PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-602
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 602
JANUARY 2003
When loading unpackaged ammunition
into a tank, be careful not to dent or scrape
the cartridge case, projectile or fuze.
Watch for primers not flush with the car-
tridge case. If the primer sticks out, it could
be dangerous to use. If it’s too far in, the
primer won’t fire.
Protect electrically fired cartridges from
static electricity caused by low humidity and
layers of clothing during the winter months.
Ground your stored cartridges with whatever
grounding equipment is available.
Turn in all rounds damaged by recoil or
rammed out of a gun.
Tarps or other suitable waterproof covering should be placed over the turret bus-
tle on uploaded tanks when parked. Water leakage into the bustle can cause damage
to uploaded ammunition, including corroded stub cases and primers. Wet, soggy
combustible cases may not chamber properly. That results in low round velocity,
poor accuracy and residue problems.
If standing water is present in the bustle, don’t store ammo in the bottom row of
turret racks.
PS 602
JAN 03
54
Tank Ammunition
Do not dent ammo when moving
it into or out of combat vehicles
Grenades
• Be sure the safety pin is present and installed before you
remove a grenade from its container. If you can’t see the pin,
assume it isn’t there and get assistance.
• Never lift or handle a grenade by the safety pin pull ring or
safety clip.
• Don’t pull the grenade
safety pin until you are
ready to use the grenade.
• Avoid putting a grenade
in a location where the safe-
ty pin could be accidentally
removed.
• Never put an HC smoke
grenade into water. HC
reacts violently with water.
• Cold temperatures may
cause the thermite grenade
(AN-M14, G900) to explode
rather than burn when used.
When handling
fragmentation
hand grenades
and smoke
grenades, you
should…
120mm tank rounds have a combustible cartridge case, synthetic obturators, eas-
ily damaged nose tips and, on the M829-series, depleted uranium (DU) penetrators.
Check out TM 9-1300-251-20&P to determine serviceability of tank ammunition.
If you’re in doubt or don’t have the TM available, turn in suspect rounds to your
ASP and draw new ammo.
The M829A1 cartridge is susceptible to forward bourrelet expansion from water
freezing between the penetrator and the sabot. When this happens, the round is
either difficult to chamber or won’t chamber at all.
If you are chambering rounds in freezing temperatures and you have one hanging
out of the breach about 8 inches, a frozen bourrelet is the likely problem. Remove
the round and place it where the ice can melt. After the ice melts, the round is OK
to use.
•
A cracked or punctured cartridge case.
•
Scratches or abrasions to the cartridge case that
remove the protective coating and expose a yellowish
white material.
•
Loose projectiles (separation from the cartridge case).
•
Cracked obturator.
•
Cracked sabot.
•
Bent, cracked or loose windshield.
•
Damage to the cartridge, which might expose the DU
core.
Any
possible damage to the DU core should be
reported to your NBC NCO for action.
Take the time
to check your
120mm ammo for
the following
problems…
My ammunition presents
different concerns from
most other munitions
because of its special
design and materials!
HC grenades and
water
don't
mix
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