THE RUSSIAN AMMUNITION PAGE - 30MM
     
    Soviet Cannon Please note that these pages are no longer updated and contain partially obsolete data.
    For comprehensive and up to date information, please refer to my new book "Soviet Cannon" at www.russianammo.org.
    Compared to this webpage with its 69 pages, the book and the enclosed CD-Rom offer a total of almost 900 pages.
    Soviet Cannon
     
    30x28B 30mm AGS-17 grenade launcher
     
    The AGS-17 Plamyja (= "flame" in English) grenade launcher was introduced in 1979 and is used by motorized armed forces (BTR, BMP, BMD vehicles). The recoil operated launcher weights 18kg without mount,  ammunition is fed from 29-round magazine drums from the right side. The short barrel has cooling-fins and fires 350-400rds/min. with a muzzle velocity of 185m/s up to a combat range of 800m, maximum range is 1750m. The launcher may be elevated up to 85° to allow the engagement of helicopters. A second version, the AG-17A, with longer barrel is fixed to the Mi-8 HIP-E helicopter. The AG-17A weights 22kg, was introduced in 1980 and is fed by a 300 rounds belt. The barrel rifeling twist was reduced from 715 to 600mm, the rate of fire was increased to 420-500rds/min. AG-17M marine version was also introduced.
    The improoved AGS-30 has nearly half the weight (16kg including mount, without ammunition box) of the AGS-17 and measures 360x500x1100mm. The AGS-30 needs only a crew of 2 men compared to the AGS-17 that needed 3. It also has a different box shape magazine about the same capacity of the older drum shape magazine, a AGS-30 fire unit carries 90 linked rounds.
    There is also a grenade-rifle, 996mm long and weighting 5,9kg using this kind of ammunition.

    I only know details of four types of ammunition so far, they have a very odd looking, belted cartridge case drawn from steel with a mechanical percussion primer. The first shell has a thin walled body lined with a coil of steel wire that produces large numbers of fragments on detonation. This round is designated VOG-17A and it is used for ground targets only, the shell is fitted with an aluminum nose fuze VMG-A without self-destruction feature. The black shell has white letters on it, describing the type of shell, type of explosive filler, lot-number and year. The fuze may have a dark blue band painted on, the meaning of this is not known.
    The second shell type has the same thin walled body lined with a coil of steel wire but carries another fuze. The designation of this shell is VOG-17M, its lethal radius is 7 meters, fuzes used are the VMG, VMG-K or VMG-M with self destruction feature that detonated the shell after 25 seconds.
    Improoved VOG-30 shells and target practise smoke shells exist as well, see details in the table below.
    The new VOG-30 shells have a lethal radius of 6m and develope a maximum chamber pressure of 1250kg/cm², the fuze arms between 10 and 60m and self destructs after 27seconds. 

    A US source reports of a VOG-17 shell with VMG fuze and also shows a small picture of a "VOG-26" shell.
    Sadly, no further information is available.

    Ammunition is manufactured by Russia and India.

     
    Ammunition used in the AGS-17:
     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    VOG-17A HE-FRAG 275 185 Thin walled shell with fragmentation wire-coil inside, VMG-A nose fuze
    VOG-17M HE-FRAG SD 275 185 As above but with VMG-M self destruction fuze
    VOG-30 HE-FRAG
    275
    185
    Improved design fragmentation shell with weakening grooves in body, filled with 40g of HE
    VUS-17 Smoke
    275
    185
    Smoke shell filled with red phosphorus, shell casing has 2 holes in the side, VMG-M fuze
     
     
    30mm VOG-17A with belt link.
     
     
    30mm VUS-17 TP-Smoke round.

     
    30x155B 30mm NR-30 aircraft cannon
     
    This round, used in the NR-30 aircraft cannon, was introduced in 1954 and its ammunition is fed in steel linked belts to a rate of fire of 850-900rpm in many early fighter jets. The cannon is gas operated and weights 67kg, it is 2160mm long and has a barrel length of 1910mm. Effective combat range is reported to be 800 meters and the cannon was or is still mounted on the SU-7, SU-17, MiG-19S and MiG-21. It was developed from the NR-23 to replace the N-37 cannon with a faster but still hard hitting cannon. It became the standard weapon for fighters and was the most potent gun in its days what concerns gun weight and muzzle energy. China also uses this caliber in its NORINCO Type 1 cannon.

