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Just to be clear, DU is not waste from nuclear power stations. It is 'waste' from the process of extracting the radioactive U235 that goes on to form the fuel for nuclear reactors. Military DU comprises more than 99% U238; that's why it's only weakly radioactive and it will certainly never have been near the inside of a power station. It is though still a heavy metal and still chemically toxic, but you wouldn't want to be ingesting too much lead either.

I must say, I really enjoyed this video. Chris Copson has tremendously improved as a presentator. In the past I found his style good enough, but now i like it. the cadence has improved, as well as where, when and how he chooses to pause. Well done! Looking forward to more

Please do not feel as if you have to apologize for explaining all of these concepts so clearly and simply that a novice like myself can understand. I believe that your pacing, and the accompanying illustrations and film, will keep the video interesting even for those who are more knowledgeable on the subject.

The word "sabot" (the 't' is silent) originally meant a type of French wooden shoe. In the 18th century, it was used to refer to a wooden disc which was attached to a cannon ball to give a tighter fit in the barrel.

A mistake about annealing (5:10): Hardening the round (via quenching) gives it strength but also brittleness. Annealing improves the toughness of the round so that it doesn’t shatter on impact.

Just a correction on the solid rounds. "Annealing" is a heat treating process which SOFTENS metals, it doesn't harden them. It is used to control the crystal grain growth in the metal.

Even as someone who's a bit of a "casual enthusiast" on arms and ordnance topics (and who once-upon-a-time did volunteer work at a very different armor museum), I did appreciate the relatively comprehensive yet approachable coverage in this video.

Super awesome to see a comprehensive basic talk about tank shells! I hope you guys expand the series and talk about stuff like HE filler vs solid shot in WW2, canister, and artillery shells

Sighting in the enemy first, and getting an effective first hit quickly is the key.

Left out APCR / HVAP - Armor Piercing Composite Rigid / Hyper Velocity Armor Piercing (Known to the Russians and Germans as Arrowhead from its shape) - A half way house to Discarding Sabot Armour-piercing, composite rigid (APCR) in British nomenclature, high-velocity armour-piercing (HVAP) in US nomenclature, alternatively called "hard core projectile" (German: Hartkernprojektil) or simply "core projectile" (Swedish: kärnprojektil), is a projectile which has a core of high-density hard material, such as tungsten carbide, surrounded by a full-bore shell of a lighter material (e.g., an aluminium alloy). However, the low sectional density of the APCR resulted in high aerodynamic drag. Tungsten compounds such as tungsten carbide were used in small quantities of inhomogeneous and discarded sabot round, but that element was in short supply in most places. Most APCR projectiles are shaped like the standard APCBC round (although some of the German Pzgr. 40 and some Soviet designs resemble a stubby arrow), but the projectile is lighter: up to half the weight of a standard AP round of the same calibre. The lighter weight allows a higher muzzle velocity. The kinetic energy of the round is concentrated in the core and hence on a smaller impact area, improving the penetration of the target armour. To prevent shattering on impact, a shock-buffering cap is placed between the core and the outer ballistic shell as with APC rounds. However, because the round is lighter but still the same overall size it has poorer ballistic qualities, and loses velocity and accuracy at longer ranges. The APCR was superseded by the APDS, which dispensed with the outer light alloy shell once the round had left the barrel. The concept of a heavy, small-diameter penetrator encased in light metal was later employed in small-arms armour-piercing incen

Great stuff! Excellent presentation.

this guy has one of my fave new youtubers, he is very thorough.... what i like from youtube is enthusasts, not some presenter that is just presenting and i think this channel understands what youtube is about in that regard a great many museams now put on top quality docs of their own, the imperial war museam also does great ones to

Now I know we all want Smoothbore v. Rifled - A closer look!

Superb video, i can not fault it. The information was given in an understandable way. Chris gives great explanation for all subjects. Personal memories...RCT supporting RSDG in 1985, found out they called the HESH practise rounds SHSPRAC. When said it sounds good. No idea what they called SABOT rounds. Edit. @19.28 Let that sink in, then remember Challenger had the longest Tank on Tank kill ever, with a "dart" with a "Rifled" gun.

