Military

M483, 155-mm howitzer shell

The 155mm M483A1 Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) is an early technology cargo round. It delivers 88 dual-purpose grenades to defeat armor and personnel targets. The M483A1 is a separate loading munition constructed of either 1340 or 4190 alloy steel, an aluminum ogive and a short hollow boat tailed aluminum plug. A metal rotating band and a plastic obturating band are located close to the base of the projectile. The M483A1 has been manufactured in significant numbers.

These are Army, howitzer-fired projectiles which carry a payload of 88 dual-purpose (armor defecting and antipersonnel) grenades. When the dual-purpose projectile has an expulsion charge assembled, the payload is expelled; with a spotting charge assembled, the payload is detonated. The projectiles are painted olive drab with yellow markings. A row of yellow diamonds is stenciled approximately 89 millimeters (3.50 inches) to the rear of the nose of the projectile. Markings include nomenclature, lot numbers, and loading data. The body is steel with fiberglass wrapping, the ogive and baseplug aluminum, the rotating band copper alloy, and the obturator plastic.

The M483A1 delivers 88 dual purpose anti-material and anti-personnel grenades - the M42 (quantity 64/projo) and M46 (quantity 24/projo). The M46s are located at the base of the projectile and are heavier/thicker and have a smooth interior surface that enables it to withstand the shock of firing and set back. The M42 grenades are scored for greater fragmentation and are place to the front of the M46 grenades. The submissions have a shaped charge warhead that penetrates 2.75 inches of homogeneous armor. Antipersonnel effects are obtained by fragmentation of the submissions body. This projectile introduces a different family of projectiles, the ICM Family. The ICM family is approximately 3 1/2 inches longer and has a standard square weight of 13.5 lbs. This projectile has a self-registration mode with projectile spotting charge M125. The M577 fuze is the only authorized fuze.

M483-series HE projectiles are designed to deliver M42 and M46 grenades. They have a forged-steel and aluminum body with a base plug, an ogive, and a fusible lifting plug in the nose. The lifting plug may be of the yellow fusible type or the universal type. These are base-ejection projectiles that carry 88 DP grenades (64 M42 grenades and 24 M46 grenades). The grenades themselves provide the projectiles' dual capability. However, a third effect can be achieved by replacing the original expelling charge with a spotting charge designed to detonate the entire projectile as if it were a bulk-loaded HE item. The grenades are normally expelled at a predetermined time in flight. They are armed while falling, and function upon impact.