[telewinz]

Since the M1A Abrams has a VERY accurate smoothbore cannon we seem to have the technology to equal or better the accuracy of the finest RIFLED barrel. What do you think?

[dakotasin]

finned bullets, eh? seems to me i'd have a helluva time handloading those, and i won't use factory stuff for anything of consequence... i'll keep my current crop of antiquated rifled bores.

[firestar]

If it works better, I'm all for it. I don't want to be stuck in the past just because I can't change.

[JohnDog]

Finned projectiles aren't the whole story!

Fron the Army Technolgy webite...

http://www.army-technology.com/projects/abrams/

The M1A2 Abrams tank has a two-axis Raytheon Gunner's Primary Sight- Line of Sight (GPS-LOS) which increases the first round hit probability by providing faster target acquisition and improved gun pointing. The Thermal Imaging System (TIS) has magnification x10 narrow field of view and x3 wide field of view. The thermal image is displayed in the eyepiece of the gunner's sight together with the range measurement from a laser rangefinder. The Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton) Laser Systems Eyesafe Laser Rangefinder (ELRF) has a range accuracy to within 10m and target discrimination of 20m. The gunner also has a Kollmorgen Model 939 auxiliary sight with magnification x8 and field of view 8 degrees.

The digital fire control computer is supplied by General Dynamics - Canada (formerly Computing Devices Canada). The fire control computer automatically calculates the fire control solution based on: lead angle measurement; bend of the gun measured by the muzzle reference system; velocity measurement from a wind sensor on the roof of the turret; data from a pendulum static cant sensor located at the centre of the turret roof. The operator manually inputs data on ammunition type, temperature, and barometric pressure.



I need a computer to measure the bend and cant of my rifle barrel - and tell me where and when to shoot!! I wonder how much that scope would cost:cool:

JohnDog

[dude]

The German designed 120mm smoothbore cannon now on the M1 (and Brit Challanger, German Leapord 2) is very good at shooting anti-armor fin stabilized sub-rounds........but is not a good system for job that is done with small arms.

[Tamara]

The Brit Challenger/Challenger II uses a British-designed rifled 120mm gun with separate charges, rather than the fixed-ammunition Rheinmetall smoothbore used by the Abrams and Leopard II... :)

[dude]

opps.....you are most likely correct sir as I was 'assuming', thanks

The Brits were nice enough to invent the armor we use on the M1.

[9mmepiphany]

aren't the brits still using a rifled barrel too?

i really like the look of the challeger

[ShaiVong]

I'd hate to be the guy to run a brush and patches down the M1 bore after a day at the Iraq duckshoot!

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

Tungsten carbide kinetic darts are too long to spin-stabilize, hence the smoothbore. if you spin 'em, they'll do a corkscrew yaw until they tumble.

I don't see this particular technology wending it's way down to smallarms anytime soon. The existing technology is plenty good for the requirements.

[telewinz]

From what I understand from reading is that the major reason for going to a smoothbore was to gain increased velocity that could not gained without the inherent additional pressures imposed by rifling. IIRC, bullets were successfully designed over 100 years ago to impose there own spin without rifling.