    Muzzle velocity is between 780 and 800m/s with 95g to 99g of 6/7fl VBP smokeless powder, depending on ammunition types. Maximum pressure is 264,7 to 299,0MPa for the newer rounds, a single round weights 840g and has an overall length of 265mm. A KV-30 percussion primer is threaded into the brass cartridge case.
    Two types of projectiles can be found, old and new ones. The old ones are easily identified by their distinctive shape, they have a very large conical fuze and a typical stud at the base, were a piece of lead wire (decopperer) is fitted. This stud was omitted at the later advanvced projectiles, the lead wire was taped to the base of the shell. The newer projectiles also have fuzes of more modern construction and of smaller size.
    18 cartridges are packed in an airtight metal can, 3 cans are overpacked in one wooden box measuring 400x875x206mm and weighting 60kg.
    Ammunition is manufactured by China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Pakistan and Russia.

    Ammunition used in the NR-30, old types:

     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    OFZ HEI 406 780 Conventional HEI shell filled with 43,6g of HEI, with broad conical A-30 nose fuze
    OFZ HEI
    410
    780
    Conventional HEI shell filled with 40,0g of HEI, with broad conical B-30 self-destruction nose fuze
    BR APHE 407 780 Type with the shorter ballistic cap. Base cavity filled with HE and closed by BDM-30 base fuze
    BR APHE
    407
    780
    Type with the longer ballistic cap. Base cavity filled with HE and closed by BD-30 base fuze
    PRL Chaff
    405
    780
    Contains base expelled Chaff particles, expelled by powder delay fuze. Broad (old) fuze type.
    UB TP
    410
    800
    39,1g HE filled airburst shell for aerial target practise, powder delay fuzes A-191M or UBU-30 fitted
    UBU TP-T
    415
    800
    HE filled airburst shell with tracer for aerial target practise, powder delay fuzes A-191M or UBU-30 fitted
    LP TP 410 780 Two types:
    - Inert filled HEI shell with inert dummyyy fuze, white band on shell
    - Hollow AP shell casing, white shell tippp (Czech type)
     
     
    Ammunition used in the NR-30, modern types:
     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    OFZT HEI-T
    402
    780
    Concentional HEIT shell with A-30U nose fuze and tracer cavity to the rear
    OFZ HEI 400 780 A-30U nose fuze fitted to a conventional design HEI shell filled with 48,5g of A-IX-2G.
    FZ HEI Balloon
    400
    780
    Conventional shell with high sensitive broad tip self destruction BSh-30N fuze, self-destructs between 12 - 20 sec.
    BR APHE
    401
    780
    Type with the longer ballistic cap. Base cavity filled with HE and closed by DA-30 base fuze
    BT AP-T
    403
    785
    Solid shot with cap and tracer
    ME "Multi Element"
    404
    780
    Swaged light steel windshield keeps explosive payload and 28 subprojectiles inside the light steel shell body, internal fuze V-30
    PRL Chaff
    405
    780
    Contains 48000 base expelled Chaff particles, expelled by powder delay fuze. Unknown (modern) fuze type
    UP TP 400 780 Inert filled HEI shell with dummy fuze
    UPT TP-T
    400
    780
    Mild steel AP-T shell with windshield cap
     
     
     
    Different Russian NR-30 cartridges, older and modern types mixed:
    HEI round (old), HEI round (old), HEI round (modern), AP-T round (modern), APHE round (old), APHE round (modern), PRL Chaff round (old).
     
     
    30x165 30mm 2A42 AAA and GSh-30 aircraft cannon
     
    Ground based weapons:

    This round was introduced in the late 1970s and is used in the 2A42 cannon fixed to the BMP-2 and in movable mounts on Ka-50 and Mi-8 helicopters with double ammunition supply and a selective fire rate of 200 and 600rpm. The 2A42 is a gas/recoil operated cannon weighting 115kg and measuring 3030mm in length.

    The 2A72 cannon, installed in the BMP-3 is recoil operated and has a fixed fire rate of 330rpm, the cannon weights 84kg and is 3010mm long.
    Combat vehicles BMD-2, BMD-3, BRM RYS and Pantsir air defence system also use this type of ammo. The Pantsir is a truck based AA system using two 2A72 cannons and 12 AA-missiles.

