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Thesaboted light armor penetrator (SLAP) family offirearmammunition is designed to penetratearmor more efficiently than standardarmor-piercing ammunition. In the US it was developed by theMarine Corps during the mid/late 1980s and was approved for service use in 1990 duringOperation Desert Storm. It uses a reduced caliber, heavy metal (usually tungsten), thinner (e.g. .30 inch diameter) penetrator wrapped in a light, plasticsabot of greater diameter (in this example, .50 inch); the .308 SLAP round was a .223 inch diameter penetrator core within a .308 inch plastic sabot. It can penetrate light tanks and vehicles.
The SLAP design incorporates apolymersabot, which allows for the use of atungstenpenetrator projectile of a lesser diameter than the originalbore. By using the casing of a largecartridge with a lightweight projectile, the velocity of the projectile is greatly increased (in exchange for a corresponding loss of mass) and thesectional density in flight (after the sabot has been discarded) is improved without requiring a (potentially dangerous) increase inchamber pressure.
SLAP rounds have been designed for use against lightlyarmored vehicles andaircraft.
Saboted ammunition should not be used in firearms withmuzzle brakes unless the muzzle brake has beenspecifically designed for such use.[1] For example, .50 SLAP ammunition is completely interoperable with M2 machine guns with astellite liner.
| Caliber | Country | Designation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.62×51mm NATO |  United States | M948 (standard) M959 (tracer) | Abandoned. Intended for theM60 machine gun, but caused catastrophic barrel failures when tested. Penetration was increased, but not to same extent as in the .50 BMG SLAP round.[2] |
| 7.62×51mm NATO |  Sweden | 7,62 mm Sk Ptr 10 PRICK | In use with thePsg 90 sniper rifle. |
| .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) | United States | M903 (standard) M962 (tracer) | For use inM2 machine guns only (the open-tipped round design reduces compatibility). The 355-grain (23.0 g) projectile runs at 4,000 feet per second (1,200 m/s), for a kinetic energy of 12,200 foot-pounds force (16,500 J).[3] |
| 14.5×114mm |  China | DGJ-02 APDSI-T | Mainly intended forQJG-02. Dual-color tracer. Has a muzzle velocity of 1,250 m/s (4,100 ft/s) and is quoted as being able to penetrate 20 mm (0.79 in) of armour plate set at an angle of 50° at 800 m (2,600 ft). An earlier version was designed for theQJZ91, which did not see combat.[4] |
U.S. SLAP ammunition is produced by theWinchester Cartridge Company andOlin Manufacturing. The team began production of the ammunition in 1985. The sabot that contains the sub-caliber is manufactured by Cytec Industries.