Tanks typically have 3 different kinds of guns- light and heavy
machine guns, and the main cannon. The exact type of shell will
vary with the type (and age) of the cannon. They may include high
explosive shells that detonate on impact, an anti-personnel shell
with small steel darts (known as flechettes) HEAT (high explosive
anti-tank) HEP (High Explosive Plastic, known in Europe as High
Explosive Squash Head - HESH) and a high velocity anti-tank shell
that is a very hard, very heavy dart carried in a discarding "shoe"
or sleeve (known as Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot
- APFSDS ammunition). Some tanks have also been capable of firing a
guided anti-tank missle from their cannon. This is a very brief
answer to a very complex field of study.