Ammunition
The M5 utilized fixed ammunition, with the same 76.2x585R cartridge case - designated 3 inch Cartridge Case Mk IIM2 - as other descendants of the 3 inch M1918 anti-aircraft gun, and had basically the same barrel. That meant the same anti-tank characteristics as those of vehicle mounted anti-tank guns derived from the T9, namely the M6 (used in the 3 inch Gun Motor Carriage M5, which never reached production) and the M7 (which was the main armament of the 3 inch Gun Motor Carriage M10 and the M6 Heavy Tank). The below table lists ammunition available for the three guns. It is possible that some types (e.g. the APCR round) were never issued to towed TD battalions.
| Available ammunition | |||||
| Type | Model | Weight (round/projectile) | Filler | Muzzle velocity | |
| AP-T | AP M79 Shot | 12.05 / 6.8 kg (26.56 / 15 lbs) |
- | 792 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
|
| APCBC/HE-T | APC M62 Projectile | 12.36 / 7 kg (27.24 / 15.43 lbs) |
792 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
||
| APCR-T | HVAP M93 Shot | 9.42 / 4.26 kg (20.76 / 9.39 lbs) |
- | 1,036 m/s (3,400 ft/s) |
|
| HE | HE M42A1 Shell | 11. 3 / 5.84 kg (25 / 12.87 lbs) |
TNT, 390 g | 853 m/s (2,800 ft/s) |
|
| Smoke | Smoke M88 Shell | 6.99 / 3.35 kg (15.41 / 7.38 lbs) |
Zinc chloride (HC) | 274 m/s (900 ft/s) |
|
| Target practice | TP M85 Shot | ||||
| Practice | Practice M42B2 Shell | ||||
| Armor penetration table | ||||
| Ammunition \ Distance | 457 m (500 yds) |
914 m (1,000 yds) |
1,371 m (1,500 yds) |
1,828 m (2,000 yds) |
| AP M79 Shot (meet angle 30°, homogeneous armor) | 109 mm | 92 mm | 76 mm | 64 mm |
| APC M62 Projectile (meet angle 30°, homogeneous armor) | 93 mm | 88 mm | 82 mm | 75 mm |
| HVAP M93 Shot (meet angle 30°, homogeneous armor) | 157 mm | 135 mm | 116 mm | 98 mm |
| Different methods of armor penetration measurement were used in different countries / periods. Therefore, direct comparison is often impossible. | ||||
Read more about this topic: 3 Inch Gun M5