Gunner's Mate Flashcards

Questions and Answers

NAVSEA OP-4, Ammunition Afloat, defines what without further qualification as those substances or mixtures of substances that undergo rapid chemical reactions resulting in the rapid release of energy?

Detonators

Propellants

Explosives (correct)

Combustibles

Military explosives are divided into how many general classes?

Two

What explosives are usually nitration products of organic substances?

High

A high explosive is characterized by the extreme rapidity with which it decomposition occurs; this action is known as what?

Detonation Signup and view all the answers

Low explosives are mostly solid combustible materials that decompose rapidly but do not normally detonate. This action is known as what?

Deflagration Signup and view all the answers

An explosive reaction differs from ordinary combustion in the what of the reaction?

Velocity Signup and view all the answers

An explosive reaction of a high explosive is always accompanied by the rapid liberation of what?

Heat Signup and view all the answers

The principal gaseous products of the more common explosives include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, methane, and what else?

Hydrogen cyanide Signup and view all the answers

The rapidity with which an explosive develops its maximum pressure is a measure of the quality known as what?

Brisance Signup and view all the answers

What property of an explosive is important in determining the length of time it can be kept under normal stowage conditions without deterioration and its adaptability to various military uses?

Stability Signup and view all the answers

The amount of energy necessary to initiate an explosion is the measure of what property of the explosive?

Sensitivity Signup and view all the answers

What explosives are commonly initiated by the application of heat in some form?

Low Signup and view all the answers

High explosives in general require the sudden application of a strong what to initiate the explosive reaction?

Shock Signup and view all the answers

What are those explosives that serve to initiate the ignition of propellants and the reaction of high explosives?

Initiating explosives Signup and view all the answers

Initiating explosives function when subjected to heat, impact, or what else?

Friction Signup and view all the answers

What increases the shock of the initiating explosive to a degree sufficient to explode the disrupting explosive?

Booster Signup and view all the answers

What is a device used to initiate the burning of a propellant charge by means of a flame?

Primer Signup and view all the answers

Primers are classified according to the method of initiation (normally percussion or what else)?

Electric Signup and view all the answers

What are used in initiating high-explosive bursting charges?

Detonators Signup and view all the answers

The primary function of a what is to provide a pressure that will accelerate the object to the required velocity?

Propellant Signup and view all the answers

What propellants are compositions that contain mixtures of fuel and inorganic oxidants?

Composite Signup and view all the answers

Solid propellants are manufactured in the form of flakes, balls, sheets, cords, or what else?

Perforated cylindrical grains Signup and view all the answers

A propellant is said to be what when the surface area of the grains decreases as they burn?

Regressive burning Signup and view all the answers

The main charge for explosive projectiles is always a what?

High explosive Signup and view all the answers

High-explosive charges are loaded into their containers by one of three methods - cast-loading, press-loading, and what else?

Extrusion Signup and view all the answers

What is performed by pouring the substance as a liquid into a container and letting it solidify?

Cast-loading Signup and view all the answers

What is the oldest explosive known?

Black powder Signup and view all the answers

What term applies to explosives that easily absorb moisture?

Hygroscopic Signup and view all the answers

The Navy classifies black powder into two types (what are what) depending on the chemical compound used in the base material?

Potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate Signup and view all the answers

Black powder was abandoned as a propellant around what year?

1888 Signup and view all the answers

Nitrocellulose (NC) was first prepared in what year?

1838 Signup and view all the answers

What is the propellant used in the propelling charges for Navy gun ammunition?

Smokeless powder Signup and view all the answers

What consists of colloided NC with other materials added to obtain suitable form, burning character, and stability?

Single-base powder Signup and view all the answers

What uses NG and/or NQ in addition to NC as explosive ingredients?

Multibase powder Signup and view all the answers

What is found in the 5"/54 universal charge, full-service propelling charges?

SPCF Signup and view all the answers

What is a multibase smokeless powder stabilized with ethyl centralite and includes NG and NQ in its composition?

SPCG Signup and view all the answers

What is a single-base smokeless powder stabilized with diphenylamine?

SPD Signup and view all the answers

What is a diphenylamine-stabilized smokeless powder to which a flash inhibitor, such as potassium sulfate, has been added?

SPDF Signup and view all the answers

What is a diphenylamine-stabilized smokeless powder to which nonvolatile materials are added to reduce the hygroscopic tendencies of the propellant?

SPDN Signup and view all the answers

What is diphenylamine-stabilized smokeless powder that is water-dried?

SPDX Signup and view all the answers

What is a flashless powder made by the reworking of ordinary nonflashless powder?

SPWF Signup and view all the answers

What has a high ignition temperature and is today the most commonly used primary explosive?

