AUTOCANNON AMMUNITION

20mm General Electric Vulcan

     Notes: The M-61 Vulcan was originally designed post-World War 2 as an autocannon to be mounted in high-speed aircraft.  Design work began on the weapon and ammunition in 1946; though the ammunition was ready in 1952, a reliable Vulcan was not available until 1959.  Ammunition for the M-61 Vulcan is generally used in belts only in ground-mounted applications like the M-163; aircraft and aircraft gun pods generally use drums of linkless ammunition that are sized to carry the maximum amount of ammunition that the aircraft design allows. (Helicopters generally use belted ammunition for their internal guns and gun pods). The figures shown here are primarily for belted ammunition in ground-mount and vehicular applications (and the Phalanx CIWS).   The Cobra helicopter is also a user of Vulcan ammunition in its M-197 autocannon. Early in the Vulcan’s ammunition development, the Air Force seriously considered using a 27mm round; however, it was decided that a smaller-caliber round would allow for more ammunition carriage and a lighter gun, and that using high-velocity 20mm ammunition would give the Vulcan near-equivalent damaging power.

     Though GE invented the Vulcan and developed its ammunition, GE later sold its Armament Systems division to Martin Marietta.  Martin later merged with Lockheed, where were later acquired by General Dynamics, who currently build and make parts for the Vulcan and its derivative guns.  In addition, there are several foreign license producers, and even more license producers of its ammunition.

     Other Names: M-53 API, M-56A3/A4 HEI, M-242 HEI-T, M-246 HEI-T, M-940 MPT-SD, PGU-28A/B SAPHEI

     Size: 20x102mm                                                                                                                                                                                

     Weight: 40.05 per case of 100

     Price: (API) $322 per case

               (HEI) $263 per case

               (MPT-SD) $408 per case

               (SAPHEI) $524 per case

Magazines:

20mm Hispano-Suiza HS-804

     Notes: The HS-804 is an old World War 2 antiaircraft cartridge, originally used by just about every Western nation.  Currently, the HS-804 is fired only by a few weapons, most notably antiaircraft and IFV weapons of vehicles of the former Yugoslavia (the “M-55” listed below). The HS-804 is now considered obsolete for most purposes, though it has found some minor use in antimateriel rifles as well as the uses mentioned above.  The shells and the guns firing them are light in weight and easy to use.  Loading is as simple as loading a machinegun, whether the gun is fed by a belt of magazine.  The guns and ammunition is still being produced, primarily in the former Yugoslavia.

     Other Names: M-55, Mk 11, Mk 12

     Size: 20x110mm

     Weight: 43.2 kg per case of 100

     Price: (APDS) $369 per case

              (API) $347 per case

              (HE) $283 per case

Magazines:

20mm Oerlikon KAA/KAB

     Notes: This ammunition was first developed for the KAA autocannon in the 1950s, which was their successor to their 20mm Type S.  The KAA was designed primarily to be an AAA gun, and as first only HE ammunition was available, though its use on light AFVs led to the development of an API round.  The shells and their guns are light in weight and easy to use, and even fully loaded retain their light weight.  Loading is as simple as loading a machinegun, whether the gun is fed by a belt or by a magazine.  The guns and ammunition are still being produced.

     Size: 20x128mm

     Weight: 50.26 kg per case of 100

     Price: (API) $393 per case

              (HE) $320 per case

Magazines:

20mm Oerlikon KAD

     Notes: Designed for what was originally the Hispano-Suiza HS-820 autocannon, the KAD uses a longer round with more propellant.  It was designed primarily as an aircraft cannon, so the first round developed was HEI, followed by APHEI and then API when it began to be used in vehicle mounts.  Rounds primarily designed to produce shrapnel fragments (to increase effectiveness against aircraft targets and against personnel in the open) and APDS rounds followed later when the round began to be used by the German Rh-202 autocannon on their armored vehicles.  The ammunition is still being produced, despite the falling use of the KAD autocannon, because several German vehicles still use the Rh-202 autocannon as their primary armament, and several aircraft still use the US M-139 autocannon as aircraft armament.

