JS>DS>Actualy, the 20mm DU round has a thick jacket to protect the barrel.  I
JS>DS>beleive the jacket is aluminum.  Their made using *spent uranium fuel
JS>DS>pellets* from nuclear power plants.  The pellets are about 12in X
JS>DS>1.5in in diameter.  The pellets are machined to the size required
JS>DS>for the round, 105mm, 30mm, 25mm, 20mm.  There may be others, but
JS>DS>those are the only ones I know of.  All machining is done remotely
JS>DS>because of radiation and the possibility of an explosion during
JS>DS>machining.  If the coolent on the lathe is not flowing on the pellet
JS>DS>before the cutting tool makes contact, KABOOM!
JS>Really?  I didn't know Uranium was that reactive.
The term is "pyrolytic."  A depleted uranium round will spray red-hot
shards out the exit hole when it hits armor -- If you look at
through-the-sight videos of the Battle of 72 Easting during Desert
Storm, you can see the effect.
At first, the point of impact glows, then the glow spreads, and finally
the Iraqi tank explodes as fires started by the DU penetrator set off
the on-board ammo.
At one time, you could get DU for "half-soling" flintlocks -- sawing the
stuff to shape was an experience!! :-)
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