can help me with more information on this round. I think the only stampings show up quite well in the second photo.

Oh yes, the office settled down after I took the "bomb" to my truck.
God, it's going to be a long time until retirement!

Thanks for any information you can give me.
Regards
Brian

 

[pylon1357]

Here are the markings.

MWC-1-18-1974 105MM TP-T

Thanks again for your help.
Regards
Brian

 

[pylon1357]

My reply is as follows: Funny, I was looking about the net the other day fro information on a 105mm brass casing I have. I came across a projectile like this, but I can not find it again.

It is a HEAT High Explosive Anti Tank projectile.

MWC is the manufacturer. But I can not recall the name nor the site I was at. 1-18-1974 is the date of manufacture, January 18 1974.

TP-T If I recall is Training Projectile Tank.

How far off the mark am I here lads, and how much more information can you all elaborate on.

 

[HAZORD]

Your bullet is the U.S. designation M490 TP-HEAT-T projo, the first standard practice round to simulate HEAT rounds for training. It is the exact shape and most likely weight and CG so that it flys the same as the HEAT projo. More recent versions omitted the tail boom and fins at the base. This projo was used from the 60s (Vietnam) up through the first Gulf War.

The proper case for it to loaded into is the M148 Brass or M148A1B1 steel. There are 3 case types for 105mm tank gun ammo in the U.S. The M148 has the shortest primer, so that the tail boom and fins can fit inside. You could place it in either the M150B1 case or the M115B1 case, but you would have to remove their primers to make room for the tail of your projo. The M148A1B1 case is the same used by the APFSDS-T projos, so there should be some around.

By the way TP-T stands for Target Practice Tracer. Almost all tank rounds have tracers to confirm trajectory.

John

 

[303Gunner]

I also have one of these projectiles, they were used in Australia with the 105mm Centurion and Leopard MBTs. Thanks for the pics of the complete round Hazord, as I had been under the impression (due to the shape of the ferrule on the spigot) that these were fitted with a light metal or plastic ballistic cap for aerodynamic reasons that was missing, but I now realise that my Proj is "complete" as is!

The markings on this Australian made one indicate it is an M489, dated 8/78.

 

[HAZORD]

Actually, the design as it stands is very aerodynamic. The ring on the very tip of the spike causes the air to flare out a bit, before it gets to the curved area at the base of the spike. That curve flares it out in such a way that it curves back in to flow through the fins on the tail end. The spike-nosed design is very accurate. In the most recent practice rounds for the 120mm tank, the tail fins have been eliminated completely.