Big boost to battlefield operations [tank-based "shotgun" round!]

U.S. Army Public Affairs ^ | December 5, 2005 | Wakeland Kuamoo

[RightWhale]

50 pounds of roofing nails is a lot of nails. Why would they suggest roofing nails instead of finishing nails or ordinary sinkers?

[Spok]

"40-60 pounds of nails for a 155."
I can imagine the media and the ACLU getting all jacked up about something like that, but during Tet, combat got very up close and personal. A friend of mine beat a sapper to death with an entrenching tool-not a recommended use of that particular implement!

[GoforBroke]

I was wondering if the cannister round causes increased ware in the chamber of the gun?

if so it may be a factor in the delay to implement.

[sit-rep]

Need one of these for the house...

[IronJack]

I was talking specifically about canister as a type of tank shell

Okay. Never mind.

[Monterrosa-24]

"I was wondering if the cannister round causes increased ware in the chamber of the gun?"

I doubt it because it is a smooth bore gun designed for the screaming velocities needed for the maximum effectiveness of the depleted uranium penetrators. These canister rounds could be pretty hot and still mild compared to the anti-tank rounds. In the chamber itself the shot should not touch the metal judging from the illustration.

[wildcatf4f3]

they reinvent the gattlinggun and now grapeshot

[JustAnotherOkie]

Now microprocessor controlled 1,200 tungsten balls

http://proceedings.ndia.org/5560/Thursday/Session_IV-A/Friedberg.pdf

[RonF]

Hm. Let's see; a shotgun gauge is the number of lead balls the diameter of the gun's barrel that it takes to weigh 1 lb. Lead is 11340 Kg/m³. This cannon is 120 mm in diameter. My math says that this is a .023 ga. shotgun.

[Sender]

Wow, an 0.001 gauge deer load. Pretty kewl. Ouch!

[Kenton]

I was talking specifically about canister as a type of tank shell

Ah, yes. In that case you are, of course, correct.

[MeanWestTexan]

I would think a roofing nail would have a mighty spin (big head and all).

[Heatseeker]

Allah: "Attention: paging all remaining virgins to the reception area immediately."

[ANGGAPO]

You beat me to it.

[injin]

I love it ....it should be used on Saddam and his entire entourage of lawyers

[pawdoggie]

Now if they'll bring back the 40mm shot shell for the M203 we'll be in business.

IIRC, there were problems with trying to fire the shot-shell from the M203 (M-16 barrel was within dispersion pattern of shotgun round of underslung M203), which is why units in VN tried to hang on to their M79s.

[saleman]

Tungsten is more dense than steel, holding energy more efficiently at longer ranges.

[Chode]

or a street sweeper with a 20mm GAU-4 or a 30mm GAU-8...

[ArrogantBustard]

Why tungsten?

Speculation: Better penetration of light cover. This round will probably shred thin-skinned vehicles, walls, trees, thin berms, etc.

Not to mention shredding BGs.

[68skylark]

Why would they suggest roofing nails instead of finishing nails or ordinary sinkers?

That's a fine question. At Ft. Sill they just told us to use roofing nails. But I guess if things got real bad I'd be creative and reach for anything I could get my hands on -- maybe that's really what they were trying to teach us.