Comments by "" (@RedXlV) on "The Drydock - Episode 073" video.

  1. When you mention the return to smoothbore for (most) modern tank guns, the reason for this isn't just that modern smoothbores can achieve a better seal than was possible in the past. It's because of the types of ammo that modern tanks use. APFSDS darts are so long relative to their diameter that they can't be spin-stabilized, hence the use of fin stabilization. And for HEAT rounds, having the projectile spin is actively detrimental to the effectiveness of the shaped charge. So to maximize penetration when fired out of a rifled barrel, HEAT ammo actually needs to cancel the spin imparted by the rifling while using fin stabilization. That's a big part of why modern HEAT ammo is drastically more effective than what was used in WW2. So at best, a rifled barrel is redundant for such rounds.
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