    The 2S6 Tunguska AAA system was developed in 1987 to replace the older self-propelled ZSU-23-4 AAA system. The two onboard 2A38M AAA cannons use two water-cooled barrels and fire 2500rpm each, to a range of 0.2 to 4km, up to an altitude of 3km, ammunition storage on board is 2x 1904 rounds in belts. The two barrel 2A38M is gas operated and weights 195kg, its length is 3450mm. One of the barrels carries a muzzle velocity sensor. To clear misfires or jams the PP-L pyrocartridge is used.
    Above the range of the cannons, the SA-19 SAM system, NATO designation "Grison" is used. It consists of 8 onboard 9M311 missiles capable of a range of 2,5 to 8km, that's an altitude of up to 3,5km (11500ft). The warhead of the missile consists of a continuous-rod type warhead with a diameter of 5m that cuts into the airframe of the engaged aircraft. The Tunguska is radar and command guided and can detect hostile aircraft in a distance of 16km, its maximal cruising speed is 65km/h. The improoved Tunguska-M1 (early 1990s) is the most modern air defense system of the Russian Federation and it must be extremely effective, sadly, no reports of its actual performance in wartime combat are known.
    These rounds are also used in self-propelled AAA systems in the former Czechoslovakia and in the Yugoslav Zastava M86/89 AAA gun.

    The Zinc clad steel cases have the shells securely fixed by two pronounced spaced crimps, in the guns described above, the rounds use a KV-3 percussion primer and 6/7P-5Bfl propellant. Shells for the ground based guns use the nose fuze A-670M. Cartridges are linked in 9H-623 type desintegrating steel belts.
    Tracers for the HE-T shells are first burning yellow, then red. The "Kerner" APDS-T shell used in the ground based guns only is capable of penetrating 25mm/60°/1500m of RHA, compared to the standard AP-T shell, which achives only 14mm. Total weight of this "BPS" cartridge is 765g, it uses 136g of propellant.
    18 cartridges are packed in an airtight metal can, 3 cans are overpacked in one wooden box measuring 375x875x206mm and weighting 63kg.
    Ammunition is manufactured by the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Russia.

     
    Ammunition used in the 2A42, 2A38 and 2A72:
     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    UOR-84M HEI-T 388 960 Shell with waist, filled with 11g HEI, A-670M fuze and tracer
    UOF-84 HEI 390 960 Shell filled with 48,5g HEI, with A-670M fuze
    BT AP-T 400 880 Solid shot with cap and tracer
    BPS "Kerner" APDS-T
    304
    1120
    Yellow plastic sabot surrounding tungsten alloy core with tracer
    30 JOCvSv HETP-T
    386
    960
    Czech airburst training round. As HEI-T but with no- impact-action self-destruction fuze A-390
    UP TP
    386
    960
    Inert filled and dummy fuzed HEI shell
     
     
    From left to right (above picture):
    2 Russian inert drill rounds, TP from AP-T round, AP-T round, HEI round, TP from HEI-T, HEI-T round
     
     
    Airborne weapons:

    The Gryazev-Shipunov (GSh) aircraft cannon, used as GSh-301 (1500rpm, 45kg) in the MiG-29 and SU-27, as GSh-30 (3000rpm, 115kg) in the SU-25 and as GSh-6-30 (5000rpm, 150kg) in the MiG-27K, use the same ammunition, but with the electrical primer EKV-30M activated by 27 Volts.

    The single-barrel gun is the lightest 30mm cannon developed, it is used in light fighter aircraft in fixed and movable mounts but has only a Vo of 860m/s; ammunition may be fed from the left or the right side. The GSh-301 is recoil operated and only 1970mm long.

    The double-barrel GSh-30 measures 2044x222x195mm and is used in fixed installations and underwing gun-pods and has a barrel length of 1500mm. The GSh-30K is a modified version with 2400mm long barrels and an evaporating-type of barrel cooling and variable rate of fire, it is used in fixed helicopter-borne mounts and measures 2944x222x195mm.

    The six-barrel rotary cannon is mounted on bomber-aircrafts as defensive cannon and has a Vo of only 850m/s.
    It is gas operated and 2040mm long and like the above cannons belt fed.

    Propellant charges of the rounds vary between 117g and 123g of 6/7 FL Pyroxilin powder, maximum pressure is 318,8MPa, maximum range is 4000m.
    Russian aircraft ammunition features high reliability in a temperature range from -60° C to +80° C with a fail-safe probability index of about 0.9999.
    HEI shells for the aircraft cannons use the shorter AG-30 nose fuze, all ammuniton types for the aircraft cannons have a shorter overall length, not to mix them up with the 2A42 types ammo which is not interchangable.
    Typical cartridge belt configuration for the aircraft cannons consist of 4xAP-T + 4xHEI + 4xHEI-T for example.

    Latest developement are projectiles with two plasic driving bands. The driving bands are very similar to the early driving bands of the U.S. 30mm GAU-8 ammunition and reduce barrel wear considerably.
    Technical data of these rounds are the same as for the standard rounds with copper driving band.

