How long did the Marines actually use M-735 for?

[Bobjack1240]

On the ammunition data page for the Steelbeasts wiki it states it "was the standard "go to war" round for the USMC until the 1991 Gulf War" which doesn't make sense that the Marines would keep it around for that long because contemporary CIA documents give it only a 20% chance of taking out an upper or lower bound protected T-72 compared to the 50% chance for a upper bound protected T-72 and 80% chance for a lower bound protected T-72 (US Intelligence and Soviet Armor).

[Halmbarte]

You're talking about the US Marines? 

I could totally believe that USMC tankers would get ammo the Army didn't want anymore. They also didn't get as many Javelins, night vision, or other new kit. 

H

[Bobjack1240]

Yes. The Marines were mostly using M60A1 Rises all the way into Desert Storm with a handful of M1A1HAs the Army gave them. The Army's 105mm Abrams tanks were using a mix of M-900,833, and 774 https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/141i023/us_105mm_sabot_vs_iraqi_t72m1s_1991/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 .

 

[MikeyD]

I have a vague recollection (I'm too lazy to look up old reference materials) that M774 APFSDS DU round was restricted to M60A3 and M1 because the round's increased chamber pressures required the 105mm gun breech and recoil system to be strengthened. If US Marines were stuck with old M60A1s that hadn't been upgraded to the strengthened breech and recoil system I suppose they'd be stuck using M735. 

M735 was not an ideal round. It had a nasty habit of the sabot petals sometimes not separating cleanly, knocking the round off course. There was also the issue of the round occasionally breaking up in the gun tube on firing, and the rounded tip causing the tungsten dart to ricochet off angled surfaces. One contemporary article said most M735 rounds were sitting undelivered in warehouses rather than being issued to troops. M774 was a partial fix to the problems and the Pentagon wasn't really satisfied with 105mm sabot 'til M900. Still, most US allies were stuck with using M735, or a domestically produced equivalent.

Edited September 10, 2023 by MikeyD