Lead azide Signup and view all the answers

What is particularly sensitive to fire and the discharge of static electricity?

Lead styphnate Signup and view all the answers

What is a yellowish-brown powder, and is often used as an initiating explosive in propellant primer devices?

Diazodinitrophenol (DDNP) Signup and view all the answers

What explosives are those components of the explosive train that function to transmit and augment the force and flame from the initiating explosive?

Booster Signup and view all the answers

What is a fine yellow crystalline material?

Tetryl Signup and view all the answers

What is a mixture of 97.5% RDX, 1.5% calcium stearate, 0.5% polyisobutylene, and 0.5% graphite?

CH-6 Signup and view all the answers

What is a mixture of 98.5% RDX and 1.5% stearic acid?

Composition A-5 Signup and view all the answers

There are several high explosives currently used by the Navy as fillers for gun projectiles. The principal explosives are Composition A-3, RDX, and what else?

Explosive D Signup and view all the answers

What is toxic, odorless, comparatively stable, nonhygroscopic, and relatively insensitive?

TNT Signup and view all the answers

The velocity of TNT detonation is approximately what?

22,300 fps Signup and view all the answers

In the Navy, what is used as an ingredient in plastic-bonded explosives?

HMX Signup and view all the answers

What which is also known as Cyclonite or Hexogen, is considered the most powerful and brisant of the military high explosives?

RDX Signup and view all the answers

Composition A-3 is appreciably more brisant and powerful than TNT; its velocity of detonation is approximately what?

27,000 fps Signup and view all the answers

What has been used as a more powerful replacement for TNT in loading some of the rifle grenades and some rocket heads?

Composition B Signup and view all the answers

Composition C-3 is about how many times more powerful than TNT?

1.35 Signup and view all the answers

What is referred to as a plastic-bonded explosive because it is an explosive coated with plastic material?

PBXN-5 Signup and view all the answers

What is the Greek word for fireworks?

Pyrotechnic Signup and view all the answers

What are used as night or day long-burning reference markings on the surface of the ocean?

Marine location markers Signup and view all the answers

What marine location marker is the primary marine location marker found aboard surface vessels?

Mk 58 Signup and view all the answers

What aircraft smoke and illumination signal is a pyrotechnic device that is launched from surface craft only to produce a day or night floating reference point?

Mk 6 Signup and view all the answers

What marine smoke signal is intended primarily for signaling between ships and aircraft?

Mk 2 Signup and view all the answers

Mk 1 Navy lights are hand torches that burn with a brilliant light visible up to how many miles at night?

3 Signup and view all the answers

The proper functioning of pyrotechnic, dye-marking, and screening devices is frequently affected by what?

Moisture Signup and view all the answers

Specific ammunition stowage temperature requirements for all types of ammunition are addressed in what?

NAVSEA OP 4 Signup and view all the answers

In a general sense, what includes anything that is intended to be thrown at or put in the path of the enemy to deter, injure, or kill personnel or to destroy or damage materials?

Ammunition Signup and view all the answers

Gun ammunition is most commonly classified by what property of the gun in which it is used?

Size Signup and view all the answers

What class applies to ammunition that has the cartridge case crimped around the base of the projectile?

Fixed Signup and view all the answers

Guns through what-mm use fixed ammunition?

76 Signup and view all the answers

What class applies to ammunition that consists of two units - the projectile assembly and cartridge case assembly?

Separated Signup and view all the answers

Separate ammunition has been produced in gun sizes of 5-inch, 38-caliber through 8-inch, and what else?

55-caliber guns Signup and view all the answers

The separate-loading (bagged gun) ammunition class applies to gun sizes how many inches and larger?

8 Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles carry explosive, illuminating, or chemical payloads?

Service Signup and view all the answers

What is any type of ammunition assembled without explosives, or what inert material substituted for the explosives, to imitate service ammunition?

Dummy/Drill Signup and view all the answers

Service projectiles classified by their tactical purpose as one of the following types: penetrating, fragmenting, and what else?

Special purpose Signup and view all the answers

What ammunition consists of a projectile and a propelling charge?

Gun Signup and view all the answers

What is the component of ammunition that, when fired from a gun, carries out the tactical purpose of the weapon?

Projectile Signup and view all the answers

What is the curved forward portion of a projectile?

Ogive Signup and view all the answers

The shape of the ogive is generally expressed by stating its radius in terms of what?

Calibers Signup and view all the answers

What is a smooth, machined area that acts as a bearing to stabilize the projectile during its travel through the gun bore?

Bourrelet Signup and view all the answers

What is the main part of the projectile and contains the greatest mass of metal?

Body Signup and view all the answers

What is circular and made of commercially pure copper, copper alloy, or plastic seated in a scored cut in the after portion of the projectile body?

