PzGr40
01.01.2012, 17:05
Cutaway model of a 120mm DM-13 APFSDS-T (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot – Tracer) anti tank cartridge. It was fired from the 120mm Rh (Rheinmetall) tank gun.
The development of this gun started in 1965, as an awnser to the powerfull new Russian 115mm U-5TS tank cannon of the T-62 tank. In 1968 it was descided that the gun should be smooth-bore and a new range of ammunition for this gun had to be designed as well. Numerous tests that took place between 1975 and 1977 showed it was a promising weapon. In 1979 the US army descided to purchase the 120mm Rh tankcannon as the main armament for their new M1Abrahms tank. In Germany it was descided that the gun was going to be the main armament for the new Leopard II tank.
In the beginning only two types of cartridges were available ; The DM-12 HEAT (shaped charge), that also served as a HE-Frag projectile, and the DM-13 APFSDS-T anti tank projectile. Today, about ten different types of projectiles are available.
The DM-13 was the First type of APFSDS-T cartridge to be taken in use for the 120 mm Rh tank gun in 1979. The US army took it into service as the XM-829.
The shellcase is combustable, exept for the lower –steel- portion of the shellcase. A (heat resistant) ring shaped rubber gasket (black) is placed on top of the steel part of the shellcase, and enshures sealing of gasses towards the direction of the breech durung firing.
The projectile is build up of three sabots of 120 degrees each, kept together by two nylon drivingbands (white) at the top and base of the sabots. As the 120mm Rh gun is smooth bore one does not need a wide driving bands that grip ito the lands and grooves of the barrel. Therefore the drivingbands are only thin. In the center of the sabots the penetrator (dart) is placed; the actual sub calibre projectile that pierces the armour. A thick rubber gasket is placed between projectile and shellcase. It expands sideways under pressure, enshuring a gas tight seal.
The penetrator is build up (nose to base) of a steel windshield(1), the piercing cap (2)-that prevents the projectile from bouncing off at low angles-, The penetrator (3)–made of a tungsten nickel alloy that is very hard an ductile-, the projectile body (4), and the tail (5) with five fins and a tracer element screwed into the base. The tailfins enshure stability in flight as the projectiel has no spin to stabilize.
The projectile body (4) has grooves machined to the outside that grip into the same type of grooves on the inside of the sabots, enshuring axial fixation of sabots and penetrator in transport, loading, and firing.
After leaving the barrel, the airstream is locked up in the cup shaped space in top of the sabots. The pressure –and resulting force- upon the sabots is large enough to break both nylon drivingbelts, allowing the sabots to fall away sideways from the penetrator, the remaining part now flying towards the target.
Penetration : 230 mm steel @ 60 degrees at 2200 mtrs.
Vo : 1650 mtrs/sec.
Weight complete penetrator : 4,6 kg.
Diameter penetrator in flight : 38mm.
Soon after the DM-13 was taken into use in 1979 it was found that the projectile did not longer meet the required stadards anymore and was replaced by the DM-23(A1). The DM-23 has a longer, but a smaller dia. penetrator (23mm), which gave better results.
I bought this cartridge as an inert Rheinmetall factory cutaway model. However, I had to patch it up.
Regards, DJH
The development of this gun started in 1965, as an awnser to the powerfull new Russian 115mm U-5TS tank cannon of the T-62 tank. In 1968 it was descided that the gun should be smooth-bore and a new range of ammunition for this gun had to be designed as well. Numerous tests that took place between 1975 and 1977 showed it was a promising weapon. In 1979 the US army descided to purchase the 120mm Rh tankcannon as the main armament for their new M1Abrahms tank. In Germany it was descided that the gun was going to be the main armament for the new Leopard II tank.
In the beginning only two types of cartridges were available ; The DM-12 HEAT (shaped charge), that also served as a HE-Frag projectile, and the DM-13 APFSDS-T anti tank projectile. Today, about ten different types of projectiles are available.
The DM-13 was the First type of APFSDS-T cartridge to be taken in use for the 120 mm Rh tank gun in 1979. The US army took it into service as the XM-829.
The shellcase is combustable, exept for the lower –steel- portion of the shellcase. A (heat resistant) ring shaped rubber gasket (black) is placed on top of the steel part of the shellcase, and enshures sealing of gasses towards the direction of the breech durung firing.
The projectile is build up of three sabots of 120 degrees each, kept together by two nylon drivingbands (white) at the top and base of the sabots. As the 120mm Rh gun is smooth bore one does not need a wide driving bands that grip ito the lands and grooves of the barrel. Therefore the drivingbands are only thin. In the center of the sabots the penetrator (dart) is placed; the actual sub calibre projectile that pierces the armour. A thick rubber gasket is placed between projectile and shellcase. It expands sideways under pressure, enshuring a gas tight seal.
The penetrator is build up (nose to base) of a steel windshield(1), the piercing cap (2)-that prevents the projectile from bouncing off at low angles-, The penetrator (3)–made of a tungsten nickel alloy that is very hard an ductile-, the projectile body (4), and the tail (5) with five fins and a tracer element screwed into the base. The tailfins enshure stability in flight as the projectiel has no spin to stabilize.
The projectile body (4) has grooves machined to the outside that grip into the same type of grooves on the inside of the sabots, enshuring axial fixation of sabots and penetrator in transport, loading, and firing.
After leaving the barrel, the airstream is locked up in the cup shaped space in top of the sabots. The pressure –and resulting force- upon the sabots is large enough to break both nylon drivingbelts, allowing the sabots to fall away sideways from the penetrator, the remaining part now flying towards the target.
Penetration : 230 mm steel @ 60 degrees at 2200 mtrs.
Vo : 1650 mtrs/sec.
Weight complete penetrator : 4,6 kg.
Diameter penetrator in flight : 38mm.
Soon after the DM-13 was taken into use in 1979 it was found that the projectile did not longer meet the required stadards anymore and was replaced by the DM-23(A1). The DM-23 has a longer, but a smaller dia. penetrator (23mm), which gave better results.
I bought this cartridge as an inert Rheinmetall factory cutaway model. However, I had to patch it up.
Regards, DJH