Basic Bullet Information
The rounds are all coated in a
Tombac full metal jacket and given a slight
Molybdenum disulfide coating to ease the movement of the round through the barrel and with loading. While "Teflon" (Really Molybdenum Disulfide) is said to have or give special armor piercing qualities to a bullet, it's purpose more or less decreases friction in the barrel, which consequently decreases barrel wear, and can also increase velocity or accuracy depending on the type of barrel. Because of it's Molybdenum Disulfide coating, all rounds thus appear black, except for their tips (which are left revealed to help signify the type of round). The Molybdenum Disulfide coating is crucial in the fact that is does not wear off or leave behind substantial amounts of residue when fired, and that it can resist temperatures of over 350 degrees Celsius, which similar materials, such as Teflon, cannot. The weapon comes in two variants, with 55 gram and 120 grams cartridges, with the 55 grams typically being lead steel with a tungsten or depleted uranium penetrator, while the 120mm gram rounds tend to be explosive variants, such as air-bursting or explosive armor penetrating rounds. The caseless propellant is held together with a Hexagon or RDX binder, which causes the propellant to be far less sensitive then it would otherwise be (reducing the chance of a cook-off tremendously).
The weapon is intended as a replacement for the .50 caliber rifle round and 14.5mm Russian round. With modern APC's and helicopters being designed to resist .50 caliber rifle rounds, and most modern aircraft flying outside of the altitude of .50 caliber rounds, the 15.5mm was developed in order to combat the growing armor capabilities of APC's and light aircraft. The round produces 40,000 joules of energy, which is roughly twice as much as a .50 caliber round, and 50% greater than the Russian 14.5mm. The round, like the .50 caliber cartridge, has a very high BC or ballistic coefficient, that exceeds it having a BC roughly of 2.0, vs. 1.05 and 1.35 of the .50 caliber round. The round has around the same energy as a .50 caliber round at 1.25 miles, and maintains enough energy to penetrate light armor far past this. The round has two key variant, a 55 gram and 120 gram round, that travel at 1200 m/s and 800 m/s, respectiveness. Typically the 120 gram round is a high explosive variant, while the 55 gram is a tungsten carbide or DU equivalent kinetic energy penetrator. The round is unique in that uses driving bands to help reduce barrel wear and friction, as well as fins to keep it stabilized in flight, being designed more like an artillery shell or mortar round rather than a standard bullet. Due to the excessive weight of the round, it's role for light infantry is limited, but more or less is equivalent to the .50 caliber round, being around the same weight with a similarly sized weapon. The weapon's possess an effective range of approximately 6000 yards, or 3.4 miles, and a maximum range of about 7.5 miles.
The Tungsten carbide or Depleted Uranium penetrator tipped round, is essentially a saboted dart, or Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APSFDS) round, with driving bands that help the round retain it's rifling spin in flight, which can typically penetrate approximately 1.125 inches of RHA steel at 1100 meters, and about .8 inches out to 1.25 miles. This round is primarily used in the anti-aircraft role where velocity and penetration is more important, as armor piercing High explosive rounds can typically penetrate up to 2.125 inches of RHA steel, but have a lower velocity. The round is fin-stabilized, which not only gives it a longer range and better aerodynamics, but keeps it stable far past that of ordinary rounds; these fins help the round maintain it's spin, and are circular in nature, being align with the round's natural rifling twist. They also fit in to the same grooves as the firearms rifling bands. The high explosive rounds have a slightly shorter effective of range of about 5000-6000 yards, or 3 to 3.4 miles, but have a much lower maximum range of only about 5.5 miles. The Air bursting rounds are laser designated, and the 120 grams rounds are nearly identical in size to the 25mm grenades developed from the
XM109 and XM312, however they are skinnier and more aerodynamic, being the same size but differently shaped (at 15.5mm). These rounds can be preprogrammed to explode over a target or be delayed to explode after penetrating a target, thus giving a more optimal air-bursting effect.