     Other Names: HS-820, Rh-202, 20M693, Vektor F2

     Size: 20x139mm

     Weight: 55 kg per case of 100

     Price: (AP) $421 per case

              (APDS) $492 per case

              (APHEI) $492 per case

              (API) $462 per case

              (HEI) $358 per case

              (SHRAP) $465 per case

Magazines:

23mm ZU-23

     Notes: First designed to be fired from the ZU-23-2 antiaircraft autocannon in the late 1950s, this round has since been used by dozens of antiaircraft guns as well as some vehicular autocannons meant for antivehicle/antipersonnel use instead of antiaircraft use.  It is also used as helicopter armament on some attack helicopters and in some gun pods for helicopters. The ZU-23 round is essentially an update of the World War 2 VYa round, with a wider variety of updated warheads and using steel casings instead of brass casings.  Due to the different loadings of projectiles and different primers the VYa and ZU-23 rounds are not compatible, however.  Fired en masse, the ZU-23 round can be devastating, but as a single autocannon firing as vehicular armament of helicopter armament, it is a bit lacking in damaging and penetration potential, though range is satisfying.

     Other Names: 23mm Type 85

     Size: 23x152mm

     Weight: 79 kg per case of 100

     Price: (APDS-T) $469 per case

              (API) $418 per case

              (HE) $341 per case

              (HVAPI) $704 per case

              (HVHE) $457 per case

Magazines:

25mm OSCW

     Notes: Designed specifically to be fired from Barrett XM-109 Payload Rifle and the OSCW autocannon/grenade launcher (now named the XM-307 ACSW, for Advanced Crew-Served Weapon), the 25mm OSCW round is a stubby, relatively short-range round that can carry a variety of projectile types.  Currently, conventional and programmable airburst rounds are available, though weapon and round research continues.  As far as I know, the round and the weapons that fire it have had only very limited combat testing, though intensive range and development testing has taken place.

     Size: 25x59mm

     Weight: 8 kg per case of 22

     Price: (HE) $60 per case

              (HEDP) $85 per case

              (HEAB) $90 per case

              (HEDP-AB) $128 per case

Magazines:

25mm Oerlikon KBA

     Notes: The Oerlikon KBA round was originally designed by Eugene Stoner for use in an autocannon that was to arm the US MICV (the vehicle that became the M-2 Bradley). The design of the gun and ammunition was bought out by Oerlikon after the M-242 Bushmaster won that competition, but as a result KBA ammunition is usable by the M-242 Bushmaster as well as its derivative, the GAU-12/U.  It can also be fired by the Mauser Mk 25, the Giat M-811, the Aden 25 aircraft cannon, and the various KBA autocannon clones.  The KBA round is conventionally primed and uses a lacquered steel case with a belt link locating groove just behind the case shoulder.  This special adaptation to belt feed makes reloading the round by other than special equipment difficult, as the groove expands when the round is fired and must be re-done carefully or the reloaded round will jam the weapon.

     Other Names: M-242 Bushmaster, GAU-12/U, GAU-22/A, 25M811, Oerlikon IIG, 25mm Type 85

     Size: 25x137mm

     Weight: 84 kg per case of 100

     Price: (AA) $671 per case

              (APDS) $833 per case

              (APFSDS) $1184 per case

              (APFSDSDU) $1535 per case

              (API) $730 per case

              (FAPDS) $645 per case

              (HEI) $599 per case

              (SAPHEI) $833 per case

Magazines:

30mm DEFA

     Notes: In modern times, when one refers to a 30mm DEFA cannon, one is generally referring to the DEFA 554, the most modern version of the 30mm DEFA autocannon.  The 30mm DEFA autocannon is almost exclusively an aircraft cannon, mounted as the internal gun on some fighters, attack aircraft, and helicopters; however, a few antiaircraft guns, like the Giat Type 30 M 781 use the 30mm DEFA round, as well as some antiaircraft guns mounted on ships.  30mm DEFA ammunition is electrically-ignited (the primer is only able to be ignited by an electric charge), and since it is used as an aircraft cannon, is capable of functioning at cyclic rates of up to 2000 rounds per minute through one barrel.  Though the guns are not the same, the British 30mm ADEN autocannon uses the same ammunition as the DEFA, leading to the ammunition’s alternate name.  Though manufactured in several countries, more 30mm DEFA ammunition is produced in South Africa than anywhere else, despite the design  being French and France being a major user of the 30mm DEFA’s ammunition and autocannon.

