20x139 APDS short penetrator

[Haenosaki]

Hi All,
Recently I received an 20x139 APDS of the German dm63 type. The penetrator is shorter than the penetrators we normally see. I checked the internal dimensions inside the case and it is not pushed in further, so it really is a short penetrator. If you look closely at the ballistic cap, you'll see the angle is somewhat steeper than on the normal ones. The tungsten part between the straight body and the cap also has a different dimension than on the normal ones. The sabot is however identical to ones on the other rounds. According to my fellow collectors in The Netherlands, the head stamp indicates that this is an experimental round. Does anybody have more information on this type of APDS?
Thanks in advance.

 

[smle2009]

Hi Haenosaki,
sorry I'm no help to you with your question but would like to ask you a question please,with reference to your comment that fellow collectors say that the headstamp indicates that it is an experimental round,would that be because of the X marking?....I ask because earlier this year I picked up a NWM manufactured experimental/prototype break up round(which I'm not 100% sure about) which has the X after the lot number also.

Atb
Tony

 

[Haenosaki]

Hi Haenosaki,
sorry I'm no help to you with your question but would like to ask you a question please,with reference to your comment that fellow collectors say that the headstamp indicates that it is an experimental round,would that be because of the X marking?....I ask because earlier this year I picked up a NWM manufactured experimental/prototype break up round(which I'm not 100% sure about) which has the X after the lot number also.

Atb
Tony

Hi Tony,
The 80-X was the indication according to them. I am not versed well enough into NWM codings to say that it is for all cases with an X. I'll check.
regards,
Dominique

 

[Haenosaki]

Hi Haenosaki,
sorry I'm no help to you with your question but would like to ask you a question please,with reference to your comment that fellow collectors say that the headstamp indicates that it is an experimental round,would that be because of the X marking?....I ask because earlier this year I picked up a NWM manufactured experimental/prototype break up round(which I'm not 100% sure about) which has the X after the lot number also.

Atb
Tony

Hi Tony,
It was indeed the 80-X combination. All production lots have 2 numbers, followed by the X (example: 2-34-X). So, the X does not mean 'experimental'.
Hope this helps,
Dominique

 

[Manniman]

Hi Tony,
It was indeed the 80-X combination. All production lots have 2 numbers, followed by the X (example: 2-34-X). So, the X does not mean 'experimental'.
Hope this helps,
Dominique

You are right, all DM63 cartriges have the "X" stamped.

 

[smle2009]

Now I'm a bit confused as I have two in my collection(NWM) without the X oh:

Tony

 

[Haenosaki]

Recently, I picked up two more cores for the 20x139 APDS, that came from the NWM factories. Both are again shorter than the common production DM63 cores. This time, the shape and ballistic cap match the common type, only the length is different. I am wondering which sabot shapes were linked to these shorter cores.
Bottom core is the common production type.