105mm M1 HE Cartridge: Data Sheet
The M1 is the standard high-explosive (HE) cartridge of the US 105mm howitzer. It served with the M2A1 towed howitzer in World War II and Korea, carried on through the M101A1, the M102 and the self-propelled M52 and M108, and is still the round most people picture when they hear "105."
It is semi-fixed ammunition: the projectile sits loosely in the mouth of a brass or steel cartridge case, so the crew can lift it out, remove propellant increments to set the charge, and seat it again before loading.
The M1 complete round and cutaway, from TM 43-0001-28, p. 3-9.
At a glance
| Designation | Cartridge, 105mm: HE, M1 |
|---|---|
| Type classified | Standard (AMCTC 4181, 1966) |
| Complete round weight | 39.92 lb |
| Length with closing plug | 28.60 in. max |
| Projectile body | Forged steel, boat-tail base, gilding metal rotating band |
| Filler, Composition B | 5.08 lb (normal cavity), 4.60 lb (deep cavity) |
| Filler, TNT | 4.80 lb (normal cavity), 4.25 lb (deep cavity) |
| Color | Olive drab with yellow markings |
| Cartridge case | M14 brass (about 5.9 lb); M14B1 drawn steel (5.4 lb); M14B3 and M14B4 spiral-wrap steel (4.7 lb) |
| Propelling charge | M67, seven numbered increment bags, 2.83 lb total |
| Primer | Percussion, M28A2 or M28B2 |
| Fired from (cannon) | M2A1, M2A2 (M101/M101A1); M49 (M52, M52A1); M103 (M108); M137 (M102) |
| Fuzes | Point detonating M557, M78 series, M739 series; time M564, M582 series; proximity M513 series, M728, M732 series; electronic time M767 |
All figures from TM 43-0001-28, pp. 3-9 to 3-11.
Reading the markings
The stencil on the projectile reads top to bottom: 105H (caliber, H for howitzer), the lot number, and CARTRIDGE M1 W/SUPPL CHG, meaning it shipped with a supplementary charge in the fuze cavity. Olive drab with yellow markings is the US code for high explosive. TNT and Composition B rounds are marked with their filler.
How it was built
- Projectile: a hollow steel forging with a streamlined ogive. A base cover is welded on to keep hot propellant gas out.
- Fuze cavity: shallow or deep. Deep-cavity projectiles carry a supplementary charge that is removed when a long proximity fuze is fitted. Rounds shipped without a fuze get a closing plug.
- Cartridge case: holds the percussion primer, a black-powder flash tube, and seven bagged increments tied in order, Increment 1 at the base.
The replica
Our 105mm M1 COMP-B Whiskey Stash is where Redleg3D started: a life-size, 100% plastic M1 projectile that holds a bottle. It also comes in TNT, as a piggy bank, and in the NATO Canadian 2-1/2 square scheme. Stencil kits are available in TNT and COMP-B. See the whole 105mm line.
Sources
- TM 43-0001-28, Army Ammunition Data Sheets: Artillery Ammunition, Headquarters, Department of the Army, 28 April 1994, through Change 11 (27 October 2003), pp. 3-9 to 3-11. Distribution Statement A: approved for public release. Find it in our Ordnance Reference Library.
Redleg3D makes 100% plastic, inert display replicas. This page is for history, collecting and identification only. If you ever find real ordnance, don't touch it: leave the area and call 911.