Sub-Calibre Saboted Ammo

Novacastrian · Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:19 pm

beebs111 wrote:you know what would be an intresting thing to try? i know that an army-navy surplus store sells old surplus .50 BMG and .308 tungsten AP rounds, for about 3-6 bucks a pop. why not buy some of those rounds and design a sabot to fire them out of your hybrid? they would almost definetly achieve better penetration and possibly a higher velocity.

Hey beebs i'm in Australia, i can just imagine the look on customs faces when they found armour piercing rounds being sent overseas to a private address.
I would love to try those .308 rounds though, they would be the bomb.

beebs111 · Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:08 pm

oh, lmfao, im in the US so i automatically assumed you were too. yeah, i would imagine that they would be pretty pissed off at AP rounds, considering the reaction they get about airsoft guns.

c9d · Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:50 am

Now I have been around the 120mm sabot rounds on the M1 Abrams plenty enough to know what they are. I like your basic design, however isnt the sabot portion of the round supposed to detatch from the projectile in multiple sections upon leaving the tube? I wouldnt want any part of a sabot flying any far forward than necessary.

jackssmirkingrevenge · Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:37 am

c9d wrote:I like your basic design, however isnt the sabot portion of the round supposed to detatch from the projectile in multiple sections upon leaving the tube?

Not necessarily:

I wouldnt want any part of a sabot flying any far forward than necessary.

True, it might damage the target

Seriously though, it's a concern with tank ammunition because of the possibility of the sabot striking friendly troops nearby, but as with the sabots used in shotgun ammunition, this isn't really a concern for spudgunners.

c9d · Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:12 pm

Thats cool... thought all sabot were made the same as tank rounds... lol. It would definately be an awesome sight to see a scaled down version of the 120mm APFSDS-T.

jackssmirkingrevenge · Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:37 pm

c9d wrote:It would definately be an awesome sight to see a scaled down version of the 120mm APFSDS-T.

It shouldn't be too hard to achieve for someone with acess to a lathe and the right materials...

Come to think of it - Nova, could you be able to make something like this?

Novacastrian · Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:17 pm

Why yes, i'll have to make two "cylinders" to make 1 sabot though. Mill the sides flat so they fit together nicely. The shape could be achieved with a simple form tool (lot faster to make also). I think this design would work a lot better than mine

I have tested the other one, put the round through a piece of 3mm thick aluminium checker plate (fired from Hybrid at normal 0x mix) so i know it works, i still have the round and the sabot, the only part that smashed was the tail on the round

Don't know about the fins though, i may have to improvise.
Should be fun!

DYI · Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:18 pm

On a picky note, a 0x mix would not ignite because there would be no air.
1x=1atm of pressure, or 14 psia (0psig)

How do they make the fins on real APFSDS rounds? Or do they just melt the depleted uranium and pour it into a mold?

Novacastrian · Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:48 pm

[quote="DYI"]On a picky note, a 0x mix would not ignite because there would be no air.
1x=1atm of pressure, or 14 psia (0psig)

Yeah, i meant no prior pressure in the chamber (apart from the mormal 14.7) and 1 shot of fuel

jackssmirkingrevenge · Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:00 pm

Novacastrian wrote:Why yes, i'll have to make two "cylinders" to make 1 sabot though. Mill the sides flat so they fit together nicely.

note that the middle of the projectile is ringed in order to lock into the sabot while in the barrel...

How do they make the fins on real APFSDS rounds? Or do they just melt the depleted uranium and pour it into a mold?

The fins on APFSDS rounds are a separate unit to the penetrating rod and not made of DU.

Novacastrian · Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:26 pm

note that the middle of the projectile is ringed in order to lock into the sabot while in the barrel...

I thick my main projectile will have a smaller diameter at the rear, i'll make the sabot to suit.

Zen/// · Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:32 pm

Maybe have a thinner projectile (but not too thin it will snap)
so it will increase penetration.

Like a needle is easyier to poke through something then a pencil.

More force on a smaller area.

Novacastrian · Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:39 pm

Zen/// wrote:Maybe have a thinner projectile (but not too thin it will snap)
so it will increase penetration.

Like a needle is easyier to poke through something then a pencil.

More force on a smaller area.

Cross Sectional Density is the correct term: and yes it shall be done

c9d · Sat Nov 10, 2007 11:24 pm

Did I get some gears turning? If you do make a scaled down version of this... please make more than one... I would pay you.

Jack is correct, the fins are a separate piece. Probably press fitted to the DU penetrator. I do know the training rounds are solid aluminum and do not have fins at all.

Now all we need is an explosives expert and we can make mini HEAT rounds...lol

Novacastrian · Sat Nov 10, 2007 11:30 pm

Now all we need is an explosives expert and we can make mini HEAT rounds...lol[/quote]
*Drools at the thought* [size=0]the discussion of explosive rounds is against forum rules[/size]

Sub-Calibre Saboted Ammo

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