I was at tankfest 2023 last weekend, my 3rd tankfest & an amazing weekend. These videos, along with the tank chats series are all presented by people with an incredible depth of knowledge of the subjects discussed, & are great insights in to the complex & fascinating subject of armoured warfare past & present. I am a full gold membership holder & supporter of the museum & I cannot encourage a visit to the museum in beautiful Dorset , highly enough. Keep up the great work guys, & hope to see you next year at tankfest 2024. 👍👍😎

Yes the depleted uranium has way less radioactivity, but when its shot at a tank and creates microscopic dust, it still gets everywhere in your body and its known how 'not that bad´ it is.

Excellent video. Keen to see an expanded and more in depth look into the other tank munitions that you were unable to cover in this video.

For anyone wanting to know the basics this is very informative and straight to the point.

As a retired US Army ammo dawg, I approve this great video!

What an excellent subject! Thanks for a really good video Chris!

A really excellent video and a fantastic explanation of the various ammunition types without getting too technical. Thank you

Great video adding a lot of new material to whole process that doesn’t come around alot in other videos. Great channel, thanks.

Excellent clear and concise look at the different tank rounds. Another great video.

Excellent as ever. A video on the development of fire control systems would be good - basic telescope, stadiametric range finding, ballistic computers and digital fir control. Plus gun stabilisation to allow firing on the move. Then there are night vision devices

Well done, sir! A complex subject briefly explained, but not over simplified. I look forward to future videos on the subject.

This is a very informative and well presented video. Thank you!

I love the POV shots where you can see the actual flight of the tank round. A great segment, folks, I enjoyed it.

I would really like to see a longer form video on rifled vs smooth bore guns and the pros and cons of the respective rounds fired!

Highly informative presentation of a very complex subject. Well done, and thank you!

Thanks! Excellent coverage of your subject!

Thank you for the video! Your explanations were spot on for my intellect.

Chris. You're doing a good job! Please announce your name at the start of the video or get it added to the title. You deserve the credit !!!!!

Really enjoy these videos. Thank you!

Excellent video ! 18:58 sounds like an excellent follow up video idea

Awesome crash course! Thanks so much for the video.

Outstanding presentation indeed!!! Very accurate information. I used to be a Tank Commander on the M1A1 Abrams. I used to be a Paratrooper and an Infantryman once upon a time. Learning the M1A1 Abrams to maintaining and driving was very short and mastered it quickly. Gunnery was very important and foremost along with tactics. A good understanding of Tank Gunnery and especially crew, platoon, company or troop level live fire exercises after qualification is very essential. It develops unit cohesion especially under combat conditions where coordination must become instinctive when calling out fire commands to your crew, platoon, and to relay the engagement to your unit commander. It also works in reverse if your unit commander is excellent at his job as company or troops commander. When moving out on a mission all tanks as a first engagement round in combat should battle carry a SABOT round. After the first round is fired by the gunner, the commander has to identify the next target as he is searching to select the next round either HEAT or SABOT.

Thank you. I think that was an excellent introduction to the subject.

I never knew what cordite looked like before. Now I do. It’s one of those things I never really gave any thought to before. I enjoyed this video tremendously!

My favourite round is the Oddball. Filled with paint to produce pretty pictures. Scares the hell outta people.

Very good. Clear and useful information (as always) 👍

Exceptionally good video. It covered things in accessible depth in an admirable fashion. Though I would happily have gone deeper! Mentioning what wasn't covered was a great so we can go on and do some further reading/watching. Though I would love more on the subject.

This was fantastic! A very good introduction on the subject to a layman like myself.

Thanks for a great presentation. Cheers!!

What a brilliant, and yet concise, explanation on the subject. Thank you very much for sharing with us your knowledge and cheers from Canada.

I learnt a lot. Looking forward to more stuff. The presenters are excellent and very clear and interesting.

Very cool, I learned a lot here: so it was much more than just entertaining, but educational too!

Great vid. I wish you could go deeper. Fantastic job folks. Thank You!

Beautifully presented!

I'd love to see a part 2 to this particular video covering the other types of rounds and where the spent brass goes please!

excellent as always

You are right ; I did enjoy this video. Thank you.

Excellent intro. Thanks!

Very good content well presented. Good job !

Good video, especially for new people. Thank you.

Very informative. Thanks for the chat.

Excellent commentary. Thank you very much.

Very interesting video. Please do more of this kind of stuff!

Thoroughly enjoyed !

Great series!

Excellent, this was a great introduction

It would be interesting to see close up the damage various rounds to to a tank. I am always amazed at the power of an impact on a tanks armour.

Well done video, good intro for people who dont know much about tanks in the first place.

Good video. The driving band also seals the gun tube to ensure the force of the burning propellant pushes the round out the barrel.

