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Can you shoot a tank down it's cannon?

tuckybill

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Minuteman
Oct 16, 2007
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On the125 mm "tubes" the Russians have, thats a 5 inch target. So what happens if you put a .50 bmg slug down the muzzle? Would the round in the tube explode? Would it deform the shell so it would be hazardous to fire? How about a 308 steel round? Any tankers out there know the answer?
 
On the125 mm "tubes" the Russians have, thats a 5 inch target. So what happens if you put a .50 bmg slug down the muzzle? Would the round in the tube explode? Would it deform the shell so it would be hazardous to fire? How about a 308 steel round? Any tankers out there know the answer?
I would sure hate the idea that taking the shot meant I had to be directly where the tank barrel is aimed!
 
Wasn't there something about sneaking in and spiking the enemy canons. Wedging the round in the barrel would have to be problematic.
 
I Bet Hes Thinking About Other Women 25122021172635.jpg
 
Why the fuck are we even discussing this? Who even uses tanks today? That was a Soviet thing and gave birth to the Apache and the A10 and all the other armor defeating specialized tools we have today.

Are we talking about the Boog? Cause you're more likely to see an MRAP or a Bradley than a fucking tank and you aren't killing one of those with a 308 either.

Even if you did your plan is to fire down a 5" muzzle of a barrel from the muzzle end? It's on a tank moving at 30mph and the barrel is on a turret. Get real.

Best bet would be sabotage maybe try and pack it with tannerite or something overnight while everyone is sreeping. Be somewhere else when they fire it.

Better yet, be somewhere they don't have tanks.

And don't share a tent or foxhole with a guy that wants to shoot at one with a 308.
 
On Mash they filled the barrels on some howitzers with concrete. Probably pretty effective but you gotta get real close to pull that off.
 
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There are much easier ways to stop tanks now that we are past 2021... You walk right up to the crew with a clipboard in your hands and tell them that the 10th Pfizer or Moderna booster shot is now required for active duty service and since they have not received the 10th booster yet, they must leave the battlefield. :)
 
The optics on modern armor are very good. If you are close enough to put a round down the tube of a tank, a tube that is pointed right at you, then he has already seen you. A few grunts with a rifle are not a threat. He can shoot you with several weapons systems or call for indirect fire. Or maneuver infantry on you. Or just ignore you.

Anyone on my team who shot at a tank, I’d shoot myself. The only exception to this no shoot rule might be anti air system and only after clearance from higher command.
 
Wasn't there something about sneaking in and spiking the enemy canons. Wedging the round in the barrel would have to be problematic.

Sure. Look up the battle of Soui Tre to see how that works out. That was the last time really good infantry tried to attack armor.
 
On the125 mm "tubes" the Russians have, thats a 5 inch target. So what happens if you put a .50 bmg slug down the muzzle? Would the round in the tube explode? Would it deform the shell so it would be hazardous to fire? How about a 308 steel round? Any tankers out there know the answer?
Go to YouTube and type in "grenade down tank barrel". Risky as fuck, but it worked quite well.
 
you can do anything . I totally believe you can do it .... send video or it never happened . yup you can do it .
 
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I suppose if you're in that position, you ain't got much to lose.

Side note, could deformation of the sabot in the barrel cause a pressure spike?
 
Alright, I'll play.

Even if you have a 5" target you'd need to hit a 2.5" bullseye. The goal would be to set off the booster in the fuze or supplemental charge behind it. Otherwise you'd just hit the ogive which is steel and .5" thick. The primary payload in the old US munitions was comp b (rdx/tnt). It's pretty stable and not likely to be set off with a rifle round. Usually you'll need 25,000fps or more.
 
Have thought about this at some point and am always stuck with 2 outcomes:

- It actually does blow up/cook off

- Basically like a closed bolt on the chamber, the pressure would all go out of the front as long as the explosion didn't exceed whatever the PSI the locked breach was rated for.

