![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/24_mm_slpprj_m49.png/640px-24_mm_slpprj_m49.png&w=640&q=50)
Armour-piercing discarding sabot
Anti-tank projectile / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) is a type of spin-stabilized kinetic energy projectile for anti-armour warfare. Each projectile consists of a sub-calibre round fitted with a sabot. The combination of a lighter sub-calibre projectile with a full-calibre propellant charge allows for an increase in muzzle velocity compared to full-calibre rounds, giving the round increased armour-penetration performance. To further enhance their armour-penetration capabilities, APDS rounds typically feature a hardened core made from tungsten or another hard, dense material.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/24_mm_slpprj_m49.png/320px-24_mm_slpprj_m49.png)
37/24 indicates full-calibre with sabot and sub-calibre without sabot — 37 / 24 mm (1.46 / 0.945 in).
Left object shows the projectile with sabot, central object shows projectile without sabot and the right object is the projectile's tungsten-core.
For a given calibre, APDS ammunition can effectively double the armour penetration of a gun when compared to full-calibre rounds such as AP, Armour-piercing Capped (APC), and Armour piercing Capped Ballistic Cap (APCBC) projectiles.[1]
APDS-rounds were commonly used in large calibre tank guns up until the early 1980s, but have since been superseded by armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) projectiles, which use fin-stabilization and can be fired from smoothbore guns.[2] APDS rounds remain in use for small or medium calibres, such as in saboted light armour penetrator (SLAP) ammunition.[3]