     

    Ammunition used in the GSh series aircraft guns:
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    OFZ HEI 390 890 Conventional shell filled with 48,5g HE, AG-30 fuze fitted
    OFZT HEI-T
    387
    890
    As above but filled with 43,3g HE and with fixed tracer tube at the base. Red colored band below fuze. 
    FZ HEI Balloon
    388
    890
    Conventional shell with high sensitive broad tip self destruction BSh-30N fuze, selfdestructs between 12 - 20 sec. Filled with 48,5g HE.
    BT AP-T 403 880 As at 2A42 but only used on GSh-301
    BR APHE
    390
    890
    Similar to APT shell but with base cavity filled with 14,6g HE charge, base fuze DA-30
    ME "Multi Element" 404 880 Swaged light steel windshield keeps explosive payload and 28 subprojectiles inside the light steel shell body, internal fuze V-30
    UP TP
    386
    890
    Inert filled and dummy fuzed HEI shell
     
     
    Naval weapons:

    This ammunition is also used in Close-in-Weapon-Systems (CIWS = Naval AAA) in Gatling-type guns:

    The AK-630, was developed in the mid 1970s and is still operational as modernized AK-630M1 on many ships today, it uses the AO-18 designated six barrel rotary cannon and a 2000 round magazine. The improoved AK-630M1 features an aditional magazine with another 1000 rounds. Barrels of the AO-18 are located in a sheet metal housing and continuosly cooled by liquid to allow long bursts of up to 400 rounds, the gun is operated by the gas pressure of the propellant allone, not like the western Gatling type guns, that are externally driven.
    Elevation of the gun is -12° to +88°, traverse +/-180°, it uses the radar guided fire control system MR-123-02.
    The AK-630M1-2 uses 2 AO-18 guns in one housing and has therefore the double firing rate.

    The AK-306 was developed from the cannon described before, its weight and rate of fire were considerably reduced. Its AO-18L cannon has no cooling system but can fire all 500 rounds from its magazine in a single burst. Improved versions AK-306-01 and -02 have an aditional ammunition belt of 1000 rounds, the third version -03 has again only the basic 500 round magazine. The cannons are guided by the MR-123 fire control system as well,
    elevation and traverse is the same as for the AK-630 gun.

    The "Palman" is a Naval air defence system as well, it uses two AO-18KD guns and 8 Sosna-R guided missiles.
    The guns fire 10000 rounds together and also use the BPS "Kerner" round, ammunition capacity is 1500 rounds.
    An all weather IR and optronic controll system enables the system to engage targets like manned and unmanned threats in a range of 0,2 to 8km up to an altitude of 3500m. 

    The "Kashtan" Naval air defence system also combines cannons and SAM missiles, the cannon turret uses two AO-18 cannons, firing 10000rpm maximum together. The SAM system consists of 8 missiles 9M311 on the turret and another 32 missiles under deck. The Kashtan is Radar and TV guided and operated automaticly by an artificial inteligence fire computer.

     The "Vikhr-K" uses the AK-306M mount with 4 Vikhr-1 missiles and a single GSh-6-30L cannon with an ammunition load of 500 rounds. It is the latest developed Naval defence system and also the lightest, it may be installed on ships that have a displacement of 20 tons and above. The cannon has a maximum range of 4000m, the missiles 10000m, the system is operated by a unified day and night fire control system and missile laser guidance not disturbable by regular jamming countermeasures.

    Ammunition for the Naval AAA guns is also fitted with the electrical EKV-30M primer screw, but the projectiles are fuzed with the MG-32 nose fuze, which is the Navy designation of the A-670M nose fuze. Shells for Navy use are all over lacquered green and also use 6/7 FL Pyroxilin powder.

     

    Ammunition used in the CIWS guns:
     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    UOR-84M HEI-T 386 900 Shell with waist, filled with 11g HE, AG-32 fuze and tracer
    UOF-84 HEI 390 900 Shell filled with 48,5g HE, with AG-32 fuze
    BPS "Kerner" APDS-T
    304
    1120
    Yellow plastic sabot surrounding tungsten alloy core with tracer
    UP TP
    386
    900
    Inert filled and dummy fuzed HEI shell
     

     
    30x210B 30mm NN-30 AAA
     
    This caliber was developed about 1955 as a Naval AAA on warships and as main gun on small vessels.
    The Naval AK-230 AA system utilizes two NN-30 cannons, these are water cooled, four barrel AAA guns.  The gas operated rotary cannon NN-30 is belt fed and weights 155kg, barrel length is 1930mm and overall length is 2670mm, the rate of fire is 1000rpm. The radar directed AK-230 naval mounting has a helmet shaped housing and the whole mounting weights 1,8tons.
    The NN-30 has been widely distributed, for example to India and to China as Type 69 Naval cannon.
    Its maximum range is 5000m, its effectife range in combat 2500m and its AA ceiling is 600m.

