Gun tube

Laser-based profilometry systems have also been applied for nondestructive testing and measurement of both smooth-bore and rifled gun tubes. Working through Small Business Innovation Research program, the U.S. Army has developed laser-based profilometry systems for the inspection of the 120mm cannon used on the MI-Al Abrams main battle tank. Systems have also been built to measure the erosion of 25 mm and 155 mm rifled gun tubes. 

The laser-based gun tube inspection systems are intended to augment and, perhaps eventually, replace the labor-intensive, time consuming and subjective visual inspection methods that are currently employed by these facilities. 

Doyle, J. L., and Bondurant, P. D. (1991) Development of an Automated, Laser-Based Gun Tube Inspection System, QUEST Technical Report No. 542, December. 

Pressures, Gun. Pressures within a gun tube or barrel, a used in design practices. Because of the wide variations in size, wall ratios, heat dissipation, required safety actors, etc, design practices, vary for the different types of weapons. Some pressure terms have significance in the design of (a) all tubes and barrels, (b) cannon tubes, (c) recoilless rifle tubes, and (d) small arms, barrels, viz ... 

Ir is operated as a fixed mount, but is strategically mobile when the gun tube is retracted, and the carriage is loaded on heavy artillery transport T10. The,projectile made of a one-piece steel forging is the "deep cavity" type and contains 101.7 lb of cast TNT and a... 

Worn gun tubes may be responsible for premature functioning of shells in that the fuze may be armed and activated by the erratic movement of the projectile in the weapon The erratic movement of die projectile is caused by the worn rifling not properly engraving the rotating band of the shell... 

There are also lightweight sabots which do not discard on leaving the gun but remain on the core. The so-called hypervelocity armor-piercing" (HVAP) projectiles are provided with such sabots. Because of the low total weight of such projectiles, " hyper velocity" (muzzle velocity of 3500 feet per second or more) is obtainable within allowable pressure of the gun tube. The velocity is rapidly lost, but at short ranges the projectile is effective against armor (Ref 3)... 

One disadvantage of a combustible case is that it does not perform the function of sealing off the rear end of the gun tube, which prevents ieakage of the high-pressure propeiiing gases. 

Radial Band Pressure. The pressure which is excited on the rotating band by the walls of the gun tube, and hence against the projectile wall at the band seat, as a result of the engraving of the band by the gun rifling. Since the same pressure is exerted against the gun tube, it must be taken into account in gun design as well as in projectile design... 

Radial Expansion. A method of making gun tubes by expanding steel cylinders under internal pressure until the interior diameter has been permanently enlarged. This method is also known as cold working and auto-frettage (Fr term meaning self-hooping )... 

Hndbk, Guns Series, Gun Tubes , AMCP 706-252 (1964), 21 72 3) Anon, Engrg-... 

---