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UCRGID- 124985

Report of Trip to YTS - C91 Test Projectiles

L. Mickel

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This is an informal report intended primarily for internal or limited external distribution. The opinions and conclusions stated are those of the author and may or may not be those of the Laboratory. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract W-7405-ENG-48.

DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or respoasibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use- fulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any spe- cific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufac- turer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recorn- mendktion, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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h3PORT OF TRIP TO YTS - Cgl TEST PROJECT1

Place Visited: U. S. fhmy Ordnance Test Yuma Test Station

Dates. of V i s i t :

Contact:

Yuna, nrizona

Activity

J &- 8.7

Mr Janes. Watson, Special Weapons Branch (Sunset 38321, X - 2 5 C l

Purpose of V i s i t : To test the s t ruc tura l in tegr i ty of the C-91 slurry-H.E. projec t i le at high acceleration.

DECLASSIFICATION S T M OM REV-

Back r o w 4s a par t of the R4IL f eas ib i l i t y study, Operation Dorothe ! + March 19 1) w a s conducted t o determine i f a l iquid explosive could survive the acceleration of launch from a 155 mm howitzer. successful, although sose s t ruc tura l d i f f icu l ty w a s experienced with the t e s t round (C-90). Upon campletion of tha t exercise, f t was decided t o design a t e s t round tha t could be used with the more viscous slurry-type explosives, and to f l r e several of these new rounds with i n e r t filler p r i o r t o t h e i r use w i t h slurry H.E., precluding tine difficulty previously experienced .

This operation w a s

Discussion: The C-91 projectile,P.f;cs 3 4, i s a modified KLO7 H.E. round. It has been reduced i n weight, equipped with an obturator, and - ~-

provided with a large fill orifice; t o eliminzte rotation. control column height. from reaching the in t e r io r of t'ne project i le .

The rotating band has been a l te red Internally, Page 5 , a p la s t i c p l d i s used to .2 piston-t-De "0" r i ng seal prevents gun gas

. Four of these pro jec t l les were f i r ed r'rom a 155 mm howitzer a$

15,500 E ' S , plus. inpact a d repeated ricochet i n scmd, gravel, and snail rock. No leakage of the i n e r t f i l l e r (glycerin) occurred. troyed with explosives upon completion of the exercise.

They survived not only the launch, Page 6, but also

!ll rounds were des-

Pfcatfnny Arsenal has stocked I## of "&per Charge" powder ( t h e propellant charge) a t YTS for Yuture LRL use. an or iginal 40) are stocked a t LRL.

23 MLO7 projec t i les (of b.

'

Test Results

Round - Warmer 320

Welght ( l b s Remarks f Fired to seat howitzer t ra i ls .

Wanner 321 Fired to seat howitzer trails.

c-91-1 75 -75 16,400 Remained i n t a c t through launch and impact.

Remained intact through launch and inpact.

75.50 d. ii

t

c-92-2 16,200

e-91-3 76.00 16,250 Remained in tac t through launch and impact.

c-91- 4 0. 15,500 75-63 Remained intact

through lzunch and impact.

C-91-5 76.00 --- Hot fired

Recommendation: for R f i I L slurry R.E. sensitfvity tests at high acceleration.

Tnat the C-91 proJectile 5e used as the- tes t vehicle

c c : W . a.rnold/R. Stone 'K. k c h a n / C . Garland.

G. Do~>ueh/J. Kury L. O'Connell/L. Mickel R. Squire

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