M919 Cartridge 25mm, Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot, with
Tracer (APFSDS-T)
The new 25mm Armor-Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot with Tracer (APFSDS-T), M919 Cartridge is intended to supplement the currently fielded Armor Piercing M791 as the primary service round. This action modernizes the war research of the Army 25mm armor piercing ammunition for use in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The M919 was designed and developed to increase the lethality of the BFV by extending its defeat range capability against projected target threats of the 1990s and beyond. Not only does this munition enhance the soldier’s lethality and survivability, but, also significantly contributes to the overall Army’s mission.
In the mid-1980s, the Army determined that the then current armor piercing round in U.S.
inventory could not defeat the postulated future light armored vehicle threat of the 1990s. In 1986, the
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics approved the requirement for an extended range, more
lethal armor piercing round. Early design efforts had focused on a tungsten long rod but testing
determined that it was incapable of delivering the required level of performance. The decision was made
to pursue a depleted uranium long rod for use in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
The M919 simultaneously completed its FY90 limited production while initiating its first full rate production contract (FY91S). There were two additional full rate production contracts pending, a $22.5M FY94 and $29.5M FY95 procurement, both of which were awarded in Calendar Year 1995. All contracts have been (up through the FY95 award) awarded to Olin Ordnance under a sole source firm fixed price basis. All procurements are made based form, fit, and function (i.e., ctg top level drawing, weapon interface drawing, and a performance SPEC).
On 12 September 1996 TACOM Commander Maj. Gen. Edward Andrews approved the initial Material Release of the M919.
Referred to by the user as the Super Sabot Kinetic Energy Dart, the M919 was designed to defeat
all current enemy light armor of the 1990s at extended ranges through a combination of high on-target
strike velocity and improved penetrator geometry and material. Thus, the M919 effectively enhances the
lethality and survivability of the BFV without modifying the weapon system. While the effective range of
the M919 remains classified, the maximum range of this round is about 17,600 meters. These figures
translate into greater crew protection and survivability to move onto the next battle.
In a technological innovation, the barrel life of the M919 was tremendously extended with the use
of a blended propellant and a grease paste erosion inhibitor. At high rates of fire, the original M919 had a
barrel life of less than 300 round. A team of scientists specializing in barrel heating and erosion from
CCAC, AED, Benet Labs, Aerojet and Veritay Technologies conducted an 18-month development
program using a 10,000 round, multi-barrel test to verify ARDEC’s claim that the M919’s barrel life had
been enhanced to over 5,000 rounds.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m919.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Saturday, September 12, 1998 6:35:55 AM
