Abstract: A tank turret including an armored turret housing having a front side provided with solid front armor, and a pivotally mounted gun including a cradle shield, cradle, recoil device and rearward breech block housing being arranged in the turret housing. The armored turret housing, or at least parts of it, are used to increase recoil mass of the gun.

Abstract: To develop a process for manufacturing cast tungsten carbide spheres, without any content of spattering material, as solid spheres with a bulk weight of 0.5-11.5 g/cm.sup.3 for cast tungsten carbide spheres from a screen fraction, and with a granular distribution of 40 .mu.m to 2,000 .mu.m, tungsten carbide is heated to about 150.degree.-300.degree. C. above the melting point, and then the cast tungsten carbide is smelted and granulated in stationary inert gas.

Abstract: A segmented, discardable sabot for a slender sub-caliber kinetic energy projectile. At least two sabot segments are provided having adjacent plane parallel segment separating faces and presenting at least one caliber-sized gas sealing pressure flange member and a non-caliber sized partial region along the longitudinal extent of the sabot. The overall cross section of the sabot, at least in the partial region, has an essentially polygonal cross-sectional shape, and a tangent placed at any point of the periphery of the sabot does not pass through the cross-sectional area of the sabot, thereby providing increased bending stiffness in the non-caliber-sized region of the sabot.

Abstract: A high-explosive projectile including a projectile body having a forward region and a tail region which transitions to a base, with an explosive charge disposed within the body and detonated by a suitable fuse, and a driving band disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the projectile body in the tail region, wherein the wall thickness of the tail region of the projectile body is substantially the same as the wall thickness of the forward region of the projectile body; the tail region of the projectile body has a cylindrical shape up to its transition to the base and forms a circumferential edge at the transition; and the rearward, gas pressure receiving side of the driving band is disposed adjacent the circumferential edge.

Abstract: A sabot-projectile arrangement adapted for being ejected from a gun barrel for the purpose of combatting actively and passively reacting armor. The arrangement comprises first and second projectiles, each having a different coefficient of air resistance (c.sub.w). A discarding sabot is comprised of segments which define a receptacle for accommodating the first and second projectiles with their longitudinal axes flush behind one another in order to follow one another in a spaced relationship on a common trajectory when the sabot-projectile arrangement is fired from a gun. Form locking means defines a form locking connection between the receptacle and each of the projectiles. The form locking connection existing between the leading first projectile disposed in the receptacle and the segments of the sabot are released earlier than when the segments are separated from the second projectile after the sabot-projectile arrangement leaves the gun barrel.

Abstract: An arrangement for wirelessly setting, i.e. timing, ammunition provided with a programmable fuse and disposed in a gun barrel, which arrangement does not require complicated structural measures in and at the gun barrel and is not subject to the pressure and temperature influences generated by the propelling charge gases. The arrangement includes a simple and protected data transmitting unit fastened adjacent the beach of the weapon on, e.g., the interior wall or ceiling of a turret of an armored vehicle, a holding arm fixed to the weapon cradle or directly to the rear breech housing for the weapon, a special receiving antenna on the rear cartridge base or cartridge collar of the loaded ammunition, and a free optical data transmission path between the transmitter and the antenna.

Abstract: Ammunition preferaqbly for use in high-angle fire to be fired from a cannon suitable for flat trajectory ammunition and with direct participation of the cannon barrel, the ammunition being made of one piece as an ammunition unit having the same outer dimensions as a comparable ammunition unit which is intended to be fired from the same cannon exclusively with an essentially flat trajectory, the ammunition unit including a propellant charge and a payload projectile having a rear portion occupying a region corresponding to that occupied by a portion of the propellant charge of the comparable unit.

Abstract: A sub-caliber projectile having a large length to diameter ratio. The projectile includes in coaxial alignment a main body, an intermediate body and a head penetrator. At least the main body consists of a tough material having a high density which is achieved by means of a high content of tungsten or depleted uranium. The intermediate body consists of a macroscopic homogeneous material having a relatively high brittleness. The main body, intermediate body and head penetrator have abutting end faces by means of which they are joined.

Abstract: The invention relates to a propelling cage sabot for a subcaliber, armor piercing kinetic energy projectile having a high length to diameter ratio which will be placed in a tube of a weapon and lauched by propelling charge gases. The sabot has a support member and fixing means. The sabot further having a gas pressure receiving surface to be charged with the propelling charge gases, a longitudinal axis and an air pocket for positively utilizing air flowing in the pocket once the projectile leaves the tube of the weapon. The sabot is segmented for separation from the projectile and includes a joint form-locking zone for attachment with the projectile; and a fiber component connected by the fixing means with the support member for absorbing tensile stresses. The fiber component is made up of more than one oriented individual member. Each individual member is oriented such that the individual member extends along the longitudinal axis between a frontal fixing region and a rear fixing region.

Abstract: A subcaliber projectile intended for arrow stabilization has its guide assembly set so that the projectile spins around its longitudinal axis and is constructed so that it is unbalanced with respect to its longitudinal axis such that the spinning reaches a critical number of revolutions at a given time during the trajectory of the projectile and the resulting resonance causes destruction of the projectile.