High explosive air-burstingThe weapon is designed to use high explosive rounds, including laser-designated airbursting rounds. Based on the 25mm Grenade, the grenade is the same length but smaller and skinnier, giving it a long range and better aerodynamics. This round is designed to detonate in mid-air, peppering it's targets with shrapnel; it uses approximately 60 grams of high explosive and 60 grams of shrapnel, producing a very powerful concussive blast, approximately twice as much as the 40mm grenade, but producing roughly the same amount of shrapnel. This gives the round a lethal radius of approximately 10 meters, however it is optimized for 2.5-5 meters.This allows the round to pepper enemy forces with grenade fire that's more precisely timed, and delivers more damage to the target on a direct hit. The effective range of the air burst weapon is limited by the laser and trajectory of the 15.5mm, with it only working best if flying a relatively flat trajectory. The round has an effective range of 1.25 miles, and a maximum range of 1.75 miles. This is shorter than the range for the other types of cartridges.
High Explosive Armor PenetrationThe high explosive armor piercing rounds (HEAP) are designed similarly to the 25mm grenades, only smaller and with a longer range. The rounds used a shaped charge in the nose of the round, which allows it to penetrate through roughly 2 inches of steel, greater than most light APC's. On top of this, the round is tipped with an armor piercing DU or Tungsten head, which allows it to defeat thin slat armor or other protective barriers, and is propelled by the explosive force of the weapon's penetrator on impact. This gives the round a more aerodynamic shape as well, which makes it have a longer range and a higher ballistic coefficient when in flight. This only marginally improves the rounds armor piercing abilities, but the round will penetrate through light armor if the HE portion fails to go off, or will be propelled further through a vehicle if the HE portion manages to penetrate through the barrier. The rear of the round propels shrapnel and fragmentation which can injure or kill nearby soldiers, but it less effective at this than the air bursting round. The round has an effective range of about 3.125 miles, but it is markedly less than the armor piercing sabot rounds, and thus it's maximum range is limited to about 5 miles.
Armor piercing Saboted Rounds (APSFDS) The APSFDS rounds are essentially saboted darts, using high strength Depleted uranium rounds or Tungsten carbide penetrators to help get through high strength armor. Good against steel, ceramics and defenses designed to defeat shaped charges (such as slat armor), these rounds travel at an incredibly high velocity, around 1200 m/s, with a 55 gram cartridge. The rounds can penetrate penetrate 1.125 inches of RHA steel at 1100 meters, and about .8 inches out to 1.25 miles. At 1.25 miles, the rounds have roughly the same level of power as the .50 caliber rifle round, and has an effective range of 6000 yards or 3.125 miles, and a maximum range of approximately 7.5 miles. The discarding sabot is approximately 10 grams of plastic, but is coated in a thin amount of copper and molybdenum disulfide to aid the barrel. These rounds use driving bands, which help reduce friction on the barrel and give the round it's rifling twist, while the fins on the round stabilize it in flight. As a result of the high velocity, good aerodynamics and fin stabilization, the rounds can reach a surprisingly high altitude, being effective up to 40,000 feet, or around the same altitude as most aircraft, and more than enough to take down helicopters. The rounds typical achieve .8 MOA out of 60 inch long barrel, which gives it relatively high accuracy, necessary to take down high altitude aircraft. They are also good when fired from sniper rifles, although their large size limits their use in this role somewhat. These rounds have markedly less recoil than the high explosive variants, but is still more than a regular soldier can handle without assistance. The rounds are saboted, but only partially, being approximately 12.7mm in diameter, giving it a relatively thin outer coating. The rounds are roughly as long as the high explosive grenades, but much skinnier, and made out of a denser material. Typically the rounds are made out of high strength depleted uranium, like used in M829 rounds, however sometimes tungsten is used instead. Uranium is cheaper and more abundant, and has better mechanical properties, shattering on impact and causing fires. Tungsten is slightly harder however, but this is not always an advantage against high strength armor, as the rounds may instead shatter on impact if too brittle.
"Black Talon" Shredder RoundsThe rounds are essentially based off the
Black Talon rounds that Winchester made a while ago. The rounds were of course, extremely deadly and their reputation for being exceptionally deadly produced a wide variety of rumors, many of which were completely opposite to the truth, which lead Winchester to formally discontinue the creation and sale of the rounds. The Shredder rounds are essentially jacketed hollow-point bullets with perforations designed to expand sharp edges upon impact and silicon spitzer points designed to nearly disintegrate upon impact regardless of the hardness of the target (the spitzer point of course, to increase the aerodynamic shape of the bullet). The bullet includes a Molybdenum Disulfide coating, a proprietary oxide process, which gives it an unusual black appearance compared to copper-jacketed or lead bullets. The Molybdenum Disulfide coating was to protect the barrel rifling, and did not give the bullet armor-piercing capabilities. This coating in fact is still widely used on many of Winchester's rifle bullets today. The bullet also had a unique appearance with a star shaped perforation on the black tip, giving it the nickname Starpoint. The internal structure of the Black Talon’s hollow point is unique in that its petals are more massive at their tips, after expansion, than comparable bullets. This added mass provides superior expansion compared to most other hollow points including the “Ranger SXT”.