     Other Names: 30mm ADEN

     Size: 30x113mm

     Weight: 99.8 kg per case of 100

     Price: (APHEI) $635 per case

              (API) $573 per case

              (HEI) $455 per case

              (SAPHEI) $633 per case

Magazines:

30mm 2A42

     Notes: The 30mm 2A42 round was introduced in the 1970s specifically for use by armored vehicles, helicopters, and antiaircraft autocannons; until this point, such vehicles were equipped with either lower-caliber autocannons or adapted naval autocannons.  The 30mm 2A42 fires percussion-primed ammunition, instead of using the electrical priming of adapted naval guns.  As the number of applications and ammunition technology grew, the number of ammunition types grew, and the number of vehicles mounting the 2A42 or its descendants has grown to the point where it is virtually an ubiquitous autocannon in Russian, former Russian, Former Warsaw Pact, and Chinese service, as well as among former Soviet or Chinese client states.  Ground vehicles normally use the armor-piercing types, with HE-types as secondary; antiaircraft guns normally use HE or HE-FRAG; helicopters tend to use HE-types, but sometimes use AP types.

     Other Names: Shipunov 2A42, 30x165mm, KBP 30x165mm

     Size: 30x165mm

     Weight: 146 kg per case of 100

     Price: (APBC) $635 per case

              (APDS) $714 per case

              (APFSDS) $1000 per case

              (API) $682 per case

              (HE-FRAG) $676 per case

              (HE) $541 per case

Magazines:

30mm Rarden

     Notes: The 30mm Rarden round was developed from the earlier Hispano-Suiza 831-L and the KCB family of ammunition, and has been steadily upgraded over the years to deal with newer threats and give the 30mm L-21A1 autocannon greater capability.  It is virtually identical to the 30mm KCB round; the two rounds have virtually the same dimensions and the L-21A1 can also fire KCB ammunition (but not necessarily the other way around; guns designed for KCB ammunition cannot necessarily fire Rarden ammunition). Round dimensions are medium-length for an autocannon round, but propellant charge is decently large and the Rarden ammunition has surprising power and range.  (The long barrel helps in this regard.) The L-21A1 Rarden gun is fed by small 3-round clips, which are fed into either side of its dual-feed mechanism.

     Other Names: HS-831

     Size: 30x170mm

     Weight: 43 kg per case of 36

     Price: (APDS) $375 per case

              (APFSDS) $413 per case

              (APSE) $300 per case

              (HE) $270 per case

Magazines:

30mm Oerlikon KCA

     Notes: The KCA was originally developed as an antiaircraft gun round, but designers were quick to employ it on aircraft, and some time later, on AFVs.  Along with its expanding duties, new ammunition was developed for the KCA.  Today, the KCA or KCB equips dozens of fighter aircraft, and an increasing number of IFVs, self-propelled antiaircraft guns, ground-mounted antiaircraft guns, and naval gun mounts.  The KCB round is virtually identical to the KCA; the KCA uses a brass case, while the KCB uses a steel case.  The GAU-8 Avenger autocannon also uses an similar round; however, the round produced for the GAU-8 has a light alloy case to save weight, is electrically-primed, and uses a plastic driving band (as well as a flexible chute feed, like most aircraft).  Most guns which can fire KCA can also fire KCB, but few KCA or KCB guns can fire the GAU-8 round.  They are, however, the similar in size and weight and are variants of each other, so they are included here together.