I think a grenade is worse as its an explosion on itself causing another explosion whereas a bullet, if it did anything to the round, would only set the round, or simply the propellant off.
 
The optics on modern armor are very good. If you are close enough to put a round down the tube of a tank, a tube that is pointed right at you, then he has already seen you. A few grunts with a rifle are not a threat. He can shoot you with several weapons systems or call for indirect fire. Or maneuver infantry on you. Or just ignore you.

Anyone on my team who shot at a tank, I’d shoot myself. The only exception to this no shoot rule might be anti air system and only after clearance from higher command.
I'm still wondering why you'd shoot yourself?

Do you need someone to talk to?
 
Have thought about this at some point and am always stuck with 2 outcomes:

- It actually does blow up/cook off

- Basically like a closed bolt on the chamber, the pressure would all go out of the front as long as the explosion didn't exceed whatever the PSI the locked breach was rated for.

I think a grenade is worse as its an explosion on itself causing another explosion whereas a bullet, if it did anything to the round, would only set the round, or simply the propellant off.
I see two problems with that. It only works if the projectile is in the breech, the barrel isn't rated for the pressure just the chamber. Two... I'd think the charge at the tip of the shell would be loaded with an HE charge with a significantly higher explosive charge intended to damage / penetrate / destroy armor as opposed to what's behind the shell designed to propel it.

I think he's after Boog solutions to armor and besides sabotage or clever traps I'm not sure there's much you can do with stuff available to us civis.

The killdozer only stopped because it fell into a basement, if you can lure a tank across a tiger pit that would work.

Dunno what you could use to fuck up the tracks and I'd think getting close enough to attempt it would be suicide.

I'd still say your better approach would be sabotage than direct action against a fuckin tank, without a tank or tank killing vehicle or ordnance of your own.
 
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Just picture a can of Dinty Moore in the breach and you'll likely make the shot. 60% of the time it works every time.
 
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What is the delay on that improvised bit of awesome? I don't want to leave my arms at the scene.
The interwebzz has your answers. I don't 🤪

 
Somebody brings a tank to the Boog I'm going home, fuck all that.

Unless @sirhrmechanic buys an Apache in a cargo crate from his overseas sources

I played the Janes computer AH64 longbow game 🤣 about 25yrs ago. I swear that shit was so realistic with all the switches and knobs and MFDs you could probably get the real thing at least fired up till you got it airborne and crashed it 😂
 
Even using a Javelin to kill a tank is going to become impossible because of active protection sys

Even using a Javelin to kill a tank is going to become impossible because of active protection systems.
Not true . We have duel warhead anti tank rounds for the Javelins now . First warhead takes out the reactive armor . Second penetrates the hull .
Alas poor Uri , I new him well .
 
Somebody brings a tank to the Boog I'm going home, fuck all that.

Unless @sirhrmechanic buys an Apache in a cargo crate from his overseas sources

I played the Janes computer AH64 longbow game 🤣 about 25yrs ago. I swear that shit was so realistic with all the switches and knobs and MFDs you could probably get the real thing at least fired up till you got it airborne and crashed it 😂
And here I was hoping to avoid getting sucked into this morass of LARP discussion. Thanks, pal!

Sirhr
 
I short answer is no and the long answer is also no.
Not true . We have duel warhead anti tank rounds for the Javelins now . First warhead takes out the reactive armor . Second penetrates the hull .
Alas poor Uri , I new him well .

Javelins are quite good. Lots of them hit the gun or breech as well and bypass the reactive armor altogether.

The problem is still whether to use it or not. And when. That tank will have a link to mortars and artillery or rockets.
 
If the powers that be are correct tank technology is no longer a survivable option when cheap ass drones are present.

It's cavalry to be used against poors but anyone of any means can defeat them from afar.
 
Why would the oppressors need to pull out tanks when they could just pull out a bunch of cheap drones, sit back from miles away and have fun?
 
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Why is everyone so afraid of a tank lately. Just lay out a few rows of concertina wire and most tracked vehicles will stop really fast.