Tanks are a type of weapon that has been widely equipped by countries and has a relatively long history. The development of tanks in recent years has followed a trend of becoming more robust, with increasingly powerful engines. Additionally, tanks are becoming more durable, with some countries still using the Stalin II tanks manufactured at the end of World War II, and even the T-34 models.
Considering that tanks can serve for over 30 years, it is hard to believe that the lifespan of a tank’s gun barrel is only 6 seconds. Moreover, this can be attributed to the continuous advancement of science and technology; in the past, the gun barrels on tanks had a lifespan of only 2 to 3 seconds.
In the past, the gun barrels on tanks had a lifespan of only 2 to 3 seconds.
Many people may find this hard to believe, as there are no reports indicating that tanks need to replace their gun barrels multiple times during drills or combat. However, historical documents confirm that during World War II, the gun barrels of tanks only lasted 2 to 3 seconds.
The reason for such a short lifespan of the gun barrel can be attributed to the principle of development of tank guns. Essentially, tank guns can be seen as an amplification of machine guns. They utilize the explosive force of gunpowder in the chamber to produce a high-pressure gas that generates extremely high temperatures, causing the pressure in the chamber to peak and propelling the projectile out of the barrel.
This means that at the moment of firing, there is an immense pressure in the chamber. As the projectile is pushed forward, the pressure and heat escape through the barrel. Thus, each shot can be considered a damaging event for the gun barrel.
When first introduced, the gun was loaded with explosives and projectiles from the barrel.
In addition to generating high-pressure gas in the chamber that severely damages the gun barrel, another significant source of damage comes from the projectile itself. In the past, when guns first appeared on the battlefield, they were loaded with explosives and projectiles from the barrel.
Due to the limitations of machining technology at the time, and to facilitate loading, early projectiles were small iron balls with diameters smaller than the barrel’s inner diameter. Although this type of projectile could be fired normally, the pressure from the gas would partially escape through the gap between the projectile and the barrel due to thermal expansion of the gun. Furthermore, this caused a chaotic airflow, so at that time, simply firing the projectile was considered a success, with little regard for accuracy.
By World War II, all types of guns used had rifling inside the barrel.
Later, this situation was recognized, and the structures of both the gun barrel and ammunition were gradually improved. By World War II, all types of guns used had rifling inside the barrel. However, due to the requirement for a tight fit between the barrel and the projectile during firing to maximize the explosive energy, the projectile often had to be made slightly larger than the barrel diameter. This meant the projectile acted like a cork sealing off the space behind it to fully utilize the energy of the explosion. However, this necessitated the use of relatively malleable metals for the projectile, meaning that modern projectiles are primarily made of copper, which is softer than cast iron or steel. When subjected to pressure, copper can easily change shape, quickly sealing the interior space of the barrel without excessively damaging it.
In addition to changing the projectile, the gun barrel itself has also been continuously improved. Initially, the lifespan of gun barrels was not fixed. Ideally, after each shot, the tank had to wait 3 to 4 seconds. This is because after each firing, the barrel endures significant heat from the explosive gases and from the friction between the projectile and the barrel. The simple principle is that heat expands and cold contracts, so when the barrel finishes firing, the heat has not dissipated completely, creating irregular expansion at various points within the barrel.
In this situation, if a second shot is fired immediately, small changes in the barrel could significantly impact the projectile’s accuracy. Moreover, continuing to fire in this state would increase the barrel’s temperature further, making the variations more pronounced, resulting in even less accuracy for subsequent shots.
Despite special designs, the lifespan of the gun barrel remains very short.
Modern gun barrels use specially formulated alloys, and the casting methods follow very high technological requirements. Additionally, modern barrels also have cooling mechanisms that allow for faster heat dissipation than before. Consequently, during intense combat, guns can fire continuously for a period.
However, the rapid cooling mechanisms also create a phenomenon of rapid heating and cooling within the gun barrel. In a stable firing state, the temperature difference can reach over 600 degrees Celsius. Therefore, despite special designs, the lifespan of the gun barrel remains very short. To this day, through numerous technological improvements, a gun barrel can only achieve a lifespan of 6 seconds. However, for a cannon, a lifespan of 6 seconds is still quite sufficient.
Many people have misconceptions about the lifespan of the gun barrel. In reality, the lifespan of a gun barrel is measured from the moment the gunpowder ignites until the projectile exits the muzzle. This duration is actually quite short, as the firing speed of modern artillery is nearly twice the speed of sound, approximately 750 m/s. With a typical tank barrel length of about 5 meters, the entire firing process takes only about 6 milliseconds, meaning that with a barrel lifespan of 6 seconds, it can theoretically fire 1,000 rounds.
In real situations, a tank’s gun barrel does not always reach the 6-second lifespan. For example, in the U.S., Russia, and China, the lifespan of tanks’ guns is often limited to one-third of its potential lifespan for safety reasons.
