Armor-piercing cartridges are in service with the internal and regular troops of the countries of the world due to the use of personal protective equipment for potential opponents. Relate to special types of ammunition, expanding the functions of small arms, and are intended to hit targets in light armor.
Classification
Armor-piercing cartridges are of three types:
- ordinary;
- incendiary;
- tracer.
Shells of the first type are used to hit targets located outside shelters or behind easily penetrated shelters. For such cases, stopping power, ballistics and a sufficient strength factor are enough - so that the shell does not deform when a weak protection is beaten. A suitable ballistic form is a criterion that does not apply to conventional armor-piercing pistol cartridges.
Incendiary bullets are used to ignite easily burning objects. Often used to shell field improvised shelters made of wood, rags or tents.
Tracer shells correct the fire and use as a target indicator. They can be used at night to indicate an area of air attack or artillery support.
Device and principle of operation
Any armor-piercing cartridge has a solid steel core and a lead coating (or shirt). If we compare the ordinary bullet and armor-piercing, then the first will have a greater stopping effect (a chance to withdraw the enemy from the battle).
The fact is that the usual one is made of less durable alloys and is often deformed, remaining inside the enemy’s body. Armor-piercing often pass right through. Nevertheless, the latter are in service with many armies of the world and are valued as irreplaceable. For example, for the TT pistol there are conventional and armor-piercing cartridges of 7.62 mm.
In addition to steel, the “filling” is also made of tungsten carbide. An example is the cartridge for rifles of 1940, caliber 7.62, shells of the BS-40 type. The alloy is harder than steel and denser than lead; the only drawback is the high cost. Material processing is also difficult.
Another material for the manufacture of cores is depleted uranium due to the ability to self-ignite without heating in the open air.
Armor-piercing incendiary cartridges are designed to ignite lightly armored fortifications and equipment. These are shells of combined action, but if you compare them with narrowly targeted ammunition (only incendiary or armor-piercing), the efficiency is noticeably reduced.
The core of specialized cartridges is much smaller than that of armor-piercing ones, therefore, the lethal force and the mass of the igniter composition are lower.
The first appearance of the bullet "K"
World historians have noted the experience of using German infantry during the First World War, a 7.92 × 57 mm projectile with a "K" bullet. It was fired from the barrel of a standard Mauser rifle during shelling of enemy tank formations.
The thickness of the armor of the British Mark IV heavy tank was 12 mm, and the penetration depth from the shot reached 12–13 cm. There is evidence of excellent ballistic properties of the bullet and the long-term conservation of kinetic energy in flight over a long distance (200-400 m).
In June 1917, in Belgium during the Messina operation, the cartridge "K" was used by the Germans against Britain. In the future, the bullet turned into a SmK cartridge of 7.92 mm caliber.
For PM
The 9x18 mm PMM armor-piercing cartridge was created by the Tula Design Bureau with the aim of modernizing standard pistol cartridges for Makarov. It has the following characteristics:
- cartridge weight 7.4 g;
- bullet weight 3.7 g;
- initial speed 519 m / s.
In addition to the streamlined (animated) shape, the advantages include the presence of an aluminum tab between the shell and the steel core. Due to this, the kinetic energy increased by 1.5 times, increasing the return by 4%.
A five-millimeter steel armor plate breaks through from a distance of 10 meters, 2.4 mm armor or a Kevlar plate from a distance of 11 meters, and from 30 meters a standard body armor, consisting of titanium (1.25 cm) and thirty layers of Kevlar fabric, can easily be pierced.
About 12 gauge cartridge
Armor-piercing ammunition is specific and is used by law enforcement agencies as additional patrol equipment. Shotguns, which have long been the standard in police cars (especially in the West), have been replaced by light semi-automatic carbines.
Shotguns and carbines are not only armed with internal and regular troops, but are also acquired by civilians to protect housing or fight wild animals.
12 gauge armor-piercing cartridges are used with smoothbore guns due to the presence of a lead shirt enveloping a steel bullet. The layout allows you to save the barrel from quick wear. A shot easily breaks through a metal door 6 mm thick, which is why it is suitable for fighting an enemy using shelters like cars.
