Logo from Scott Cunningham.
Logo from Scott Cunningham.
he first of the alternative types of kinetic energy projectiles was the APCR projectile. The projectile consisted of a hard, high density sub-calibre core within a light alloy body. The carrying body remained with the core throughout flight to the target, resulting in a cross sectional area the same as the gun calibre.
The advantage of APCR projectiles is a significantly greater armour penetration, like all sub-calibre projectiles. The mass of an APCR projectile is about half that of a full calibre armour piercing projectile, so it can be fired at higher velocities, up to about 1,260m/s.7
A cutaway of an APCR projectile. Note the penetrator nestled within the full calibre sabot. This is a Soviet copy of a German APCR projectile commonly called an arrowhead, from the distinctive outer body shape. From the Russian Military Zone.
The disadvantage of APCR projectiles is that their velocity and therefore their penetration falls off much more rapidly with range. This is because they are lighter, but have the same cross sectional area, as a conventional full calibre projectile. So their penetration performance at longer ranges can be less than that of a full calibre projectile even though it might be considerably greater at shorter ranges.7 Like all sub-calibre projectiles using a tungsten carbide core, the core is brittle and breaks up if it strikes the target obliquely or if the target is protected by spaced armour, as described earlier.
APCR was first developed in Germany at the beginning of World War II. Germany was cut off from tungsten sources in 1942 and production of sub-calibre projeciles ceased shortly after, so APCR projectiles were rarely used after this time. Later the Soviet Union and the USA produced their own versions. In the USA this type of projectile was called HVAP (high velocity armour piercing).
Sub-calibre Ammunition Part 3 APCNR
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