Normal and oblique impact of a kinetic energy projectile on mild steel plates

Abstract

Summary A series of experiments was carried out wherein spinning armour piercing projectiles of core diameter 6.2 mm were fired on mild steel plates of thicknesses varying from 10 to 25 mm. The projectile velocity in all the tests was about 820 ms−1 in both normal and oblique impacts. In successive tests on plates of each thickness, the angle of obliquity was increased from 0° (normal impact) until richochet occurred. The impact velocities in all tests and the residual velocities in tests wherein the plates were perforated, were measured. Velocity drop versus angle of obliquity curves are presented for plates of different thicknesses. The target damage is examined and the conditions at ballistic limit and ricochet are discussed.