British 120mm Tank APDS, Conqueror or Chieftain?

[Vasco Da Gama]

Pictured is a British Cold War vintage 120mm tank APDS separate loading projectile, the length of the sabot section is about 21cm. It is dated 1961, which makes it early for the Chieftain being in service and conversely late for the Conqueror! Did the Chieftain initially use the same projectiles as the Conqueror or was an entirely new family of ammunition introduced with the Chieftain? I understand the Chieftain did not use a brass case for the propellant in the same way as the Conqueror did. Pictured alongside a 105mm practice APDS for comparison. Happy to be educated!

 

[Przezdzieblo]

Those APDS were different animals. Conqueror's APDS was based on 20 pdr APDS, with IIWW-level projectile. For Chieftain's gun (and for 105 mm L7) there was designed new generation of projectiles (so called type H). The nose pad (AFAIR made of steel; it acted inter alia as shock absorber) was changed to two part cap. It consisted of tungsten alloy pointed nose and rounded steel cup between the nose and carbide core. Those parts were not connected, just pressed against each other by steel sheath. New cap not only protected the core during impact, but also reduced probability of ricochet.