Unknown, sectioned 30MM APDS-T Round with unusual primer.

[apfsds]

Received this interesting INERT sectioned 30MM APDS-T round in a trade with a good friend last week. Not really sure what country made it or what it was type classified as? The forward end of the projectiles sabot is fairly wide and it has a primer that I have not seen before. Would love to know more about it if anyone has a clue.

 

[bdgreen]

Jason,

I assume this is 30x173mm Oerlikon KCA with a green anodized aluminum case and not a GAU-8. It appears as if the case was anodized after sectioning.
Percussion (?) primer with flash tube, typically tried/used to improve or provide a more uniform ignition. Is it a "dummy" primer?

30 x 173mm Oerlikon http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/14197-30x172 has a similar primer flash tube but this is an electric primer.

Brian

 

[bdgreen]

Something to take a look at on flash tube seals in 30mm case (30 x 113mmB) primers: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a424411.pdf

"Various 30-mm ammunition use a flash tube (figures 1 and 2) to augment the ignition stimulus of
the primer and to provide an ignition source for the propellant bed in each round. The flash tube
must be fast acting, provide abundant hot gases/particles, and increase the pressure in the
propellant bed sufficiently so that the initial burn rate of the propellant in the bed is high enough
to propel the projectile to the muzzle within the few milliseconds that constitute the action time
of the cannon."

 

[Charlie]

Its not KCB, they are 30x170mm

C.

 

[bdgreen]

Charlie,

Thanks' for pointing this out; I have corrected my post above.

Brian

 

[Tony Williams]

I assume this is 30x173mm Oerlikon KCA with a green anodized aluminum case and not a GAU-8.

What makes you think that, Brian? The KCA was an aircraft gun which would have had no use for saboted projectiles. And AFAIK KCA ammo was all steel-cased.

I would assume that this was developed either for use in the GAU-8 in its naval CIWS application or (more likely) for the Mauser MK30 which is used in both AA and AFV mountings.

 

[apfsds]

Thanks guys for the help. Tony, there was a small sticker label on it that said Mauser attached to it. I thought it was there by mistake as I always thought a Mauser was a small arms rifle I was not aware that they made 30mm ammunition and gun systems. THANK YOU!

Jason

 

[EOD]

They do not make the ammunition, just guns as they did during WWII already. Some of the most sophisticated systems like the WWII revolver type MK213 (20mm/30mm - on this gun all ADEN/DEFA guns are basing) and today the BK27 (27mm) and other types like the recoilless RMK30 (30mm - project ceased I think).

 

[Tony Williams]

Yes, work on the 30mm and 35mm recoilless cannon stopped some years ago. See my updates to Rapid Fire webpage, under page 203: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/corrections.html