[WilliamWallace1999]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I also thought the original M1A1 had a 105 mm rifled main gun and the M1A2 has a smooth bore 120mm that fires a larger fin stabilized sabot-discarding penetrator of depleted uranium as the tank killer round.

[WhiskeyPapa]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I also thought the original M1A1 had a 105 mm rifled main gun and the M1A2 has a smooth bore 120mm that fires a larger fin stabilized sabot-discarding penetrator of depleted uranium as the tank killer round.

I think it was the original M1 that had the M68A1 105 MM gun. -That- gun was of British design. The 120MM is a German design. That was intrduced in the M1A1. Both guns fire the "sabot" type round, which is basically a big steel/DU dart going about a mile a second.

Walt

[archy]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I also thought the original M1A1 had a 105 mm rifled main gun and the M1A2 has a smooth bore 120mm that fires a larger fin stabilized sabot-discarding penetrator of depleted uranium as the tank killer round.

Not quite. The M1, of which 3,273 were produced for the Army, was originally fielded with the 105mm gun; those tanks have all or most all been rebuilt to the improved IPM1 or M1A1 standard, fitted with the 120mm M256 main gun, or may be rebuilt to the M1A2 SEP configuration- the upgrade program was cancelled but the M1A2's success in Iraq could change the picture of things; and a new Honeywell/G.E. engine for the Abrams series, developed as a common powerplant intended for the M1A2 and the now-cancelled Crusader 155mm Self-Propelled gun is also soon to be eventually refitted to the Abrams series tanks.

More on the M1, M1A1, M1A1 FEP/M1A1 HA, M1A2 and M1A2 SEP tanks *here* and *here* and *here* and *here*

-archy-/-