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Nuclear Projectiles

Hi Pete,
Thank you for showing those, I am not sure what the size or spec is on these rounds but would like to know if anyone can help out. The second one in from the left looks like it could be about 280mm, best Weasel.
 
It looks like (L to R), 280mm, 16 inch, 8 inch, and 155mm. The 8 inch and 155mm are the older model war reserve design. The newer design 155mm (not shown) is the enhanced radiation (neutron) design, and used a proximity fuze.
 
The M454, 155mm was never enhanced. But it did have a proximity fuze. The 8" there were two, the M422 was a gun type with mechanical time fuze, it did have a boosted yield but was not considered enhanced. The other 8" was an implosion type that could be enhanced and used a proximity fuze but I don't recall the designation of the project. You can tell with is the older 8" as it will have at 90degree angles from one another what were called dash pots, these held the rings in place so they couldn't accidentally get too close to the projectile inside the body. Now they are all gone, no more nuts in the gun artillery but so are all the ADMs. Some days the US may regret getting rid of them
 
That is the spotting round for the M 422, think it was the M424. Had basically the same fuze but had a pretty good size RDX charge for the spotting charge
 
I bet the forward observers had to run like hell.
:) John
 
Any chance you can talk that 8" apart and take some pictures? Also I am looking for any TM 9-1100-*.* Especially for the W79, 155, and both ADMS
 
Info M 424 8 Spotting round for nuc

Designed for airburst registration in conjunction with nuclear projectile.

The projectile is manufactured to much higher standards than normal HE projectiles.

A removable aluminum ogive provides a housing for the Fuze MT M543. (The M543 fuze had 3 separate timers; the M543A1 had two separate timers; the M591 fuze was an M543 with booster M125A2).

Main filling is 12 Lb Tritonal or composition `B' (TNT/RDX/Wax).

The M424A1 is identical externally to the M424 but with slight internal differences.


 
I'll pull it apart and take some pictures in a little bit. Im stuck at work all night anyway. We've got some of the triple mech time fuses too so I'll put some pictures of them up too.

Chris
 
Chris,
You have a dummy nuclear projo? Are not the internal components classified? even though we no longer stock them.
John
 
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The TM for the 8" training round (one used by the art guys not EOD - 3B trainer.r the nuc assembly guys) is unclassified. If the projectile and rings used for training were there then yes more then likely classified but they were not used with the trainer or the spotter rounds. The 3 A training rouond had all the gee wizz internal stuff, but the 2 rounds we are taling about only had the fuzes and a couple other parts. I have the the operators manual for the M 422 and the org and mainteance TM for the spotter round.
 
peteblight said:
Here's some interesting examples of US nuclear projectiles.

Cheers

Pete



View attachment 75329View attachment 75330View attachment 75331View attachment 75332
Click to expand...

From left to right;

The first U.S. nuclear artillery projo, 280mm gun-assembly HEU weapon with a yield of 15Kt.


16 inch projo with a yield of 15-20Kt, airburst using a mechanical time fuze.


8 inch gun-assembly HEU weapon; used titanium to reduce weight and size; 4 yields (Y1 - Y4) using different internal HEU assemblies, between 5 and 40Kt.


155mm projo, plutonium implosion device with a yield of 72T
 
40 years ago they would have hung all of us for this discussion. :)
John
 
John's right, I can remember some ass chewings for even mentioning a weapon designation. I have been tracking and researching nuc weapons info for a couple years now. I have been able to get a lot of info out of Tennesse home of the biggest Ur enrichment facility. But what surprised me was everything I got and the pictures from the B 54 SADAM. When I get the first batch of pics in I called and asked are you sure about this? reply was there is no geomtry or physics package info so the oout side pictures are now declassified. Now if I can just remember how the damn thing worked after the plain wave generator went off. oh well just as well I don't remember. But the nuc training days were some fun TDYs to Sandia.

Now the B54, W45 (SADM/MADM), the 155mm M 454, 8" M422, and 8" W79 (still cant remember the "M" desigantion, are all gone, demilled down to just a few parts kept for recycling. Wonder how limited or short nuc's is at the school house these days?
 
It's pretty simple to take apart. In the picture looking straight down the fuse well you can see that it turns to steel about 4 inches down. (Its heavy as hell) Im assuming that is to match the weight to a real one with the physics package and all its fancy heavy stuff.1.jpg2.jpg3.jpgcone.jpg
 
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