I already posted penetration intel on Soviet post-war guns, but there were a lot of holes in that table. Let's skip a few years to another upgrade to the Soviet arsenal, the 125 mm smoothbore gun, and check our numbers again.
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P.P. Isakov, Theory and Design of a Tank, 1982
Parameter | Type of shell (Gun) | ||
3BM11 (M-62) | 3BM9 (D-81) | 3BM15 (D-81) | |
Caliber, mm | 122 | 125 | |
Type of shell | Rotating | Fin stabilized | |
Shell mass, kg | 7.4 | 5.67 | 5.9 |
Core mass, kg | 2.8 | - | 0.26 |
Muzzle velocity, m/s | 1575 | 1800 | 1785 |
Muzzle energy (kJ) | 9200 | 9200 | 9400 |
Penetration at 2000 meters at an angle from normal of: | |||
0 degrees | 320 | 245 | 400 |
45 degrees | 190 | 185 | 200 |
60 degrees | 110 | 140 | 150 |
The M-62 blows its AP performance out of the water. However, you can see that this is an era of HEAT, as the American intelligence talked about a 460 mm penetration HEAT shell. The subcaliber ammunition of the 125 mm gun is no slouch, however. The mediocre performance of 3BM9 is due to the shell being made from high hardness steel. Once tungsten carbide ammunition is used, the penetration soars to 400 mm, more than enough to combat any tank of the era.
Via andrei-bt.