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From: autogun@globalnet.co.uk (Tony Williams)
Newsgroups: sci.military.moderated
Subject: Re: Smooth bore vs rifled gun barrels on Abrams
Date: 16 Oct 2001 11:13:27 -0700
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References: <3BC9D3BC.48122855@c0.comm> <9qgdpq$7a7@gap.cco.caltech.edu>
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Xref: spln sci.military.moderated:39667
raj@alumnae.caltech.edu (Roger Moore) wrote in message
news:<9qgdpq$7a7@gap.cco.caltech.edu>...
> "Zonie" writes:
>
> >The M1A1 Abrams converted to a smooth bore from a smaller rifled bore.
>
> >What advantages does a smooth bore give you?
>
> Most modern anti-tank ammunition is fin stabilized rather than spun.
> Discarding sabot ammo is not, IIRC, especially hurt by being spun, but
> neither is it helped, while HEAT rounds are definitely hurt by being spun
> rapidly. Since those are the main choices for tanks these days (the Brits
> still like HESH, but they're pretty much alone in doing so) there's not
> much point in using rifling, while a smoothbore has some wear and velocity
> advantages.
True enough, but so far no-one has explained WHY the Brits prefer a
rifled gun. The answer is simple; long range accuracy with HE shells.
Fin-stabilised shells (as opposed to APFSDS) are inherently less
accurate than spin-stabilised ones. Also, the HESH shells are much
more versatile than HEAT, being not only effective against armour but
also acting as a general HE round. Tank kills have been recorded at
enormous distances using HESH (4 - 5 km IIRC; about double the
capability of APFSDS, whether fired from rifled or smoothbore
barrels).
To sum up, the smoothbore is the optimum choice for medium-range
anti-tank work using APFSDS, the rifled barrel is more of a
general-purpose weapon. Incidentally, the performance penalty from
firing APFSDS from a rifled barrel appears to be very small, judging
by the published specs for the 120mm Challenger.
Tony Williams
Author: "Rapid Fire: The development of automatic cannon, heavy
machine guns and their ammunition for armies, navies and air forces"
Details on my military gun and ammunition website:
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~autogun/index.htm