Name: Ammunition for 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless guns
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<h2>Armament</h2><p>All 84 mm Carl Gustaf M2/M3 recoilless guns.</p><h2>Development</h2><p>The Carl Gustaf 84 mm recoilless guns were developed following experimental work carried out in Sweden during the early and mid-1940s. Following the development of a 20 mm model, the first prototypes of the 84 mm Carl Gustaf appeared in 1946 and the first service model was ready in 1948. Since then the 84 mm Carl Gustaf has been produced in a series of basically similar models, all relying on the controlled venting of propelling gases through a rear-mounted venturi to eliminate recoil forces. The original versions were produced by the Swedish state-owned Gevärsfaktoriet, but production eventually switched to FFV Ordnance which also produced the ammunition. FFV Ordnance is now Bofors Carl Gustaf, part of Bofors AB. The 84 mm Carl Gustaf guns are in service with armed forces all over the world, including the USA, and production continues. The guns were originally developed as anti-tank weapons but ammunition development converted them into a portable multipurpose weapon capable of fulfilling many infantry fire-support functions efficiently.</p><h2>Description</h2><p>All 84 mm Carl Gustaf ammunition is fixed with the projectiles rigidly secured to their light alloy cartridge cases. The cases have a countersunk, side-located percussion cap used with an igniter composition (black powder NOA 91) to ignite the double-base propellant which is in strip form. The round is breech-loaded; a notch on the rim of the case ensures the round can only be loaded in such a way that the percussion cap ends up opposite the firing pin. The case is closed at the rear by a plastic baseplate. Rounds are normally issued and carried in two-round plastic-based containers. Ammunition development is still continuing for the 84 mm Carl Gustaf; only the current production versions are mentioned here. The following types of round are available: 84 mm HE 441B The projectile used with the 84 mm HE round has an unusual shape. The rounded nose is actually a 447 combined MT and impact fuze with the thin-walled shell body having a pronounced boat tail base with a rounded end. The steel body encloses two neoprene rubber inserts, each containing approximately 800 steel spheres that considerably add to the fragmentation effects produced when the 400 g RDX/TNT filling is detonated. The shell body is designed so the danger area for rearward travelling fragments is relatively small, allowing the round to be used at combat ranges as close as 40 m. The maximum practical range is 1,000 m although the fuze can be set for ranges between 40 and 1,250 m. The mechanical range/time fuze is set before firing by turning the entire front portion of the round from a `Safe' position to any range required in stepless 10 m divisions from 40 to 1,250 m. The 447 fuze uses a modified Thiel clockwork mechanism with transport, handling and bore safeties, requiring both setback and spin to arm. The fuze will function on impact down to impact angles of approximately 5º. The arming distance from the muzzle is over 20 m but less than 70 m. The 447 fuze is also produced by Micron Instruments of Chandigarh, India ; a fuze alternative is the Junghans Feinwerktechnik MTSQ No 504. The muzzle velocity of the 84 mm HE 441B round is 240 m/s and time of flight to 700 m is 3.4 seconds. 84 mm HEAT 551 The 551 HEAT round is one of the latest of a line of 84 mm HEAT rounds. It differs in that it employs a rocket motor that cuts in after firing to provide a flat trajectory and reduced time of flight, both of which increase the hit probability. Early versions of 84 mm HEAT rounds lacked the rocket motor and can be readily recognised by the long standoff nose spike. On the 551 this standoff spike is protected by a plastic ballistic cap. The 84 mm 551 HEAT projectile has a light-alloy body enclosing a 500 g Octol bursting charge behind a cone-shaped copper liner. The front edge of the standoff spike under the ballistic cap contains a steel `biting edge', ensuring the projectile does not slip away from an impact point. The standoff spike acts as a shock generator, transmitting the force of an impact to a piezoelectric generator connected by internal wires to a detonator. This ignites a tetryl booster to light the main shaped charge. Behind the shaped charge is a rocket motor in a light-alloy casing. The rocket motor consists of 300 g of smokeless double-base propellant venting through a closure at the rear. The light-alloy closure has a nozzle and contains a delay unit and an ignition charge. The delay unit is ignited by the propellant gases and delays rocket motor ignition by 45 ms until the projectile has travelled approximately 15 m from the gun muzzle. The motor then burns for 1.5 seconds, developing a thrust of 325 N. A teflon slipping ring is located between the rear closure and the stabilising unit. The latter is fitted around the rocket motor and consists of six folding aluminium fins and a plunger with two throttling orifices. Due to the rocket motor the 84 mm 551 HEAT has a muzzle velocity of 255 m/s, but after a range of 500 m the velocity is 330 m/s. Maximum effective range is 700 m and the time of flight to that range is 2.2 seconds. Standard dispersion at 700 m is 700 × 700 mm. The shaped charge warhead can penetrate approximately 400 mm of hard armour. A typical example of an earlier (non-rocket-assisted) 84 mm HEAT round weighs 2.585 kg, 1.7 kg of which is the projectile. Muzzle velocity is 311 m/s. 84 mm HEAT 751 The 84 mm HEAT 751 round features a rocket-assisted tandem warhead projectile, intended to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) and penetrate over 500 mm of conventional armour. The round has a long conical nose to support the standoff fuze and uses a tandem warhead. The first charge (known as a precharge and weighing 300 g) destroys the reactive armour to enable the second shaped charge, weighing 1.5 kg, to penetrate up to 500 mm of rolled homogeneous armour. The effective range is given as up to 500 m. The complete round weighs 3.8 kg and the projectile 2.9 kg; propellant weight is 400 g. Muzzle velocity is 210 m/s while maximum velocity after rocket ignition is 340 m/s. The maximum height of the projectile trajectory for a range of 700 m is approximately 7 m. This round is in production. 