NAME – 40x46mm XM576/XM576E1/M576 Multiple Projectile
NAME (COMMON) – XM576/XM576E1/M576 Multiple Projectile
CALIBER – 40x46mm SR
TYPE – Low velocity multiple antipersonnel projectiles (Shotshell)
YEAR OF INTRODUCTION – 1966
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – USA
IDENTIFYING COLOR CODE – Green cartridge casing with white ink markings, Black plastic sabot and shot capsule cap
CASE TYPE – M199 Semi-rimmed straight walled
CARTRIDGE LENGTH – 6.7 cm (2.64 in)
CASING LENGTH – 46.15 mm (1.817 in)
CASE HEAD DIAMETER – 41.20 mm (1.622 in)
CASE RIM DIAMETER – 43.60 mm (1.717 in)
PROJECTILE TYPE – Polyethylene sabot with Lexan pellet cup, 20 hardened lead pellet subprojectiles
PROJECTILE DIAMETER – Sabot – 40.15 mm (1.581 in) at obturator
SUBPROJECTILE DIAMETER – 6mm (0.24 in)
PROJECTILE WEIGHT – 0.059 kg (2.08 oz) Sabot with subprojectiles
SUBPROJECTILE WEIGHT (EACH) – 1.2 g (18.52 grains)
POWDER WEIGHT – 0.186 g (2.87 grains) M2 propellant
FILLER – 20 hardened lead shot (#4 Buckshot)
FILLER WEIGHT – 0.024 kg (0.85 oz),
FUZE TYPE – None
CASING WEIGHT – 0.069 kg (2.43 oz)
TOTAL ROUND WEIGHT – 0.128 kg (4.52 oz)
MUZZLE VELOCITY – 269 m/s (885 fps)
MUZZLE ENERGY – 874 j (644 ft/lb)
MUZZLE ENERGY (PER PELLET) – 44 j (32 ft/lb)
NOMINAL BARREL LENGTH – 35.6 cm (14 in)
EFFECTIVE RANGE – 30 m (33 yards)
MAXIMUM RANGE – 50 m (55 yards)
EFFECT – Spreading shot pattern from near muzzle
AREA OF EFFECT – 99 cm (39 in) wide pattern at 13.7 m (15 yards)
MANUFACTURER –
STATUS – Obsolescent
SERVICE – US Military
The shot cup of the XM576 projectile was filled with Grex, a ground polyethylene plastic used as a buffering material in commercial sporting shotshells. The buffering material was thought to aid in separating the lead shot from the shot column when fired. A simpler solution to the separating shot question was answered by coating the shot with a silicone lubricant. This eased production of the round and lowered the cost. The Grex material was dropped from the XM576E1 round, which is otherwise very similar to the earlier design. The XM576E1 was later type-classified as the M576 Multiple Projectile round
