Depleted Uranium Penetrators in Larger Calibers

Looking at the threads on Black Hawk Down and Black Hawk Down Part II a nd this one, it occured to me that many members are interested in Military weapons and National Defence Policy while pther members are not.
I have suggested that a new Military weapons and National Defence Policy forum be added to TFL which interested members coud vist and non interested members coould ignore.
For the next week opinions pro and con are being requested. If ypu have ab opinion one way or the other you should post your cpmments under the topic in the Sugestions & Comments forum.
[This message has been edited by Hard Ball (edited February 17, 2000).]
 
KraMrD

Depleted uranium rifle and pistol rounds will work if properly designed, buy since they are both armor piercing and incendiary they would probably upset the BATF.
 
An interesting side note: The last time I looked, the laws against armor piercing ammo specified "depleted" uranium. Non-depleted uranium, of course, would have the same balistic characteristics, and just be a little worse from a radiological standpoint. So it's at least possible that it would be legal to own native uranium ammo, though you'd probably have to find some pitchblende, and refine it yourself.

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Sic semper tyrannis!
 
George,
Well, like I said, if I remember correctly. It's only been 23 ago!!
The rate of fire was reduced for testing in the airframe. I'm not sure of the rate of the 30MM version.
The 20MM cannons in the F4E was set at 2,000 RPM, the slowest for that unit. And the highest was 6,000 rds/min!! Whewww.

Best Regards,
Don


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The most foolish mistake we could make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms; history shows that all conquerers who have allowed their subjected people to carry arms have prepared their own fall.
Adolf Hitler
 
The 30mm GAU-8/A gatling gun used on the A-10 warthog has a selectable rate of fire of either 2,000 or 4,200 rounds per minute, It has seven barrels so that each barrel fires 600 rpm when firing at the high rate. A very imoreeive gun.
 
I remember hearing on a tv special ,that the
20 mm mini gun ,at low fire rate, can slow
the a10 Warthog by 20 mph and at the high fire rate, by 35 mph .

Pilots should be reminded to fly 45 mph
faster to make up for slowing of the aircraft
due to autofiring cannon and to prevent
stalling the aircraft.

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-They call 'em POLUTE-TICIANS because they POLUTE the MINDS
of OUR CHILDERN with their ANTI firearm RIGHTS SOCIALIST
political agendas. We of the older generations know B.S.
when we hear it.
-----------------------------------------------
In 2000, we must become politically active in
support of gun rights or we WILL LOSE the right
& the freedom.
-------------------------
NO FATE BUT WHAT WE MAKE!!!
----------------------
Every year,over 2 million Americans use firearms
not to take live but to preserve life,....limb & family
.Gun Control Democrats would prefer that they are all disarmed
and helpless and die victims of felony violence,instead.

Protect your gun rights, go to:
http://home.xnet.com/~gizmonic/TheMarch.html
and sign up as a helper or attendee or state organizer.
ernest2, Conn. CAN opp. "Do What You Can"!
http://thematrix.acmecity.com/digital/237/cansite/can.html
 
Most of the controversy involves the dangers presented by the residue left by DU to battle damage assessment teams , the curious, etc. Those, on the receiving end, all seem convinced of its effectiveness
 
I forgot to mention in my last post that the Ar Force, in a splendid piece of propaganda, refers to 30mm GAU-8 depleted urranium rounds as "Staballloy" projectiles.
 
Staballoy is probably the proprietary name for the alloy they use in making the projectiles. DU is a low level alpha emitter. Alpha particles are relatively low threat since they have very little penetration, your skin stops them fairly well. DU is softer and more dense than tungsten also used in Sabot ammo. The grain structure and flow characteristics of DU make it more efficient than tungsten for some reason. The scientific types are trying to get tungsten as good as DU at punching through armour but have not had much luck as of yet. However the US is considering phasing out DU because of the media types making a big stink. Also uranium is native to the US, whereas tungsten is almost entirely imported, from China. Semper Fi...Ken M
 
Even if improved tungsten alloy penetrators could be developed to equal the performanc of DU penetrators, they would not have DU's violent incendiary effects after the target's armor is penetrated.
 
I have seen Sabot rounds hit tanks, both DU and also the tungsten SLAP for the 50 cal. The pyrophoric effects of the DU are academic I can assure you. Everything inside the tank is pretty much converted to shreds. And THEN the ammo cooks off! The Soviet T-72 series(64,80,84,90) tanks had major problems in Chechneya both in 92-94 and currently, because they are too much stuff crammed into too small a package. Anything that got through the armour is going to hit ammo or fuel. Instant catastrophic kill. But DU is more efficient, and more importantly is available here in the CONUS, rather than being dependant on foreign resources. Semper Fi...Ken M
 
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