Abstract: A subcaliber projectile including a penetrator preferably made of tungsten eavy metal, and having a penetrator tip section and a section following thereafter and extending over the major portion of the penetrator length which is provided with an external thread (helical groove) or circumferential annular grooves to provide a form-locking connection with a discardable propelling cage sabot. To realize improved piercing power for the penetrator, the form-locking region is composed of annular grooves without a pitch, or of a fine metric thread having a thread valley, with a width of approximately one to three times the base width of the groove defining wall or of a thread peak. Preferably a more brittle material is employed in the front penetrator region than in the tail region, and a further indentation structure is incorporated in the first frontal thread turns or grooves of the form-locking region.

Abstract: To improve the terminal ballistic performance of a subcaliber projectile 15 composed of a penetrator 15b and a tail guide assembly 16, a partial region 15a of the projectile 15 is given a conical configuration and is seated in a likewise conically configured recess 16a of the guide assembly 16. Thus, the transverse forces exerted on the guide assembly 16 during penetration of the target material are prevented, at least in the conically configured region 15a of the guide assembly, from being transferred to the penetrator 15b so that the penetrator 15b is prevented from breaking in this region.