The Five Star petal shapes of the Black Talon Shredder rounds essentially translate into superior expansion and very controlled expansion in most soft tissue materials, allowing for a greatly increased, reliable soft targets. In particular, the rounds usual ability to penetrate basically translates into greater expansion, with the energy spent on penetration translating into greater expansion and less penetration. Even so, the extreme power of the round typically results in over-penetration in most soft targets. The rounds are similar in shape to many sniper bullets for the 7mm Remington magnum, being a
boat-tail hollowpoint which gives the weapon significantly greater aerodynamic efficiency.
High Explosive Incendiary Armor Piercing Rounds (HEIAP)
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition (HEIAP) is a form of shell which combines both an armor piercing capability and a high explosive effect. In this respect it is a modern version of armor piercing shell. The ammunition may also be called Semi-armor piercing high explosive incendiary (SAPHEI). Typical of a modern HEIAP shell is the NM142 MP Mk 208 Mod 1 round designed for weapons such as heavy machine guns and anti-materiel rifles.
The primary purpose of these munitions is armor penetration, but unlike SLAP rounds (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) which get their armor piercing ability from the propulsion of a 5.56mm tungsten heavy alloy bullet from a 7.62mm barrel using a sabot with much more energy than is usually possible from a 5.56mm round, HEIAP munitions use high explosives to "blast a path" for the penetrator. The special effect is developed when the round strikes the target. The initial collision ignites the incendiary material in the tip, triggering the detonation of the HE charge. The second (zirconium powder) incendiary charge will also ignite. This burns at a very high temperature, is not easily extinguished, and can last for 30 seconds.
The remaining element of the round is the tungsten carbide penetrator. This has a large amount of kinetic energy and will penetrate the armor as solid-cored armor piercing shot would. This will take some of the incendiary material through the armor. The MK 211 is claimed to penetrate up to an inch (25.4mm) of rolled homogeneous armor. The triggering of the explosive charge is dependent upon the resistance of the target. If the target offers little resistance then the lack of frictional heating will prevent the incendiary from igniting and the high explosive from detonating. Larger guns such as the British 30 mm RARDEN cannon fire APSE (Armour Piercing Special Effects) shells which are an armor piercing round with added HE effect.
This round is usually identified by a green over white paint tip mark. A rarer occurrence of a green–over red–over white paint mark scheme indicate the tracer version of this round. These tracer versions are usually only seen on cartridge feed belts in naval applications. The headstamp on the casing can also help to identify the round as Raufoss and some common headstamps include, but not limited to: HXP89, WCC94, and FN91; or HXP, WCC, LC, or FN with different two-digit numbers as production year suffixes. This round is usually identified by a green over white paint tip mark. A rarer occurrence of a green–over red–over white paint mark scheme indicate the tracer version of this round. These tracer versions are usually only seen on cartridge feed belts in naval applications. The headstamp on the casing can also help to identify the round as Raufoss and some common headstamps include, but not limited to: HXP89, WCC94, and FN91; or HXP, WCC, LC, or FN with different two-digit numbers as production year suffixes.
The round itself is essentially a 12.8 gram container, and has roughly the same proportions of materials as the
Raufoss Mk 211 cartridge. The round is not entirely velocity dependent, relying on high explosive and incendiary materials for much of it's effects. The incendiary material is used to detonate the explosive RDX, and as a result not detonater is required, which drastically simplifies the round's mechanism, but requires that the round's target possesses enough hardness to detonate the round. The ratios of materials, in weight, is 3 grams for the C-4, 3 grams for the cubic zirconium, 2 grams for the incendiary mix detonator, 2 grams for the lead steel, and 3 grams for the tungsten carbide penetrator.
