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Uranium covered tank ammunition used during Gulf War
5/24/02 | K. Jones

Posted on 05/24/2002 1:48:55 PM PDT by fiftymegaton

I have just finished reading a book written by Tom Clancy and (Ret.)Gen. Fred Franks called 'Into The Storm' Ground-War In Iraq. In this book I learned the ammunition for our M1A1 tanks used in the Gulf War were coated in depleted uranium I assume to make them more solid and to give them the ability to more easily penetrate the armor of enemy tanks. I have also read an article on this forum posted last week(the source I dont remember) that stated the left-over or spent tank ammunition still in Iraq is posing radioactive problems to some areas there and in Kuwait. Now my concern here is that the ammunition could have been found by Iraqis(and presumably there is a lot of it still there)and they could then strip the depleted uranium off the shell fragments and then reuse the Uranium for 'drity' bombs and possibly put it through some kind of process to re-enrich the Uranium to be used for the manufacture possible nuclear weapons.


TOPICS: Announcements; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: dirtybomb; nuclearweapons; nuke; uranium
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Is any of this possible??
1 posted on 05/24/2002 1:48:55 PM PDT by fiftymegaton
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To: fiftymegaton
Sounds possible, but I think alternate means of obtaining Nuke waste would be easier, cheaper and less time consuming.
2 posted on 05/24/2002 1:52:54 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: fiftymegaton
They call it DEPLETED for a reason
3 posted on 05/24/2002 1:54:45 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: fiftymegaton
Key word: DEPLETED.
4 posted on 05/24/2002 1:55:09 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: fiftymegaton
Depleted uranium is not useful in a "dirty bomb" or as fissile material--it is "depleted" of the bomb-grade (and the significantly radioactive) U-235 isotope.
5 posted on 05/24/2002 1:55:22 PM PDT by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
On the other hand, I would love to get some .224" diameter depleted uranium bullets for 600 yd slow fire!
6 posted on 05/24/2002 1:58:28 PM PDT by white trash redneck
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To: white trash redneck
.224"?

Yeah, watch the chamber explode...methinks you want .223".

7 posted on 05/24/2002 1:59:27 PM PDT by Poohbah
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To: fiftymegaton
DU is all U238 which is non-fissonable unless you have TONS of it as in a reactor.
The warheads are solid U238 which on contact, vaporizes then ignites thus burning through the armor.
8 posted on 05/24/2002 1:59:31 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: fiftymegaton
They would have to depleted the depleted uranium of its depletedness first.
9 posted on 05/24/2002 1:59:51 PM PDT by Rodney King
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To: Rodney King
Make that "deplete the depleted uranium..."
10 posted on 05/24/2002 2:00:35 PM PDT by Rodney King
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To: Poohbah
Depleted uranium is not useful in a "dirty bomb" or as fissile material--it is "depleted" of the bomb-grade (and the significantly radioactive) U-235 isotope.

U235 is the fissile isotope that is used in nuclear reactors and bombs. However, it is not "significantly radioactive". A dirty bomb is made of the highly radioactive isotopes generated in the nuclear chain reaction of a reactor.

11 posted on 05/24/2002 2:03:51 PM PDT by cinFLA
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To: Poohbah
actually,i think should be .222,
12 posted on 05/24/2002 2:04:30 PM PDT by green team 1999
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To: cinFLA
Compared to U-238, U-235 is "hot."

A dirty bomb requires the nuclear "ashes" from a reactor, true.

13 posted on 05/24/2002 2:06:26 PM PDT by Poohbah
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: fiftymegaton
If it was "dirty" our tank guys wouldn't want to be handling it, now would they.

It is used because it is among the densest materials (not the densest BTW) is hard and oxidizes/sparks when heated by collision.

15 posted on 05/24/2002 2:06:49 PM PDT by jlogajan
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To: Poohbah
Yeah, watch the chamber explode...methinks you want .223".

Not so. Bullets for a caliber .223 rifle are actually .224" in diameter. I wonder what kind of BC you could get - their 80 gr. VLD has a BC of .489.

Berger Bullet catalog here.

.224 CAL 30 GRAIN MEF
ID:
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.117
Flat base


.224 CAL 35 GRAIN MEF
ID:
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.136
Flat base


.224 CAL 40 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-40 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.155
Flat base


.224 CAL 40 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-40 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.155
Flat base


.224 CAL 45 GRAIN
ID: 22-45
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.206
Flat base


.224 CAL 45 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-45 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.174
Flat base


.224 CAL 45 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-45 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.174
Flat base


.224 CAL 45 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-45 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/15
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.206
Flat base


.224 CAL 50 GRAIN
ID: 22-50
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.230
Flat base


.224 CAL 50 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-50 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.213
Flat base


.224 CAL 50 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-50 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.213
Flat base


.224 CAL 50 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-50 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.230
Flat base


.224 CAL 52 GRAIN
ID: 22-52
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.237
Flat base


.224 CAL 52 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-52 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.206
Flat base