    The former Yugoslavia also used this caliber in its ground based M86 and M89 cannons.
    The Zastava M86 is a single barrel gas operated cannon, its variant M89 has a dual belt feeding mechanism, two of the latter cannons are fitted to the BOV-30 self propelled AA system.

    The Romanian A436M towed AA system carries two cannons that also use this caliber. The A436M consists of a four wheel carriage with the guns and a shield and weights 3,46 tons without ammunition load, it is served by 5 crewmen. Elevation is -5 to +85° and traverse 360°, cartridges are fed in 30 round magazines. The cannons have a selective fire rate of 100, 250 or 500 rounds per minute each and a maximum range of 3500m altitude in AA role and are effective aginst unprotected ground targets up to 2000m.
    These cannons are still in use today in a radar guided, all weather low level air defence system marketed by Army Export Romania. Beside the A436M guns, Swiss 35mm Oerlikon cannons may be used as well; the system also consists of the SHORAR-TCP search and acquisitation radar as well as the GUN*STAR fire control unit and a A95 SAM unit. The A436 is also referred to as towed AA gun 2x30 Md 80.
    Romanian ammunition is quite different from the Russian origin rounds and is carrying an additional "R" behind the ammunition code:
    - The OR-83R is a HE-T projectile weightiiing 360g, it is filled with A-IX-2 high explosive and carries the MG-30 nose fuze. The projectile is 135mm long and tracer burning time a minimum of 9 seconds. Muzzle velocity is 1050m/s, the round weights 1076g in total.  Note: Russia does not have any HE-T rounds in this caliber!
    - The BZR-83R is a API-T projectile weighhhting 360g, it is 119mm long and tracer burning time a minimum of 4 seconds. This projectile is not a empty casing with a screwed-on breaker point like the Russian AP-T projectiles. It consists of a short-pointed solid shot with rear tracer cavity and has a long ballistic cap probably incendiary filled. Muzzle velocity is 1050m/s, the round weights 1073g in total. The projectile is able to penetrate 20mm of armour at 1000m distance.
    Interesting to note that Romania also produces this caliber according to original Russian specifications for their Naval AA guns NN-30 and AK-230!
     

    Patterns of the Russian origin NN-30 cartridges:
    The shells in this caliber have two copper or gilding metal driving bands, the cartridge case is fitted with an electrical primer EKV-2 and contain 190g of 6/7 BPGR propellant. A piece of lead wire (decoppering agent) is fixed with a piece of cord to the base screw of the shell.
    18 cartridges are packed in a sealed metal box No.26 or No.35, weighting 29kg, that has various descriptive letters painted on. Ammunition is manufactured by China, Yugoslavia and Russia.

    Four service rounds, along with a target practice and dummy rounds, are known to exist:

     
    USSR Designation US Abbreviation Bullet Weight [g] Muzzle Velocity [m/s] Description
    UOF-83 HE 358 1050 With MG-30 delay self-destruction fuze, shell filled with 30g HE
    UOF-83D HE
    358
    1050
    As above, but with improoved MG-31 delay self-destruction fuze
    UF-83 SAPHEI
    358
    1050
    MD-30 base fuse, blunt nose capped
    UBR-83 AP-T 328,5 1050 Empty shell with dummy fuze and tracer
    UP-83 TP
    358
    1050
    Inert filled shell with dummy fuze
     

    Picture of the Russian service rounds listed above.

     
     
    Legend: m= mass of projectile, om= mass of complete round, pm=mass of propellant, l= length of projectile, ol= overall length of complete round, Vo= muzzle velocity, cartridge case headstamps are given in the clockwise system, the clock-sections divided by "|" for better reading. The "|" does not mean an imprinted line in the headstamp. Example: symbol at 12 o´clock | 3 o´clock | 6 o´clock | 9 o´clock
     
    Soviet Cannon Please note that these pages are no longer updated and contain partially obsolete data.
    For comprehensive and up to date information, please refer to my new book "Soviet Cannon" at www.russianammo.org.
    Compared to this webpage with its 69 pages, the book and the enclosed CD-Rom offer a total of almost 900 pages.
    Soviet Cannon
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