84 mm HEDP 502 This round is intended to be a dual-purpose round for use against lightly armoured vehicles or solid structures and troops in the open, or with a delayed action against field fortifications and similar targets likely to be engaged when Fighting In Built-Up Areas (FIBUA). The round has a dual-mode fuze function with the Instant or Delayed mode selected at the instant of loading by the orientation of the cartridge case with the firing mechanism. Markings on the base (I and D) signify the correct alignment. The shell body is manufactured from high-fragmentation steel, and is surmounted by an aluminium nose cap covering the shaped charge liner which is of a `special material' ensuring behind-armour effects. The explosive charge is 580 g of HMX/TNT with a pressed tetryl and RDX booster. An aluminium alloy fin assembly with six fins is located behind the shell body. The fins are folded forward inside the cartridge case and are unfolded once the projectile leaves the gun muzzle by using residual propellant gas pressure retained by a plunger arrangement. The integral fuze system is a combination piezoelectric impact or pyrotechnic delay arrangement, with the mode selected by the orientation of the cartridge case. The alignment of the case alters the alignment of a fuze mode selector device which either short-circuits the piezoelectric system to obtain a 0.1 second delay after impact function, or else cancels the short-circuiting feature to ensure instantaneous functioning on impact. Arming distance is between 15 and 40 m from the gun muzzle. The 84 mm 502 HEDP can penetrate approximately 150 mm of armour. Muzzle velocity is 230 m/s and the maximum effective range against moving hard targets is 300 m. Against field fortifications or similar targets the maximum effective range is 500 m but this range increases to 1,000 m against troops in the open. The Bofors Light Multipurpose Assault Weapon (LMAW), currently under development, is a one-shot shoulder-fired weapon containing a modified 84 mm FFV 502 HEDP projectile. 84 mm Smoke 469B Intended to create rapid battlefield screening or marker smoke, the 84 mm 469B smoke round uses a light-alloy projectile. It is filled with 800 g of a smoke composition consisting of titanium tetrachloride adsorbed by pulverous synthetic hydrous calcium silicate; the composition is non-toxic. At the front of the body shell is a light-alloy adaptor into which the 957 direct action and graze fuze is threaded. The shell is encircled by a single copper driving band and is enclosed by a light-alloy baseplate. The internal walls of the shell are provided with longitudinal vanes to increase structural strength. On impact the fuze will function to ignite a centrally located burster charge. The smoke composition creates smoke the instant the shell body is ruptured to produce a non-toxic smoke screen 10 to 15 m wide. Maximum effective range of the 84 mm Smoke 469B is 1,300 m and muzzle velocity 240 m/s. 84 mm Illuminating 545 This round is intended to provide rapid battlefield illumination of target areas in support of direct fire weapons and guided missiles. The projectile has a light-alloy body and base and is encircled by a single copper drive band. A pyrotechnic time fuze, covered by a rubber hood with a ring-pull removal tab during transport, is mounted on the projectile body and fitted with a graduated setting ring adjusted by a fuze setting key or the fuze safety pin. Inside the projectile body is a canister filled with 500 g of an illuminating composition and a folded nylon parachute canopy, shroud lines and riser. Before firing the fuze is set using the graduated setting ring, with graduations in 50 m divisions from 200 to 2,300 m, after the hood has been removed along with the fuze safety pin. There are also three preselected click settings for short (600 m), medium (1,100 m) and long range (1,700 m). An alternative fuze, the DM 42 produced by Junghans Feinwerktechnik, has five settings for 500, 800, 1,100, 1,400 and 1,700 m. The 84 mm Illuminating projectile is fired with the gun muzzle, elevated 20 to 25º to ensure the projectile and fuze function at a height at least 200 m above the ground. When the fuze functions it ignites a small expulsion charge which creates an internal overpressure to shear six fixing screws holding the baseplate in position. The illuminating canister is ejected to be suspended beneath the parachute. The expulsion charge also ignites the illuminating composition to produce a sodium light with a candle power of approximately 650,000 candela and an average burning time of 30 seconds. Rate of descent is approximately 5 m/s. The initial illuminated area can have a diameter of approximately 400 to 500 m. Muzzle velocity of the 84 mm Illuminating 545 is 260 m/s and maximum range of burst is 2,100 m. 84 mm TP-T 141 and TP-T 552 Both these rounds are used during training, although the TP-T 141 is no longer in production. Its replacement, the TP-T 551, is generally similar to the earlier round, containing no fuze, booster or bursting charge. The propellant charge and rocket motor provide the same ballistic performance as the HEAT 551. For short-range marksmanship training with 84 mm Carl Gustaf M2/M3 recoilless guns on indoor and outdoor ranges, Bofors produces a series of subcalibre adaptors that are loaded into the weapon concerned in the same manner as a conventional round. The first of these devices was the 6.5 mm SubCalibre Adaptor 217 (British Army designation L10A1 ) and others have since been produced to fire 0.22 training ammunition. The device for the Carl Gustaf M2 resembles a standard 84 mm HEAT round, with a barrel located along the centreline. The device for the Carl Gustaf M3 is essentially the same but resembles the outline of the 84 mm HEAT 551 round. This device is the SubCalibre Adaptor 553B which fires 7.62 mm tracer rounds. With this device a back blast charge may be added to simulate the back blast of the operational round. With the Adaptor 217, a 6.5 mm tracer round with ballistic characteristics similar to those of 84 mm HEAT projectiles (up to ranges of approximately 350 m), is fitted into a firing mechanism which is then screwed into the base of the training adaptor before loading. Firing is via the weapon's normal firing mechanism. Special low-power `gallery' rounds for use on indoor miniature ranges have been produced for use with this adaptor.</p><h2>Authorised fuzes</h2><p>Various - see text Equivalent rounds CANADA</p><p>CANADA</p><h2>Manufacturer</h2><p>SNC TEC</p><p>Type: HEAT 551 (C49), TP-T 552 (C46)</p><p>Description: Standard specifications</p><p>INDIA</p><h2>Manufacturer</h2><p>Indian Ordnance Factory Khamaria</p><p>Jabalpur</p><p>Type: HE, HEAT, Illuminating, TP-T</p><p>Description: HEAT round is of early non-rocket-assisted type with weight (complete) 2.6 kg and projectile</p><p>1.8 kg. Muzzle velocity is 305 m/s. Maximum effective range against stationary targets is 550 m and against</p><p>moving targets 450 m. The 447 fuze for the HE round is produced by Micron Instruments of Chandigarh</p><p>SWEDEN</p><h2>Manufacturer</h2><p>Bofors Carl Gustaf</p><p>Type: See text</p><p>Description: See text</p>