Abstract: A weapons system including a mortar and a vehicle. The vehicle has a body including a side wall having an opening and a region constructed for receiving the mortar. The mortar includes a dividable tube having a lower tube section and a mechanism for pivotally mounting the lower tube section for movement about an essentially horizontal axis to a loading position in which it is aligned with the opening in the side wall for breech loading of the mortar. A mounting device is connected with the vehicle for mounting the mortar for movement between a traveling position in which the mortar is positioned to travel with the vehicle and a firing position in which the mortar is positioned to fire a projectile. The traveling position is delimited by the region provided in the side wall for receiving the mortar and the firing position is located on the ground in the vicinity of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vane assembly for a projectile has a carrier carrying a plurality of pivots, having at the pivots respective carrier elements, and adapted to be secured to an end of the projectile. Respective vane elements are each pivotal on the pivots between an inner position lying immediately adjacent the respective carrier element and within a projection of the projectile and an outer deployed position projecting beyond the projection. Respective heat-destructible pins engaged between the vane elements and the respective carrier elements normally retain the vanes in the inner position and release the vanes for movement into the outer position when destroyed by heat. The carrier element is a rib of the carrier against which the respective vane lies when not deployed.

Abstract: An improved explosive and incendiary full caliber projectile having a high splinter effect. The projectile produces a reliable incendiary effect at impact by releasing splinters from the casing. It is of simple construction and the casing and splinters have a high penetration capability in particular when the projectile is less than 40 mm in caliber.At least a preponderantly longitudinal portion of the casing is made of a homogeneous substance consisting of a heavy metal alloy having a density in excess of 17 g/cm.sup.3. By using a sintered high tungsten content casing a relatively larger volume of an explosive charge can be used which enhances the penetration capability and splinter swarm producing effect of the projectile at impact.

Abstract: An arrangement for horizontally orienting a rotatable weapon support platform. The arrangement has a base surface (generally the roof or fuselage of an armored vehicle) and a pair of cylindrical members rotatably mounted thereon, on the top one of which the weapon support platform is rotatably mounted. The bottom cylindrical member is rotatably mounted on the base surface. The latter surface is generally sloped and canted and the arrangement serves to compensate for the slope and cant and horizontally orients the weapon support platform.The top and bottom members each have one end surface which is normal to the longitudinal axis thereof and one end surface which is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis. The respective skewed end surfaces mutually confront each other and are parallel to each other.

Abstract: An improved drum magazine for large caliber ammunition. The drum magazine has a peripheral cover in which a plurality of extracting openings are disposed. An extraction mechanism is adapted to extract via the extraction opening the radially outermost of a plurality of juxtaposed cartridges radially arranged in each ammunition chamber of a plurality of ammunition chambers exchangeably mounted in said drum magazine. The ammunition chambers are independently exchangeably mounted in the drum magazine. Each ammunition chamber defines a storage space for storing a plurality of radially juxtaposed cartridges therein.

Abstract: A weapons system including a mortar and a vehicle. The vehicle has a body including a side wall having a region constructed for receiving the mortar. A mounting device is connected with the vehicle for mounting the mortar for movement between a traveling position in which the mortar is positioned to travel with the vehicle and a firing position in which the mortar is positioned to fire a projectile. The traveling position is delimited by the region provided in the side wall for receiving the mortar and the firing position is located on the ground in the vicinity of the vehicle.

Abstract: A muzzle loading mortar constructed for mounting on a protected enclosure, for example, an armored vehicle. The mortar includes a mortar tube having an open end for receiving and discharging a projectile, and mounting means, including a tube cradle connected with a recoil-return means, are provided for mounting the tube on the enclosure. The recoil-return means includes a hydraulic member which cooperates with a spring for reducing the forces introduced into the enclosure during development of a shot from the mortar. A loading means is mounted for relative movement between the open end of the tube and the protected enclosure for muzzle loading the open end of the tube with a projectile. The loading means can be operated from within the protected enclosure to load a projectile into the mortar tube.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for separating solid residues from gases generated by a charge cartridge having a gas discharged end and used in a final pyrotechnic regulatory unit. The device includes a casing having a recess therein and a bottom end face. The cartridge is mounted in the casing with its discharged end facing the bottom end of the casing to define a first passage. A sleeve is positioned in the recess between the cartridge and the casing to define a second passage communicating with the first passage. The first and second passages are lined with ribs or threads extending transversely to the flow direction of the gas in the passages.

Abstract: A projectile to be fired from a tubular or rail-shaped launcher has a warhead integral with a rearwardly extending tube of smaller diameter which contains a propulsive charge inserted between the warhead and a sabot carrying a frangible inertial mass. The rear end of the tube has a constricted opening which, upon detonation of the charge, retains the rearwardly moving sabot while giving passage to the disintegrating mass as the projectile is propelled forwardly. The propulsion gases evolving within the tube are temporarily retained by one or more heat-destructible plugs in the sabot and/or in the tube which melt, burn or char to allow the delayed escape of the gases whereby an in-flight thrust is imparted to the projectile.

Abstract: A tilt-equalization arrangement for steep angle firing guns. The barrel of the gun has secured to its rear end a ball pin which is swivelably mounted within a ball socket. The ball socket is secured to a base plate. Forwardly of its rear end the barrel is provided with at least one longitudinally adjustable aligning post. The aligning post is slidably movably mounted on a circular ring segment forming a guide rail for the aligning post. This guide rail is vertically adjustable at its opposite ends so that it forms an adjustable leveling plane for the aligning post, with the ball pin forming a fixed support point and also being situated at the center of the circular ring segment forming the guide rail.