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105mm APFSDS penetrator

B

belcherbits

Member
A previous post identified 120mm penetrators. Is anything avaiable to help identify 105mm ones? I have one coming to me, and it is not identified except by length. I really don't want a M774 DU dart in my collection, and I know the chances are small but I would like to check.
 
belcherbits said:
A previous post identified 120mm penetrators. Is anything avaiable to help identify 105mm ones? I have one coming to me, and it is not identified except by length. I really don't want a M774 DU dart in my collection, and I know the chances are small but I would like to check.
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A good start is post a photograph of it on this forum. There are loads of different 105mm penetrators in all shapes and sizes so its a bit difficult to guess without some more info.

Dave.
 
Well, I guess its safe in its undisturbed state. I don't intend to blow it through a tank turret and generate a lot of uranium dust. However, I'd be happier with a tungsten rather than staballoy one.
 
The dart is a 105MM M735 which has a tungsten sub projectile. The M735A1 has a stabolly one, not very common. If it is DU the sub projectile is encased by outer body so no real hazard
 
I drove around Germany for three years from 85 to 88 in an M1 tank full of DU penetrators - 105 and 120mm wwwitthhhh naoo pproobleemms, twitch, twitch.
 
The M735 is the most common one out there. Past that you will really have to search and know what you are buying so finding a DU one is slim to none.

If its in good shape I wouldn't worry about it. The cores are typically encased in the steel body of the penetrator as well.
 
I recall testing them with a Geiger counter, and I saw nothing more than normal atmospheric radiation levels. As a note, my undergrad degree is in nuclear physics; we are constantly being bombarded by radiation all the time - God bless the atmosphere for limiting the amount. Any manned space mission to Mars is going to have to deal with not being protected by the atmosphere. The moon shots were not of a long enough duration for it to be much of an issue.
 
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