Title. The main difference between the two guns is penetration, and reload. The BL-9 has 225 penetration with its standard rounds at 4.81 rounds per minute, giving it a DPM of roughly 1,880. The BL-9 is also slightly more accurate with .38 dispersion rather than .43 but in a heavy tank like the IS-3 that increase in accuracy means nothing to me. The D-25T has 175 penetration with its standard rounds but a rate of fire of 5.2 rounds per minute, bringing its DPM up to around 2,030. The D-25T’s premium APCR rounds bring the penetration up to 217. I’ve never (even in tier X matches) run into a situation where 217 wasn’t enough. So I always run 5 APCR rounds. To me, that extra ~150 DPM, breaking the 2,000 mark, is more beneficial than the slight increase in penetration, because I’ve never run into an issue with it.
This comparison was done in the WOT comparison using a 100% trained crew with Brothers In Arms, and no premium consumables or any equipment of any kind.
Let me know your thoughts. Do you guys prefer the penetration boost or the increased DPM?
