Abstract: An advance is made in the art according to an aspect of the present invention disclosure directed to a pressure-activated, inertially locking base and fin mechanism for projectiles. Operationally, a base housing of a projectile contains both the fins, held within slots within the base, and a plunger. Which plunger has plurality of channels communicating with a chamber within base and which plunger is initially situated flush with the base. Upon firing the chamber is pressurized by the high-pressure firing gases being forced through the channels. When the projectile exits the barrel, the chamber's pressure vents through the channels, but, not fast enough to avoid a pressure differential that forces the plunger out of the base, causing a set of spring arms to flex upward and deploy the fins. When fully deployed, the fins are locked in place, in the deployed position, by a spring loaded pin.

Abstract: A hand operated projectile extractor to remove unspent projectiles from 155 mm howitzers, which extractor is generally cylindrical, about 18 inches in length, with a handle extending from the rear thereof and with an overall weight of at least about 30 pounds, to provide enough momentum to eject the projectile. When rammed into the muzzle of a howitzer and down the barrel thereof, the ogive of the projectile enters the open front of the extractor's cylindrical body and will be impacted by a compression ring along the extractor's front edge, which compression ring has a minimum internal diameter of 4.75 inches and is formed of particular flat and curved surfaces which will not bind to either the projectile or the barrel.

Abstract: A ballistic test projectile includes a nose section comprising a windshield and aft of the windshield, an ogive; a body section aft of the nose section, the body section comprising a generally cylindrical body connected to the ogive; a base section aft of the body section, the base section comprising a base adapter connected to the body and a base bottom connected to the base adapter; a base pressure gage disposed in the base bottom; at least one side pressure gage disposed in the body; and an electronics cup disposed in the body, the electronics cup comprising a battery cup, a signal conditioning cup, a multiplexer cup, an accelerometer cup and a transmitter cup.