Description
This cartridge is a high velocity, flat trajectory, discarding sabot round used in 105mm gun cannons against armored targets.
The projectile consists of a subprojectile and sabot. The sub subprojectile consists of a steel nickel body, which houses a tungsten core and is fitted with an aluminum windshield and fin assembly. The aluminum sabot, composed of’ three 120 degree sections, is assembled around the subprojectile. A steel bourrelet, containing three shear cuts, is screwed to the sabot forward face. A nylon obturator and polypropylene seal is assembled around the sabot, and a urethane seal is applied over the rear face of the sabot. An M13 tracer is assembled in the fin and held in place by a threaded plug and disc assembly. The projectile is crimped to an M148A1B1 cartridge case, which holds approximately 12.5 lb of M30 propellant, and is fitted with an M120 electric primer. A gun tube wear reducing titanium-dioxide liner is assembled to the interior wall of the cartridge case.
The projectile is black with white markings.
Functioning
The M735 is loaded and fired in the tank gun in the normal manner. Upon firing, the sabot with its subprojectile is propelled from the gun and the tracer is ignited. The subprojectile is in a low friction bearing surface within the sabot and is free to rotate and so does not pick up the high rotation rate the gun rifling normally imparts to a projectile. Upon leaving the gun, centrifugal and aerodynamic forces cause the sabot to separate from the subprojectile and it quickly falls to earth. The fin stabilized subprojectile continues on a true course to the target at high velocity. Target penetration is effected strictly by the high kinetic energy of subprojectile’s high density core when it impacts:
Hazardous Components
Cartridge case - M148A1B1
Propelling charge - M30 (12.5 lb. 5.7 kg)
Primer - M120
Tracer - M13
Physical Data
Length, overall - 37.94 in, 963.7mm
See Also
Nothing else to see.
Source(s)