Brilliant video!

that was super interesting, thank you

A wonderful explanation thanks for sharing

Fantastic content and presentation

Well that gave me a shock. The knocked out Sherman at 4.27 was commanded by Robert Hiseman at El Alamein. He happened to be my mothers boyfriend in Egypt. She commanded the Army telephone exchange in Cairo. I have a print of this and Bob has written on the back of the print. That’s not Bob in the picture but one of his crew How we caught it at El Alamein ‘Blighty’ T74285 5 troop B squadron 47 RTR

I love listening to this guy talk. Chris Copson? Great job!

description of the annealed chromium projectiles is incorrect. it was not to harden. hardened chromium steel tends to fracture in to smaller pieces, which would degrade effectiveness of armor-piercing rounds. annealing is the opposite of hardening -- it increases the ductility and reduces the hardness of a material.

For years I have not been able to find an explanation as to why the 88mm was so effective at long ranges in the tanks.. the explanation given about the 6 pounder brought everything into focus.. the 17 pounder was probably the best to against heavy armour.. but the American 75 mm with advancements in AP rounds actually was a more versatile and valuable gun.

Very much informative video, well done 👏

Excellent! Perhaps a second one as a follow-up covering the rounds you describe at the end? Great stuff.

Excellent explanation. ❤

These videos should be mandatory :D Great quality!

I loved the video, but I would love to see more technical and in-depth videos. So many channels provide the same baseline of information on things like ammunition types and their functions, different types of armor, etc. But I have yet to find a channel that goes into real depth on the subjects.

Great presentation. Thanks

I never understood what the first cap in APCBC was for. Now I know. Thanks Tank Museum!

I never knew how much I needed this video in my military-geek life :D

Excellent technical presentation of modern ballistic penetrators. I was particularly impressed by the fraze " this keeps the pointy end going forward". They are very big. Can we have one on Hesh next week.

Glad this guy is on the payroll. Excellent quality videos, some tiny inaccuracies pointed out in the comments, but look at the wording of them. This is clearly not troll/hater territory, it's a respectful exchange of knowledge and opinion. Maybe the tank museum can appreciate the quality of it's viewers.

this is so good 😮 thanks

Very interesting to hear the British point of view on tank ammunition. Everyone just keeps thinking the Brits are weird using their rifled barrels in the era of smooth-bore Rheinmetal barrels. But I'm fascinated to hear about the actual reasoning behind that decision.

At around 10:55 when they describe the hit on the T-72 it would have been prudent to point out that it's internal ammo detonated. An APFSDS round does not have the kinetic energy to lob a 4 ton turret 300 meters. To viewers not intimately familiar with the subject mentioning which guns uses cased ammo and which does not would probably have been helpful. Especially the last segment went rather quick back and forth between the two scenarios.

Very interesting, great job

Very well presented.

This host... is workin out... Thank you for good content

11/10. Every time, thank you.

great explanation for the shell composition. Well done!!

One thing he forgot to mention is that HESH has been obsolete since spaced/composite armor became popular because it relies on the shockwave traveling though a solid lump of metal. It's actually pretty shocking how long the UK has gimped their tanks just to be able to use these rounds that would have been replaced with HEAT-FS by any rational actor long ago as it can do the same job pretty much, but using a smoothbore gun.

Great Video, thank you for your work. Greetings from Germany.

I was very comfortable with the level of complexity provided by this video. I found it very clarifying. I've seen all of the "Tank Chat" videos, so it's very educational to watch an episode that draws together a lot of the information about the ammunition. Still, I'm left wondering: What does SABO stand for, if anything?

Another great Video from Bovington museum! The quality if these films is getting better than the BBC. Keep it up! Cheers from Washington!

A DU arrow is also heavier, even if tungsten is heavier than DU. Tungsten need around 10% alloying elements, DU only 2%. This will decrease the weight of the tungsten arrow.

Very informative.

Awsome info thanks

"If you haven't had the opportunity to handle tank ammunition, you may not know what all the bits are and what they do." quite right. Much appreciate your insight thank you.

The main isotope used for DU munitions is (238)U, an alpha emitter. While the layer of dead cells on top of the living skin is thick enough to block alpha radiation from external sources, the impact and subsequent pyrophoric behavior of the material causes it to disperse into finest particles which are easily taken up by breath. Once ingested, alpha emitters are extremely toxic, rendering former battlefields where DU munitions have been fired uninhabitable.

Great video