     Other Names: 30mm Bushmaster II, 30mm Mk 44, 30mm Mk 30 Model F, 30mm MK 30, EMAK 30, 30mm Artemis (and KCB and GAU-8)

     Size: 30x173mm

     Weight: 153kg per case of 100

     Price: (APDS) $1063 per case

              (APFSDS) $1172 per case

              (APIDU – GAU-8 Only) $1289 per case

              (APHE) $851 per case

              (API) $934 per case

              (HE) $766 per case

              (HEI – GAU-8 Only) $766 per case

Magazines:

30mm Praga M-53

     Notes: Throughout most of its career, the M-53 round and its associated autocannons were used by self-propelled and ground-mounted antiaircraft guns.  However, starting about 20 years ago, Yugoslavia and later the former Yugoslavia (especially Serbia) began mounting the M-53 autocannon, and its improved variant, the M-86 autocannon, on IFVs and scout vehicles.  (The M-86 gun also came with a range of improved ammunition, but this was primarily improvements in the fuzes and stability of the warheads and propellant).  The rounds are large and powerful, and are quite useful as antivehicle rounds when firing APFSDS ammunition.  The round and the original autocannon that fired it was designed in the late 1950s in Czechoslovakia; soon thereafter Yugoslavia adopted it for their 30mm autocannons.

     Other Names: 30mm M-86, 30mm Praga

     Size: 30x220mm

     Weight: 97kg per case of 50

     Price: (API)   $456 per case

              (APFSDS): $746 per case

              (HE) $487 per case

              (HEI) $487 per case

Magazines:

35mm Oerlikon KDB

     Notes: The KDB was primarily designed for antiaircraft use, but most of the guns that use them have a secondary role as ground-support weapons.  Naval use is growing, particularly with the AHEAD antimissile round.  The KCB is also beginning to be used in AFV cannons.

     The KDB round is a large round which has considerable power, and many AFV cannons which can use the KDB can use the KDC with some adjustments to the breech; most such autocannons have a variable breech for this purpose.  Autocannons designed for the KDB typically use a long barrel length to take as much as advantage as possible of the KDB’s power.   KDB’s are almost always fed by belts.

     The AHEAD round requires some additional elaboration.  Designed for close-range antiship missile defense, the AHEAD round is also useful as an antipersonnel round.  The round breaks up into 152 heavy tungsten pellets.  When fired against missiles or vehicular targets, the damage is resolved as 17 attacks with a penetration of 3 each, and each cluster requiring its own “to hit” roll.  When fired against personnel, the damage is resolved as a claymore mine, but each hit has a penetration of 1-Nil.

     Other Names: Oerlikon KDC, 35mm Bushmaster III, 35mm Mk 44

     Size: 35x228mm

     Weight: 154 kg per case of 56

     Price (AHEAD): $1786 per case

             (APCI): $548 per case

             (APDS): $610 per case

             (APFSDS): $867 per case

             (APFSDS-T) $1061 per case

             (APFSDSDU): $1114 per case

             (API): $551 per case

             (FAPDS): $473 per case

             (HE/HEI): $442 per case

             (HEAT): $631 per case

             (HEDP): $537 per case

             (HEIBF): $354 per case

             (HEINF): $369 per case

             (SAPHEI): $615 per case

Magazines:

37mm M-1939

     Notes: This round is essentially a sized-up round from the pre-World War 2 Swedish Bofors antiaircraft gun, a design which was sold to Russia in the 1930s.  So far, the 37mm M-1939 is uses exclusively as an antiaircraft gun, both in ground-mount and naval applications, though some experimental antiaircraft vehicles have been equipped with the gun that fires this ammunition.  Needless to say, such guns often find themselves used against personnel, soft-skinned vehicles, and light armored vehicles, as well as fortifications. Though it is an elderly design using elderly-design ammunition, it continues to be a common sight throughout the world, and the ammunition now used is basically a modern iteration of the older designs.  Unlike most Soviet/Russian designs, the 37mm M-1939 cartridge case is brass, though internally the propellant charge is held together by a cardboard cylinder.  In addition, the internal walls of the case are wax-coated.  The round has copper driving bands.  Ignition is by conventional primer; most guns designed for this round are recoil-operated.