In the matter of stopping the car with one or two shots, an armor-piercing incendiary cartridge works well. As soon as the bullet hits the target, it heats up to 3000 degrees, breaking the motor, active mechanisms and setting fire to the wiring.
Airguns
Armor-piercing cartridges for pneumatics are called so very conditionally. Real armor will not be stitched, but their impact characteristics are higher than that of classic lead balls or "Christmas trees".
Zest in the design: the core is made of steel, brass or other solid material. Accordingly, when the projectile reaches the target, it does not deform, but penetrates deeper. The sleeve (usually made of plastic or lead) flies to the side.
Armor-piercing cartridges for pneumatics are used for sports purposes or ordinary entertainment in the form of shooting at banks, bottles or barrels in nature. Popular in urban shooting ranges and recreational shooting ranges. Enhanced penetration increases the interest in shooting, and the projectile remains inside the target and does not bounce, which makes classes in the shooting range safer. However, in terms of ballistic characteristics, the projectile is inferior to conventional bullets, therefore, it is almost not used in hunting.
Packages from manufacturers of Umarex, H&N, GAMO and many others are available in stores. Cartridges of various shapes and caliber.
Application in the Russian army
For the first time, armor-piercing cartridges of 7.62 mm were put into service in 1916. Kutovoy’s bullet had a pointed steel core, there was no cone behind, the shell was melted out of cupronickel, and the shirt made of lead had the shape of a cup. The key element was a copper tip, which was designed to prevent compression and deformation before a collision with a target.
The use of ammunition continued until 1932, then the projectile was replaced by innovations like the armor-piercing specimen B-30 and armor-piercing incendiary B-32 caliber 12.7 and (later) 14.5 mm.
Armor-piercing cartridges for rifles were used during the Second World War with the aim of defeating the enemy’s manpower located in light fortifications. And also to combat lightly armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers and low-flying aircraft.
USSR, Germany and the USA
After World War I, armor-piercing cartridges were universally adopted. The decision was made in connection with the appearance on the battlefield of enemy equipment, the defeat of which is impossible with conventional bullets. These were wedges, machine gun shields, armored cars, aircraft and armored personnel carriers.
Already in the thirties, new ammunition entered the ranks of the troops of the USSR, Germany and the USA and were used on an ongoing basis. During the Second World War, the use of the following types of armor-piercing cartridge was recorded:
- 7.62 x54 (B-30) consists of three elements: a shirt, shell and carbon steel core;
- 7.92 x 57 (SmK) is similar to the B-30 design, but inferior in initial speed;
- 7.62 x 63 (AP M2) is available without a shirt, but with a tompak shell of 0.63 mm, and the core is made of alloyed manganese-molybdenum steel.
Post-war period
In the 1950s, the countries of the NATO bloc came to the decision to produce a unified standard 7.62 caliber projectile capable of solving the tasks of defeating enemy manpower, lightly armored and unarmored objects, and military equipment.
It is believed that the bullet has passed the test and can be adopted if it pierces a steel helmet at a distance of about 550 meters. For purposes with thick armor, other resources are intended - ammunition 12 gauge.
Directions and development prospects
As for the further development of armor-piercing cartridges, mainly large calibers are undergoing improvement: from 12 and above. Development takes place in parallel with armor-piercing shells, flowing into specialized samples:
- standard gauge, as well as with a hard or soft core;
- subcaliber with a heavy core and / or detachable elements;
- swept.
However, these types of cartridges are inferior to small-caliber ammunition in the criteria for interdiction. In other words, all the power goes into overcoming the thickness of the conventional armor plate and ends there. Objects on the other side are minimally damaged.
In popular culture
It is easy to imagine how popular the use of armor-piercing cartridges in movies or games. Every second film (regardless of genre) is not complete without a shootout.
STALKER is the game that first comes to mind when mentioning armor-piercing rounds. "Stalker" is a small gaming universe based on the tragedy of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The game features a wide arsenal. Of course, all samples have damage indicators that differ from real life. Just created an internal balance.
In the game you can find specialized ammunition not only for rifles or AK-74. Armor-piercing cartridges for PM are also present and are widely used by gamers to perform tasks and research the "Zone".
