30 mm caliber: Encyclopedia - 30 mm caliber

30 mm caliber

The 30 mm caliber is a standard size of heavy machine gun (specifically autocannon) ammunition used by NATO forces. The round itself has a length in the range of 8 to 12 inches (200 to 305 mm) while the projectile is 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 mm) in length.

30 mm caliber - Usage

Unlike its cousin the 25 mm round, the 30 mm is not typically an anti-personnel round. Instead, the 30 mm round is generally either an anti-material or anti-armor round. It is capable of taking out targets ranging from armored vehicles and Main Battle Tanks to fortified bunkers.

The U. S. Military uses 30 mm weapons in their A-10 Thunderbolt II, AH-64 Apache, LAV-25, EFV, and as a standard ship-based munition in the upcoming Mark 46 autocannon.

30 mm caliber - 30 mm caliber weapons

• the American Hughes M230 Chain Gun
• the American GAU-8 Avenger
• the British Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN cannon
• the British RARDEN high velocity gun
• the French GIAT 30 revolver cannon
• the French GIAT DEFA 550 revolver cannon
• the French GIAT M781 autocannon
• the German Mauser RMK-30 recoilless cannon
• the Russian Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1
• the Russian Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2
• the Russian Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 rotary cannon
• the Swiss Oerlikon KCB

30 mm caliber - Types of 30 mm ammunition

30 mm ammunition generally comes in three varieties: Armor Piercing, High explosive, and Training rounds. Armor Piercing and High Explosive cartridges usually also possess incendiary characteristics.

See also

• 25 mm caliber
• Caliber
• 5.56 mm caliber
• 7.62 mm caliber
• .50 BMG
• List of cartridges (weaponry), pistol and rifle

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "30 mm caliber", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki