Gunfighter projectiles

Blacktail

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During the late 1960s, the US Navy initiated a program to extend the range of heavy naval gunfire (from 8"/55 and 16"/50 guns), code-named "Gunfighter".


I found information on the Gunfighter program here...;
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_16-50_mk7.htm

...and a photograph of a disassembled 16" Gunfighter projectile here;
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_16-50_mk7_LRBA_pic.jpg

The 16" Gunfighter round reportedly hit targets as far away as 83,850 yards! It's unclear if actual Mark 7s were used in the tests though, as it might have been fired from long-retired M1919 16"/50 coastal guns (formerly Mark 2 and Mark 3 guns, for the cancelled Lexington and South Dakota class warships).


The 8"/55 guns on US Heavy Cruisers hit targets as far away as 70,000 yards with the 8" Gunfighter projectile;
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_8-55_mk12-15.htm


Does anyone have any additional information on this program or the munitions that emerged from it? I'm especially hoping to see some photos. ;D
 
The following may help somewhat:
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/903789.pdf
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a144417.pdf
 
Grey Havoc said:
The following may help somewhat:
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/903789.pdf
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a144417.pdf

I appreciate the effort, but they won't download or open. They just stop at 5.5Kb out of some 15Mb.

Could you tell me the titles of these documents? I might have more luck if I try to download them directly from DTIC.
 
DTIC has been having some server issues the last couple days I noticed. I dunno if this is them having technical problems, or intentionally throttling non DOD bandwidth. Its happened before over the years, usually goes back to normal after a few days.
 
DTIC seems to be back online, but just in case of further trouble the documents are: ENGINEERING DESIGN HANDBOOK; SABOT TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING (US Army Materiel Command) [AD903789], and DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF 8-INCH EXTENDED RANGE AMMUNITION; Sabot Technology Study (carried out by Saber Industries, Incorporated on behalf of the ARDC, US Army) [ADA144417]. The two are from 1972 and 1979 respectively.
 
Grey Havoc said:
DTIC seems to be back online, but just in case of further trouble the documents are: ENGINEERING DESIGN HANDBOOK; SABOT TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING (US Army Materiel Command) [AD903789], and DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF 8-INCH EXTENDED RANGE AMMUNITION; Sabot Technology Study (carried out by Saber Industries, Incorporated on behalf of the ARDC, US Army) [ADA144417]. The two are from 1972 and 1979 respectively.

Thanks for notifying me! :D

But man, with a total of 500 pages to read, I'm going to be poring over those documents for a LONG time...
 
There's some more on this subject in this forum: http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/86530-8-inch-extended-range-ammunition-for-m110e2-howitzer
 
Update link for the M110E2 Extended Range Sabot report: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA144417.pdf

A couple of tables and pictures were cut off, but range during testing "exceeded" the specified 40KM goal. Project Gunfighter was mentioned a few times, though the shells have little in common. Everything from testing seems like the round was feasible for service, presumably canceled for more MLRS funding?

M110E2 Project.png

Shell Diagram.png

Test Shell.png
 

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