Rotating band Signup and view all the answers

In all minor and medium caliber projectiles, rotating bands are made of commercially pure copper or gilding metal that is 90% copper and 10% what?

Zinc Signup and view all the answers

Major caliber projectile bands are of cupro-nickel alloy containing what percent nickel or nylon with a Micarta insert?

2.5 Signup and view all the answers

What is the after end of the projectile?

Base Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles are dual-purpose projectiles combining most of the qualities of the AA type with the strength necessary to penetrate mild steel plate?

AAC Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles are designed to penetrate their caliber class A armor plate?

AP Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles are designed to penetrate approximately one-third of their caliber of armor?

COM Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles may be loaded with a toxic, harassing, or smoke-producing agent?

Chemical Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles are nonexplosive projectiles used as practice (spotting) rounds?

Puff Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles are used by gun crews for loading drills and for testing ammunition hoists and other ammunition-handling equipment?

Drill Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles may be made of display, instruction, or special tests?

Dummy Signup and view all the answers

What projectiles are designed for use against unarmored surface targets, shore installations, or personnel?

HC Signup and view all the answers

Small caliber projectiles with what designation are designed to receive a large explosive charge?

HE Signup and view all the answers

To increase the range and effectiveness of 5-inch gun systems, what was developed as an addition to existing gun-type ammunition?

RAP Signup and view all the answers

What are blind-loaded (BL) projectiles?

Target Signup and view all the answers

The antipersonnel projectile consists of a projectile body, an expulsion charge, a pusher plate, a payload of how many individually fuzed grenades, and a base plug?

400 Signup and view all the answers

What are mixtures of explosives designed to propel projectiles from the gun to the target?

Propelling charges Signup and view all the answers

The 5-inch ammunition being issued to the fleet is assembled with what primers?

Case electric Signup and view all the answers

What charge is one that contains less than the service load of powder?

Reduced Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Explosives

NAVSEA OP-4 defines explosives as substances that undergo rapid chemical reactions releasing energy when initiated.
Military explosives are classified into two main types: high and low explosives.
High explosives, typically nitrated organic compounds, detonate rapidly, whereas low explosives usually deflagrate.
Detonation is characterized by the rapid decomposition of a high explosive, while deflagration involves slower decomposition.

Characteristics of Explosives

Explosive reactions differ from combustion primarily in their velocity.
High explosives liberate heat rapidly during reaction.
Gaseous products from common explosives include carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrogen cyanide.
Brisance measures how quickly an explosive develops maximum pressure.
Stability indicates how long an explosive can be stored without degrading and its suitability for military use.
Sensitivity refers to the energy required to initiate an explosion.

Explosive Initiation and Components

Low explosives are initiated by heat; high explosives typically require shock.
Initiating explosives can trigger reactions in propellants or high explosives.
Boosters enhance the shock of an initiating explosive to detonate the second explosive.
Primers start combustion in propellant charges and can be percussion or electric.

Types of Propellants

Propellants can be composite, mixing fuel and oxidants.
Solid propellants come in various shapes, including flakes and cylindrical grains.
Regresive burning propellants decrease surface area as they burn.
High explosives like Composition A-3 are significantly more powerful than TNT.

Classifications of Gun Ammunition

Gun ammunition is classified primarily by the size of the gun.
Fixed ammunition has cartridges crimped around the projectile; separated ammunition consists of a projectile and a cartridge case.
Dummy and drill projectiles replicate service ammunition without explosives for training and testing purposes.

Special Projectile Types

Service projectiles serve tactical purposes, including penetrating and fragmenting tasks.
Chemical projectiles may carry toxic or smoke-producing agents, while HC projectiles target unarmored surfaces.
HE projectiles are designed for explosive charges and increase effectiveness in specific applications.

Ammunition Characteristics

Ammunition stowage temperature is dictated by safety guidelines in NAVSEA OP-4.
Moisture can adversely affect pyrotechnic devices, impacting operational effectiveness.
Borelets and rotating bands stabilize projectiles for accurate firing.
Special charges like RAP enhance the performance of traditional ammunition systems.

Historical Context

Black powder was historically significant but abandoned as a propellant by 1888 in favor of more stable and effective substances.
Nitrocellulose (NC) was first prepared in 1838 and forms the basis for modern smokeless powders used in naval munitions.

Modern Explosives

TNT and RDX are contemporary primary explosives, with RDX being one of the most powerful.
Composition C-3 is notably over one-third more powerful than TNT.
Propelling charges are designed to transfer explosive force from the gun to the target effectively.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Test your knowledge with these flashcards designed for Gunner's Mate training. Covering key definitions and classifications of military explosives, this quiz is essential for understanding Ammunition Afloat protocols. Perfect for both new and experienced personnel in the field.