73mm

[Fusilier]

Everywhere I read it says the 73mm gun on the BMP and the SPG-9 fire almost identical ammo. The only difference is one has a weaker propellant charge.

Does anyone know for certain if they are interchangeable with the two weapons

[Mohoender]

Here are articles you can trust (Jane's). It gives you plenty of material to find out for sure (serial names of the ammo). Sorry, I don't have enough time to go any further.

http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jah/jah_0176.html

http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jah/jah_5009.html

[pmulcahy11b]

IIRC OPFOR classes in the Army:

If you try put a BMP round into an SPG-9, it won't fit.

If you put an SPG-9 round into a BMP-1, the smaller round will not develop enough pressure to launch properly, and will not even leave the chamber of the BMP-1's gun. However, the fuze will be armed, and heavy burned propellant fumes will fill the interior of the BMP-1 when you open the breech again.

Apparently, some fool has tried those things in the past!

[Mohoender]

I have tried to find a few more info. Here is what I found.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/SPG-9

http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jaau/jaau0045.html

http://www.orteh.com/eng/products/catalogue/books/12.php

That's no much more. The first one is identical of what you'll find in the wiki. The last is simply an advertisement for a book but who knows.

If you want to know more on the Jane's wait until I win the Loto. If I do, I'll be willing to spend a lot of money into it. Until then, one book represents at least a full month salary so I'll keep dreaming.

[Mohoender]

IIRC OPFOR classes in the Army:

If you try put a BMP round into an SPG-9, it won't fit.

If you put an SPG-9 round into a BMP-1, the smaller round will not develop enough pressure to launch properly, and will not even leave the chamber of the BMP-1's gun. However, the fuze will be armed, and heavy burned propellant fumes will fill the interior of the BMP-1 when you open the breech again.

Apparently, some fool has tried those things in the past!

Apparently you are right but it seems that they have produced some extra-propellant case you can adapt on the SPG-9 ammo. The Swedes must know, they are using it and Bulgaria seems to be producing it. Saddly, I don't speak any of these languages.

[Grimace]

Yeah, as it mentions on Jane's, the 73mm round for the 2A28 gun has an added "stub" that helps propel it. That won't work for the SPG-9. And vice versa, without that added propellant stub, that round from an SPG-9 won't make it out of the barrel. And I wouldn't want to be the one that has to get that live round out of the barrel so you can fire another shot at the thing you originally tried to shoot at (which now probably knows where you're at and doesn't want you to try to shoot it again).

[Fusilier]

Thank you everybody.