Rheinmetall L44

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An M1 Abrams tank firing the Rheinmetall L44 fitted with a hoffman device.

The Rheinmetall L44 is a smoothbore tank gun designed and produced by the German Rheinmetall-DeTec AG company.

The barrel has a calibre of 120 mm, and an overall length of 44 calibres (5.28 m). The barrel weight is 1,190 kg, and a complete gun system weighs 3,780 kg.

It is also produced under license by General Dynamics Land Systems Division and used by the US military under the designation M256.

The L44 has been superseded by the L55 which is significantly longer, more than a metre, and hence delivers a higher muzzle velocity.

[edit] Ammunition

The L44 can fire a variety of shells, and while the majority are primarily designed for the anti-tank role, most of them can also successfully engage other types of targets as well. The L44 is presently rated to fire the following types of ammunition:

APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot, a shell that uses a depleted uranium (for example used by the US Army, but not by the German Bundeswehr) or tungsten dart to pierce the armor of enemy tanks with kinetic energy. Gained fame during Operation Desert Storm for its' lethality against Iraqi tanks, leading some tank crews to give it the nickname 'silver bullet'.)
HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank)
MPAT (Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank, a HEAT round with an added proximity fuze to allow it to engage slow, low-flying aircraft such as helicopters.)
The L44 can also fire a 'canister' shell filled with tungsten spheres that acts like a giant shotgun shell for use against buildings, dug-in infantry fighting positions, and thin-skinned vehicles.