Effects of Launch Tube Curvature on Ballistics Accuracy

  • Mark L. Bundy US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground
Keywords: Axial thermal expansion, Ammunition dispersion

Abstract

It is possible for two different launch. platforms to produce centre of (shot) impacts (COIs), that differ in magnitude by several times the ammunition dispersion. It is difficult to discern what fraction of this variation is due to the launch tube alone, since changing tube alters both the mounting conditions and the occasion. A means has been devised to 'change tubes' without altering the mount or the occasion, by merely changing the shape of a given tube within the same mount. This is accomplished by localised control of a gun barrel's axial thermal expansion, implemented through a series of temperature-controlled heating pads adhered to the outer barrel wall. Using this technique, it was found that a simple, yet very common, bow-shaped curvature to the right verses left, for example, produced a significant shift in COI. Furthermore, it was found that holding the barrel shape constant dramatically reduced the standard deviation (dispersion) of shot Impacts about COI.

Author Biography

Mark L. Bundy, US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground
US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground
Published
2013-01-01
How to Cite
Bundy, M. (2013). Effects of Launch Tube Curvature on Ballistics Accuracy. Defence Science Journal, 47(4), 427-434. https://doi.org/10.14429/dsj.47.4027
Section
Armaments & Explosives