     Size: 37x252mm

     Weight: 169.3 kg per case of 50

     Price: (APFSDS-T) $577 per case

              (API) $473 per case

              (APHE) $677 per case

              (FRAG-HE) $509 per case

              (HE) $407 per case

              (HVAP) $865 per case

Magazines:

40mm Bofors L/60

     Notes: This round was designed for the Bofors L/60 antiaircraft gun, when it was asked by the Swedish Navy to produce a smaller, lighter version of the 57mm gun then in use as an anti-torpedo boat that Finspong (later bought out by Bofors) had designed for the Swedish Navy In 1900.  Bofors produced a medium-weight gun, but with then high-velocity ammunition which included a large shell packed with propellant.  The ammunition was at first a non-starter, as it used zinc shell cases that left heavy zinc deposits in the barrel, though this problem was later solved through advances in the gun design during development.  Current L/60s use brass cases instead of zinc.  Rounds are rimmed, allowing them to be fed into a gun by hand-fed clips. Production of both the gun and ammunition continue to this day, making it one of the oldest autocannon designs in existence today.  Some 74 countries use or used the L/60, primarily on ships or as AAA guns, though the gun is also in use by the US AC-130 gunships.

     Other Names: 40mm QF, 40mm Mark 26, 40mm Type 5

     Size: 40x311mm

     Weight: 195 kg per case of 40

     Price: (APFSDS-T) $960 per case

              (APHC-T) $765 per case

              (AP) $380 per case

              (HE) $380 per case

              (MP) $456 per case

              (PFHE) $456 per case

Magazines:

40mm Bofors L/70

     Notes: Though the Bofors L/60 was an able antiaircraft gun in its time, after World War 2, the increasing speed of jet aircraft meant that the L/60 not only did not fire fast enough, it’s rounds didn’t have the velocity necessary to do the job.  Bofors therefore developed a new 40mm autocannon, around a new shell which had a much heavier propellant charge along with a slightly lighter projectile.  The stressing of the new shell also meant that it had the strength to work with a higher cyclic rate of fire than the L/60.  The velocity of the L/70 was, in fact, considered incredible at the time for such a large round, and even today it’s velocity and hitting power are quite respectable.  The first L/70 rounds were used in the Swedish 40mm Ivakan m/48 antiaircraft gun, which began service in 1951.  Foreign sales rapidly followed, and thousands have been produced since then.  It has also gone on to be used in autocannons not necessarily meant for the antiaircraft role, such as that on the CV-9040, and the German Class 352, Class 333, and Class 332 mine hunting vessels.  Of course, there are a plethora of antiaircraft designs using this round.  Most guns firing this round are magazine or drum-fed instead of being belt-fed; the weight of a full drum in most cases prevents the drum from being loaded onto the weapon while full of rounds, and therefore the drum must be loaded with mechanical assist or filled with rounds after it is attached to the gun. The rounds are rimmed to facilitate this.

     Other Names: 40mm Type A, 40mm Type B, 40mm Mk 3, 40mm SAK-40L/70, 40mm Breda

     Size: 40x364mm

     Weight: 229 kg per case of 40

     Price: (3P) $1243 per case

              (APFSDS-T) $1046 per case

              (API) $414 per case

              (HET) $414 per case

              (PFHE) $497 per case

Magazines:

57mm S-60

     Notes: The 57mm S-60 round was developed just after World War 2, and accepted along with the gun that fired it in 1950.  It is still in service in many places worldwide, on ground-mounted antiaircraft guns, self-propelled antiaircraft guns, and naval mountings.  Though the 57mm S-60 round was based on both the Bofors 57mm round and the Soviet 57mm round fired by some antitank guns in World War 2, the 57mm S-60 is noticeably weaker than both those rounds.  The rounds for this gun have not changed since the early 1960s, with the exception of the addition of the APFSDS round in the early 1970s when the round and gun were being considered for use on a self-propelled light support gun.  They have, however, been produced with increasing technological methods, including the late 1990s switch in some countries from steel to brass cases, and the change to non-corrosive primers.

     Other Names: 57mm Type 59, 57mm Type 76, MK-781

     Size: 57x384mm

     Weight: 612.4 kg per case of 50

     Price: (AP) $1959 per case

              (APCBC) $2100 per case

              (APFSDS) $2254 per case

              (APHE) $2155 per case

              (HE) $1617 per case

Magazines:

60mm HVMS

     Notes: This heavy autocannon round was developed specifically for one of IMI’s experiments at increasing the firepower of AFVs as well as fire support vehicles.  Experimental fittings were made to the M-113 and the Marder, and were apparently successful, but not proceeded with beyond a few prototypes.  However, the 60mm HVMS was used by Chile to re-arm some of their Sherman tanks, and they later mated the 60mm HVMS to other vehicles (such as the M-24 Chaffee) and even developed a ground mounting for it.  Developed in conjunction with Otobreda of Italy, the 60mm HVMS has, other than Chile, found no commercial success or international interest.

