AMRON Medium & Small Caliber Ammunition Photos From the Waukesha, Wis. Facility (SLICS 2021)

[bdgreen]

I picked up a number of AMRON official photos from the AMRON Waukesha facility at SLICS 2021, got them scanned so here they are.

1)

Does anyone know what the “RK” in 30MM KCA, Type 304RK stands for?

Can anyone identify the rifle rounds in the bottom photo?

2)

3)

4)

30mm GAU-9 AP projectile

5)
Stamp on the back of the 30mm GAU #9 AP projectile photo, above.

6)

Can anyone identify the projectile (?) shown in the above photo?

7)

8)
Stamp on the back of photo #7, above

9)

10a)

10b)

Same photo but with different contrast settings, showing two bookcases full of AMRON eye candy!

Anyone care to take a guess at identifying some of the submunitions and other items?

11)

30mm GAU-9 projectiles

Brian

[Spaceinvader]

Wow, now there’s some drool worthy cartridges Love the GAU-9 AP, lots of fantastic experimental stuff in there. Thanks for sharing!

[JPeelen]

304RK (RK = Revolverkanone) is an older name for the 30 mm KCA. Compare it to 206RK for a 20 mm revolver gun.

[KaptainsSurplus]

I agree! Drooling at that stuff too. I wonder what the grenade is? I didn’t know they made grenades, and funny enough it looks like one of those chinese novelty junk M67s lol.

[EOD]

@JPeelen

304RK (RK = Revolverkanone) is an older name for the 30 mm KCA. Compare it to 206RK for a 20 mm revolver gun.

Just to add, these are old Oerlikon designations which have changed later to the letter coded ones where the letters do represent caliber and sub-models / mounts.

Excellent images Brian! Thank you for sharing!

[EOD]

Anybody to tell what the .330 case is?
Gun, project, case length, are specimen known to exist, more images?

[EOD]

@bdgreen

Can anyone identify the projectile (?) shown in the above photo?

Brian, the “1340 Warhead” should be a rocket warhead as the “1340” is the stock number prefix for rockets in the NATO system. Dimensions (especially the diameter and fuze thread) of the warhead would be very helpfull.

[USSubs]

A little more contrast adjustment and a look at the submunitions-

Top shelf, the two triangles on the right are M43 body assemblies, dispensed from artillery or as BLU-18s if from aerial dispensers like the SUU-13.
Bottom shelf, left edge with the pins sticking up, are bodies for the M42/M46/M77 submunitions. The two white balls left of center, the left one with the neck I’m not sure, the right one is a body for a BLU-24 or 66 series submunition. The checkered hemisphere in the center is half of the fragmentation sphere for a BLU-61, the body half is underneath it. Immediately to the right is the same piece, smaller, for the M74 or BLU-63 submunition. The next item to the right with the frag-ball matrix is the BLU-26. I’m not sure on the last hemisphere, no frag balls, no holes for tripwires (WAAPM). Shouldn’t be the practice BDU or the incendiary as they are plastic and not what I would expect from Amron.

[Forensic]

8,38x69 Aerojet (green sabot with several flechettes inside),

I have to dig, maybe I find som pics in my files…

PP

[bdgreen]

Alex,

Unfortunately there is no reference measurement or information on the back of the photo of the projectile body.

.330 is as Forensic said in his post above.

8.38mm x 69

I’m looking for some info on the 8.38mm x 69 and 63 mm case length Flechette cartridge, was this a US development for the SPIW system or something else, who made the cartridges and are there a lot of variations Carolyn

8.38x69 (aka .330 Amron), Paul Smith photo

.416/.338 U.S. Navy-Haskins Sniper

I have what I beleive is a case for the 8.38 x 69 Multiple Flechette round. It is an empty brass case with a reversed primer cup. Headstamp is R.M.C.C.A. 1985. I assume it is a souverior case made for the 1985 meeting of the Rocky Mountain Cartridge Club Association. Does anyone remember this and do I have the case type correct? If it is ID’ed correctly, did it come with the flechettes or just the empty case. I would guess, based on the style of the headstamp that it was made by B.E.L.L. Can an…

[EOD]

@Forensic

I have to dig, maybe I find som pics in my files…

Yes, please do!

[EOD]

Brian, the case in your photo above looks different from those in the 2 threads you have linked.

[bdgreen]

Alex,

You are correct, I just noticed that. So an early experimental case?

[EOD]

Brian, you tell me!
…or anyone else?

[bdgreen]

.330 case from Amron photo next to .330 cases from Paul Smith’s photo. The shoulder on the Amron photo case is completely different compared to the cases in Paul’s photo.

[bdgreen]

Briefly from H.W.S. Vol. 3, pp 426-428:
Aerojet started work on the .330 Multiple Flechette Cartridge in 1968. AMRON and Aerojet had worked together on the 30x173mm cartridge case. Aerojet subcontracted AMRON to improve the .330 cartridge case which resulted in the 8.38x69mm cartridge case, initially made of brass, but by late 1970 AMRON was supplying Aerojet with aluminum cased rounds.