30x173 gua-87/a markings

[smle2009]

Hi to all,
Looking for help with a bit of code breaking of the stenciled markings on my 30x173 GUA round,
the first set marked in white are 30mm PGU-15/5 M(possibly!) 309-7400601-3 ??D84K-51-032.
Second set marked in black are /400780-1 A3M84G003.136.
Also is it the norm for the projectiles of these rounds to have a plastic drive band?
Cheers
Tony

 

[EODGUY]

30mm GAU-8 Information

The 30x173mm GAU-8 cartridge in question is the PGU-15/B Target Practice. The projectile should be painted blue. This one is a Honeywell Corporation design, identified by the single wide plastic rotating band. I have attached a picture of the Aerojet Ordnance Company design, with their distinctive two plastic rotating band concept. Unfortunately I can't lay my hands on the piece of paper that would break down the lot number codes in question. The plastic rotating bands and aluminum cases were part of the design initiative for the GAU-8 rounds to lessen the weight for the A-10 aircraft gun system. There are untold numbers of case colors, designs, projectile designs and loadings that were produced during development and afterwards. The PGU-15/B cartridge design shown is one that production was stopped in 1977. Later production projectiles had a cylindrical body and a long straight tapered nose section similar to the attached photo. I am wondering if the cartridge case and projectile are a mismatch though. The projectile is a Honeywell design, but the one stencilled line containing the ??D84K I think is an Aerojet case marking. I think it should read AJD84K. AJD being the code for Aerojet, 84 the year of manufacture and K being the month of manufacture, November. Can't say for sure though, but they do not appear to be crimped together. Look forward to any other responses.

 

[Jagd301]

30x173 Round.

Thats very interesting stuff brilliant! The point regarding the white plastic driving bands is perhaps most interesting. I was told ages ago by a US Airforce A10 "Warthog" armourer that all genuine GAU 8A projectiles have the plastic driving band configuration, even those used in the Anti Ship Missile system The Goalkeeper which uses same round, yet some i have seen being sold as genuine projectiles are all metal and thus clearly cannot be genuine projectiles as said! I was wondering if these all metal ones you often see are actually replicas just inserted into a genuine case, but why do they say "genuine projectile"? Ive noticed this with a few of the other cannon rounds being offered by same company. I have two GAU 8's in my collection one with a two piece white plastic driving band the other a one piece type. Regards, Tim

 

[smle2009]

Many thanks EODguy,
There is bit of a story behind this round,I got a round in a swap with Andysarmoury,the case had been polished but had a nice projectile in it,just recently I bought another round,the one with the stencils still on it,but with a resin replica projectile in it,from Darren on SA,so I put the nice proj with the nice case,and indeed one of the things I wanted to find out was what projectile it would have had originaly,the one in the photo has been painted at some time,which you have answerd for me.
Cheers
Tony

 

[Taber10]

GAU 8s vs PGU 15s

I have two GAU 8's in my collection ...... Regards, Tim

Tim, I know I am going to appear picky here, but your particular statement, struck me as funny. Maybe it has to do with how the English language is used/misused on opposite sides of the Atlantic. IF you have two GAU 8s in your collection, I would love to see the size of your gun room....:wink:

 

[EODGUY]

GAU-8 Rotating Bands

My comment regarding all GAU-8 projectiels have plastic rotating bands is correct and incorrect at the same time. All adopted service rounds are plastic, however there were gilding metal bands used on some developmental rounds for the GAU-8 family. Also, developed about the same time were the GAU-9 aircraft gun rounds and Coastal Patrol Interdiction Cartridges (CPIC). The GAU-9 used basically the GAU-8 aluminum cases and projectiles, but with sintered iron rotating bands. The GAU-9 case was also electric primed with the M52A3B1 primer and used the WECOM flash tube. The GAU-9 was a single barrel revolving cannon and basically a copy of the Oerlikon KCA. Thus, the inside of the case was coated with a urethane elastomer in accordnace with Oerlikon specifications to prevent case burn through (didn't work well!). The CPIC round was for the EX-28 gun system being developed by General Electric for mounting on a gun boat developed by the US Navy for sale to South Korea. The CPIC case was a percussion primed steel version of the GAU-8 case. The projectile used a gilding metal rotating band. The gun system was not chosen so true CPIC rounds are pretty scarce. I have attached a photo of some of the variations. From left to right: An example of a GAU-8 experimental with a gilding metal rotating band with a Martin Marietta projectile in an Aerojet case; A GAU-9/A round with an AMRON projectile and cartridge case; CPIC round with an AMRON projectile and cartridge case; Honeywell "fat" case with a Honeywell projectile and a Harvey Aluminum Co. case. Also a completely different early rotating band design; Early design Norris Aluminum Co. case with a test HE projectile and a different rotating band design/color; An experimental Honeywell composite (plastic/aluminum) case and an experimental SAPHE gilding metal banded projectile. I only have one Goalkeeper round in my collection. As far as I know NWM made the early rounds for the system and they had plastic rotating bands. My example is the red plastic bodied Missile Piercing Discarding Sabot loading. Documents I have on the Goalkeeper all show plastic, but I am not familiar with that development program and would hestitate to say they all did. Like every other caliber of ammunition, the more you learn about it the more questions arise.

 

[smle2009]

Very nice,one down lots to get!
Tony