Ammunition for 30 mm DEFA guns

propellant used is approximately 50 g of a nitrocellulose-based multiperforated (19-hole) tubular propellant known as B.19. T and produced by SNPE. DEFA 30 × 113 mm B ammunition may be put into one of three groups; high-explosive, armour-piercing and practice. A further discrimination can be made between ammunition for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground use. Operating temperature limits are from -54 to +74ºC. Firing safety temperature limits are from -60 to +100ºC. Rounds are fed to the revolver loading mechanism on the Series 553/554 guns in belts using pressed steel links. The following 30 mm DEFA ammunition types are those originally produced by Matra Manurhin Defense, later known as Manurhin Defense and now part of Giat Industries. SAPHEI type F 7670 Intended primarily for air-to-air combat, this round is known as the 30 mm type F 7670. It uses a thick-walled, heat-treated steel projectile with a blunt nose, covered by a light alloy windshield to retain a ballistic match with other rounds in the DEFA 30 mm family. The base of the projectile is occupied by a delayed action base fuze known as the MR3005, with an arming distance of 20 m from the muzzle and a self-destruct time between 6 and 15 seconds. When the fuze functions it detonates the explosive payload, which weighs 18 g, to create high-fragmentation effects behind the target armour. The projectile can penetrate up to 20 mm of armour. The weight of the projectile used with this round is 275 g and the weight of a complete round is 490 g. API-T - OPIT This round, no longer produced, is known as the 30 mm Mle 5970, and is intended for the air-to-ground attack of hard targets such as armoured vehicles. The projectile uses a cold drawn steel body with thin sidewalls, carrying a heat-treated special steel blunt nose slug that acts as the armour penetrator.