     Other Names: 60mm Otobreda HVMS, Oto-Melara T 60/70

     Size: 60x410mm

     Weight: 579.6 kg per case of 40

     Price: (APFSDS-T) $3527 per case

              (HE) $1494 per case

              (HEAT) $2094 per case

              (WP) $2694 per case

Magazines:

75mm ARES CTA

     Notes: This round was designed specifically for the ARES XM-274 heavy autocannon, and when ARES’s entry in the RDF/LT program fell through, eventually the XM-274 fell through as well, and it has found no real-world users as of yet.  In the Twilight 2000 timeline, the gun and its ammunition is used by the LAV-75 light armored gun system.  The rounds for the XM-274 used case-telescoped ammunition (CTA), and it was one of the first examples of CTA being used in a modern gun.  The warheads for the round are set completely into the brass case and surrounded by propellant, which is designed to fire in a precise pattern to propel the warhead forwards in the same manner as normal ammunition.  The 75mm CTA ammunition looks, externally, like a brass case with a flush plastic cap; the CTA ammunition takes up less space than a comparable 75mm round and weighs less than a similar 75mm conventional round.  It also simplifies the feed system of the XM-274 and improves its feed reliability.  Colored identification bands, caps, and labels identify the type of ammunition present.  At first, Only the APFSDS and HE rounds were to be developed; the HEAT and WP rounds were developed later at the request of the US Army to provide greater flexibility in fire support.  ARES is still willing to produce this gun system and its ammunition, but they have had no takers so far.

     Size: 75x406mm

     Weight: 702 kg per case of 36

     Price: (APFSDS) $6945 per case

              (HE) $4104 per case

              (HEAT) $5724 per case

              (WP) $7344 per case

Magazines:

76mm OTO

     Notes: The 76mm OTO round was designed for the 76/62mm Allargato dual-purpose automatic naval cannon.  Since then, many guns have been designed to use the round; most of these are naval guns, though a few land-based antiaircraft guns have been designed, as well as an antiaircraft vehicle.  (Most land-based designs using this gun have not entered production and were produced as prototypes or trials vehicles only.)  Ammunition is produced in many of the countries that use the Otobreda 76 series of autocannons, including some guns that do not have licenses to do so.  The 76mm OTO round is huge in size but relatively light in weight compared to other rounds of its class.  Most rounds loaded into Otobreda guns these days are HE rounds or HE-FRAG rounds, though use of the PFF round is becoming more common and even the sabot round is routinely carried by naval vessels should they be required. The APFSDS round, however, was primarily designed for land applications, should an antiaircraft gun have to engage light (or even medium) armor.  The 76mm OTO round uses electrical ignition for its primer; feed may be from short, medium, or long belts, or via an ammunition drum, or in the case of the Draco vehicle, a revolving magazine. DART is a bit unusual; it fires three submunition tungsten sabots from one round which fly in a cluster toward the target and are guided by laser, they have a +2 to hit.  Vulcano is even more unusual; it has a powerful propelling charge and a small warhead, and is also guided, and requires Tac Missile skill on the part of its gunner.

     Note that guns which fire this round can also fire 76mm M32 large-caliber gun rounds.

     Other Names: 76mm Otobreda, 76mm OTO Melara, 76mm OTOmatic, 76mm Breda, 76mm Fajir-27

     Size: 76.2x900mm

     Weight: 695 kg per case of 45

     Price: (APFSDS) $7515 per case

              (MOM) $4742 per case

              (DART) $10,030 per case

              (HE) $5355 per case

              (HE-FRAG) $6025 per case

              (PFF) $6779 per case

              (SAPOM) $6694 per case

              (SAPOMER) $7531 per case

              (Vulcano): $12,000 per case

Magazines: