From this it'd seem impossible for the wheels, considering their total mass, to carry more rotational kinetic energy than the translational kinetic energy in the mass of the rest of the vehicle . ( The wheels also have translational kinetic energy, but I'm ignoring that in this discussion . )-- talk ) 18 : 07, 8 February 2015 ( UTC)
32.
The spin from rifling decreases the effective penetration of these rounds ( rifling diverts some of the linear kinetic energy to rotational kinetic energy, thus decreasing the round's velocity and impact energy ) and so they are generally fired from smoothbore guns, a practice that has been taken up for tank guns by China, Israel, Italy, Japan, France, Germany, Turkey, Russia, and the United States.
