Armor-piercing shell

The third phase of the Arsenal s development began with an appropriation in 1906 of 165,000 for the erection and equipage of a powder factory. This work was undertaken by Major B.W. Dunn, Jr, the inventor of Explosive D , which replaced Maximite for armor-piercing shell. 

Many other weapons utilizing hollow charges were designed and used in WWII, such as HE and AP (armor-piercing) shells, demolition charges, land and sea mines, torpedoes, etc. These weapons played a very important part in WWII. For example, in Ref 22, pp 11-16, are described various Amer demolition charges employed during WWII. They are now probably obsolete... 

Ammonium Picrate (AmmPicr), Dunnite or Explosive D, was standardized in the US as a bursting charge for AP (Armor-Piercing) shells (Ref 64, p 2-3). Its prepn and properties are described in Ref 70, pp 136—39, where it is stated that AmmPicr was first prepd in 1841 by Marchand and in 1869 used by Brugbre in admixture with K nitrate as a proplnt. Used as an HE after 1900 (See also 1841)... 

WWII at Picatinny Arsenal contd Ba nitrate 63.0, Mg pdr 34.3 binder-fuel 2.7%. It was used in 47-mm AP (Armor-piercing) Shell (Ref 28, p 322)... 

Ammonium picrate [also known as Explosive D Structure (2.9)] was used as a military explosive to fill armor-piercing shells because of its relative insensitiveness to impact It was also used in admixture with KN03 as a substitute for black powder or gunpowder. Ammonium picrate in conjunction with TNT [Picratol-52/48 (Ammonium picrate/TNT)] was also formulated and used. 

Uses Composition A-3 has a combination of sensitivity characteristics which makes it particularly useful as a press-loaded HE filler for AA SAP shells, in grenades, and it can be used as a booster chge (low wax content) in armor piercing shells (Ref 19). Various RDX (wax mixts were used during WWII by the British,Italians Japanese (Ref 9)... 

The high explosive in the shell must be so insensitive that it will tolerate the shock of setback without exploding. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is generally considered to be satisfactory for all military purposes, except for armor-piercing shells. The explosive must be tightly packed within the shell. There must be no cavities, lest the setback cause the explosive to move violently across the gap and to explode prematurely while the shell is still within the barrel of the gun, or as is more likely, to pull away from the detonator and fail to be exploded by it. 

It is used in armor-piercing shells as a bursting charge. Ammonium picrate is a salt and does not melt, so it must be loaded by compression. 

Uses Standard bursting charge for armor-piercing shells. 

German Military Explosives af WWII Used as Fillers in Anticoncrete and Armor-Piercing Shells. In order to make the explosives such as TNT safe for use in armor-piercing and... 

A very dangerous fire hazard in the form of a solid or dust when exposed to heat or flame. It can react violently with air, CI2, F2, HNO3, NO, Se, S, water, NH3, BrFs, trichloroethylene, nitryl fluoride. During storage it may form a pyrophoric surface due to effects of air and moisture. Depleted uranium (the by-product of the uranium enrichment process, with relatively low radioactivity) is used in armor-piercing shells, ship or aircraft ballast, and counterbalances. Uranium is also used in making colored ceramic glazes. 

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