Newsgroups: sci.military.moderated
From: colin*@pacbell.net (Colin Campbell)
Subject: Re: T-72 versus Abrams
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 17:34:30 GMT

From colin*@pacbell.net (Colin Campbell)

"John T. Kwon" <jkwon@ibm.net> wrote:

>Also, I would add that I saw an M1 about 1 month after the shooting
>stopped, and it had two penetrator darts sticking out of the side like
>arrows in a hat.  It was in a maintenance depot, but nothing was wrong
>with the vehicle aside from the obvious cosmetic damage.  My guess is
>that the 125mm gun itself must really bite.  I wonder if the Iraqis were
>given substandard ammunition (i.e., not a depleted uranium penetrator).

I had the opportunity to examine some captured 125mm projectiles.
When I looked up the model number in Jane's I discovered that the
Iraquis were using Soviet 'Target Practice' ammo (note 'target
practice' ammo tends to be 1/10th-1/3rd the price of 'service' ammo).