ABSTRACT
Cartridge brass is more ductile than copper and yet performs less well when tried as a shaped charge cone. The most common shaped charge warhead has a copper cone liner fitted at the base of a case containing an explosive charge, as sketched right. Plate 44 shows light anti-armour weapon 80 which launches a shaped charge warhead of about 100 mm charge diameters from the shoulder of an infantryman, and will penetrate the frontal armour of a main battle tank. Copper is an excellent shaped charge penetrator, but it does not oxidise with any voracity and so its behind armour effect is limited to backspall with only minor temperature and pressure rises. Despite considerable research and development effort on alternatives, copper has remained a favourite conical liner material for several decades, and yet iron and tantalum perform better for EFP liners. Stingray and Spearfish anti-submarine torpedoes both have shaped charge warheads.
