Is it normal for RPG rounds to bounce off a Merkava tank's armor rather than explode or is that just what happens to duds?

Well, I think the RPG will hit the tank and the armour will absorb the impact and later drop off!

Originally Posted by Mohmar Deathstrike

Is it normal for RPG rounds to bounce off a Merkava tank's armor rather than explode or is that just what happens to duds?

If you are referring the to first hit it wasnt an RPG it was either an AT-3 or AT-4. I dont think it was a dud, I think the part bouncing away if the rocket motor.

Originally Posted by LeEnfield 2

I wonder just how many times we will see the same thread, we spent most of last year talking about this and I managed to upset a number of people by posting photo's of all the Abraham tanks that had been knocked out by RPG's

Shortly before dawn on Aug. 28, an M1A1 Abrams tank on routine patrol in Baghdad “was hit by something” that crippled the 69-ton behemoth. Army officials still are puzzling over what that “something” was.
According to an unclassified Army report, the mystery projectile punched through the vehicle’s skirt and drilled a pencil-sized hole through the hull. The hole was so small that “my little finger will not go into it,” the report’s author noted.
The “something” continued into the crew compartment, where it passed through the gunner’s seatback, grazed the kidney area of the gunner’s flak jacket and finally came to rest after boring a hole 1½ to 2 inches deep in the hull on the far side of the tank.
As it passed through the interior, it hit enough critical components to knock the tank out of action. That made the tank one of only two Abrams disabled by enemy fire during the Iraq war and one of only a handful of “mobility kills” since they first rumbled onto the scene 20 years ago. The other Abrams knocked out this year in Iraq was hit by an RPG-7, a rocket-propelled grenade.
Experts believe whatever it is that knocked out the tank in August was not an RPG-7 but most likely something new — and that worries tank drivers.


Source

The U.S. Army has been at a loss to identify a mystery projectile that penetrated an M1A1 Abrams tank late last year. The round created a pencil-thin entry hole, injured some of the crew inside with limited spalling, and came to a rest in the far side of the hull, after boring a 1.5-2"-deep hole through it.
As it passed through the interior of the tank, the projectile, along with its spalling effect, took out enough critical components to disable the M1A1 Abrams tank. Since the start of the war, only two M1A1 Abrams tanks have been taken out of commission by enemy fire, and this was one of them.
So, what caused the damage? Prevailing theory is that it was either a...

PG-7VR round fired from an RPG-7V launcher, or one of a number of RPG-22 rounds. The RPG-22 is a newer, disposable launcher, developed by the Russians. According to John Roos', who wrote a story about the incident in "Army Times", the experts studying the incident apparently think that the most likely culprit was some kind of improved RPG-22 round, made in either Switzerland or Russia.


Source

Well, this proves that the formidable M1A1 Abrams can be disabled!

The RPG-22 is a copy of the M-72 LAW, correct? Why do you think it may have been made in Switzerland?

Originally Posted by zander_0633

Well, this proves that the formidable M1A1 Abrams can be disabled!

No one said it couldn't been disabled. If you read the report posted www.fprado.com/armorsite/US-Field-Manuals/abrams-oif.pdf

The M1 was hit in a non-ballistic track skirt under the turret ring where the round penetrated into the Hydraulic Reservoir.

No tank is unstoppable, eventhe CHally 2 has a weakness, just give it time. The M1 has served in three serprate wars.

I bet it was just an extremly highpowered rifle that put that hole in there.

Originally Posted by CanadianCombat

I bet it was just an extremly highpowered rifle that put that hole in there.

Seriosuly doubt that, even the IWS 2000 with it's APFSDS rounds can only get 40mm's of penetration. Besides, you need to see all the pics that round did a number on that M1.

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank01.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank02.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank03.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank04.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank05.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank06.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank07.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank08.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank09.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank10.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank11.jpg

http://www.armytimes.com/content/edi...2303tank12.jpg

Originally Posted by Cadet Seaman

No one said it couldn't been disabled. If you read the report posted www.fprado.com/armorsite/US-Field-Manuals/abrams-oif.pdf

The M1 was hit in a non-ballistic track skirt under the turret ring where the round penetrated into the Hydraulic Reservoir.

No tank is unstoppable, eventhe CHally 2 has a weakness, just give it time. The M1 has served in three serprate wars.

As I said in the other thread. This incident happened AFTER the report was published. The side hull of the Abrams has about 600mm of CE protection. The weapon was most likely an RPG-22 or 29, which can get 600-800mm of penetration like the articles said.

Well, this proves that the formidable M1A1 Abrams can be disabled!

Well no shit. Every tank can be destroyed.