.224 CAL 52 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-52 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.206
Flat base


.224 CAL 52 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-52 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.237
Flat base


.224 CAL 55 GRAIN
ID: 22-55
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.249
Flat base


.224 CAL 55 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-55 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.217
Flat base


.224 CAL 55 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-55 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.217
Flat base


.224 CAL 55 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-55 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/14
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.249
Flat base


.224 CAL 60 GRAIN
ID: 22-60
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.276
Flat base


.224 CAL 60 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-60 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.233
Flat base


.224 CAL 60 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-60 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.233
Flat base


.224 CAL 60 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-60 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.276
Flat base


.224 CAL 62 GRAIN
ID: 22-62
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.273
Flat base


.224 CAL 62 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-62 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.245
Flat base


.224 CAL 62 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-62 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.245
Flat base


.224 CAL 62 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-62 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.273
Flat base


.224 CAL 64 GRAIN
ID: 22-64
Category: Bullets

Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.281
Flat base


.224 CAL 64 GRAIN MEF
ID: 22-64 MEF
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.251
Flat base


.224 CAL 64 GRAIN MEF MOLY
ID: 22-64 MEF MOLY
Category: Bullets

Maximum Expansion Factor
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.251
Flat base


.224 CAL 64 GRAIN MOLY
ID: 22-64 MOLY
Category: Bullets

Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/12
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.281
Flat base


.224 CAL 70 GRAIN LTB
ID: 22-70 LTB
Category: Bullets

Length Tolerant Bullet
Recommended twist rate is 1/10
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.317
Boat tail


.224 CAL 70 GRAIN LTB MOLY
ID: 22-70 LTB MOLY
Category: Bullets

Length Tolerant Bullet
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/10
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.317
Boat tail


.224 CAL 70 GRAIN VLD
ID: 22-70 VLD
Category: Bullets

Very Low Drag
Recommended twist rate is 1/9
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.400
Boat tail


.224 CAL 70 GRAIN VLD MOLY
ID: 22-70 VLD MOLY
Category: Bullets

Very Low Drag
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/9
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.400
Boat tail


.224 CAL 73 GRAIN LTB
ID: 22-73 LTB
Category: Bullets

Length Tolerant Bullet
Recommended twist rate is 1/9
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.331
Boat tail


.224 CAL 73 GRAIN LTB MOLY
ID: 22-73 LTB MOLY
Category: Bullets

Length Tolerant Bullet
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/9
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.331
Boat tail


.224 CAL 75 GRAIN VLD
ID: 22-75 VLD
Category: Bullets

Very Low Drag
Recommended twist rate is 1/9
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.448
Boat tail


.224 CAL 75 GRAIN VLD MOLY
ID: 22-75 VLD MOLY
Category: Bullets

Very Low Drag
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/9
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.448
Boat tail


.224 CAL 80 GRAIN VLD
ID: 22-80 VLD
Category: Bullets

Very Low Drag
Recommended twist rate is 1/8
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.489


.224 CAL 80 GRAIN VLD MOLY
ID: 22-80 VLD MOLY
Category: Bullets

Very Low Drag
Coated with the Berger process
Recommended twist rate is 1/8
Ballistic Coefficient is 0.489
Boat tail


16 posted on 05/24/2002 2:07:23 PM PDT by white trash redneck
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To: fiftymegaton
I think you mean solid uramium...

The slugs are manufactured in east Tennessee by a defense contractor that has changed ownership so many times I don't know the present name.

I once held one that was probably 20mm at the body and tapered to a near needle point. They are turned on a lathe. They are immensly heavy ie, Uranium is very dense. A small slug suprises you in your hand because it is so heavy for such a small object.

There may be other sizes, but it is my rememberance that the sharp point penetrates the turret armour, begins to create heat and then melts the steel. The Velocity, density and shape all contribute to the action. When it gets inside it rattles around and creates hell. the hole is only 20 mm or so ie 3/4 of an inch.

I think (no actual concrete knowledge) the flap about radioactivity yada, yada, yada is bogus. The material is U238 and is nonradioactive. The folks who make them aren't injured and those who clean up shouldn't be either. Peacemongers are mostly ignorant louts who lie to support their causes because they can't stand such a simple weapon that is not only relatively cheap, but devistatingly effective.

17 posted on 05/24/2002 2:07:54 PM PDT by bert
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: white trash redneck
uranium bullets

Might that ruin your rifling? But if you clad it in copper or go with sabots, it might be workable. Bismuth bullets might work out better.

19 posted on 05/24/2002 2:13:46 PM PDT by RightWhale
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To: fiftymegaton

the only risk of radiation could be if someone goes inside of let`s say a T-72 iraqui tank destroyed but hull still there,a fine powder-like substance will be in the inside,nobody should touch it or get it into their lungs by breathing inside tank.
but the whole country contaminated,no just the inside of the tanks destroyed.
20 posted on 05/24/2002 2:15:52 PM PDT by green team 1999
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