Re: MIL: Warfare Basics

James Rogers (jamesr@best.com)
Thu, 25 Mar 1999 08:06:56 -0800

At 02:30 AM 3/25/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
>A hand held rifle built for .50 caliber machine gun rounds (uranium core)
is quite
>capable of offing any tank armor but reactive armor.

Two problems:

First, reactive armor *only* works against explosive/shaped-charge anti-armor weapons. Kinetic energy weapons (such as a bullet) will cut through reactive armor like it isn't there.

Second, a hand held .50 with uranium rounds will not cut through modern tank armor. It doesn't have the velocity (at least not in a "hand-held" .50 of normal dimensions and cartridge loadings) or the energy, and a person would have a hard time shooting a high-velocity uranium load anyway from a "hand held" weapon (I'd guess ~20-25,000 ft-lbs ME). In fact, 20mm rounds (uranium or otherwise) won't penetrate modern armor either, but you'll be able to shoot people at 3,000 meters.

The minimum cost of entry for anti-armor bullets these days is high-velocity 25mm uranium rounds. Anything smaller and you are just making noise.

-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com