The Ammunition for 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless guns is all 84 mm Carl Gustaf ammunition is fixed with the projectiles rigidly secured to their light alloy cartridge cases. The cases have a countersunk, side-located percussion cap used with an igniter composition (black powder NOA 91) to ignite the double-base propellant which is in strip form. The round is breech-loaded; a notch on the rim of the case ensures the round can only be loaded in such a way that the percussion cap ends up opposite the firing pin. The case is closed at the rear by a plastic baseplate. Rounds are normally issued and carried in two-round plastic-based containers. Ammunition development is still continuing for the 84 mm Carl Gustaf; only the current production versions are mentioned here. The following types of round are available: 84 mm HE 441B The projectile used with the 84 mm HE round has an unusual shape. The rounded nose is actually a 447 combined MT and impact fuze with the thin-walled shell body having a pronounced boat tail base with a rounded end. The steel body encloses two neoprene rubber inserts, each containing approximately 800 steel spheres that considerably add to the fragmentation effects produced when the 400 g RDX/TNT filling is detonated.

The round has a dual-mode fuze function with the Instant or Delayed mode selected at the instant of loading by the orientation of the cartridge case with the firing mechanism. Markings on the base (I and D) signify the correct alignment. The shell body is manufactured from high-fragmentation steel, and is surmounted by an aluminium nose cap covering the shaped charge liner which is of a 'special material' ensuring behind-armour effects. The explosive charge is 580 g of HMX/TNT with a pressed tetryl and RDX booster. An aluminium alloy fin assembly with six fins is located behind the shell body. The fins are folded forward inside the cartridge case and are unfolded once the projectile leaves the gun muzzle by using residual propellant gas pressure retained by a plunger arrangement. The integral fuze system is a combination piezoelectric impact or pyrotechnic delay arrangement, with the mode selected by the orientation of the cartridge case.

Ammunition for 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless guns

Ammunition for 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless guns

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