Abstract: A sabot projectile (10), comprising a sabot (12) and a shattering penetrator (14) arranged in the sabot (12). The shattering penetrator (14) has a penetrator casing (20), which can be broken into at least two casing portions (22*, 24*) upon impact of the shattering penetrator (14), to which end a predetermined casing breaking area (23*) is respectively arranged between two adjoining casing portions (22*, 24*). A central conduit (30) is arranged in the penetrator casing (20), in which a penetrator core (26) is received, whose core tip element (26.4) projects out of the penetrator casing (20) and constitutes a penetrator tip. The plastic material forming the penetrator core (26) is introduced into the conduit in a flowable state. The penetrator casing (20) is secured against break-up into the casing portions (22*, 24*) by the penetrator core (26).

Abstract: A plastic, cup-shaped, multi-petal sabot housing a sub-caliber projectile for use such as in shotgun cartridges. The sabot engages the rifling of the shotgun barrel and transfers the spin to the projectile. A reinforcement disk is advantageously at least partially embedded in a sabot base and has a central aperture and a plurality of additional apertures. Sabot base material extends through the additional apertures. Advantageously, in its relaxed condition, each sabot petal includes a protrusion from its inboard surface for engaging a projectile ogive. The protrusion and its contact area with the projectile are fractions of the local petal width.

Abstract: A projectile in the form of a sabot shotgun slug assembly includes a cylindrical slug, a cylindrical sabot positioned about the slug and a pressure wad co-acting with the slug and the sabot. The cylindrical slug defines a central bore extending partially therethrough. The slug is preferably made of a deformable metal. The sabot defines a plurality of longitudinally extending internal grooves. The pressure wad has two ends, with a gas seal located at a first end and a post located at a second end. The pressure wad further includes shock-absorbing members formed between the gas seal and the post. The post is positioned within the central bore defined by the slug.

Abstract: A cartridge including a cartridge case for hunting cartridges including a plastic sole body with a first sector forming a wad having an upper damping formed by two parallel cylindrical bodies acting with a balancing effect on a first plate with motion to be driven by a second plate distanced on an axial pin supporting a column bearing a bullet on coaxial clutches into a contact containment cylindrical seat which seat includes two half parts separated by longitudinal cuts perimetrally extending from a disk-shaped deflagration moment for centrifugal, effect the connection points break with contemporary squeezing in opening of the half parts on the inside wall of the barrel and this permits the bullet movement starting with thrust pulse centering to obviate a possible contact with the same barrel also in presence of a narrowing. After shooting of the bullet the two separated half parts follow the bullet along the barrel falling down at the exit of the barrel while the sole body goes out from the barrel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for drilling and penetrating hard materials utilizes a high velocity gun system that fires multiple shots of a projectile and an energetic slurry at the surface of the material to be penetrated. The penetrating device includes one or more firing barrels that are loaded with a propellant, a projectile and an energetic (explosive) slurry, and are controlled to fire in a preselected firing sequence. The projectile enters the material to be penetrated generating a hole into which the energetic slurry is also fired. The energetic slurry detonates upon contact with the material causing an explosion that further fractures the material and which blows the material out of the hole. The process is repeated until a desired penetration depth is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an under-calibered gun-barrel bullet, in particular for guns with a partially or fully rifled barrel, which is received by a thrust cage. The task of the present invention is providing a further such gun-barrel bullet. This task is solved thereby that the under-calibered gun-barrel bullet comprises a shell jacket (2) which, relative to its loaded position, receives a bullet core (3) displaceable in the direction of the gun-barrel end, whose displacement caused by the blast generation in the shell jacket (2), is limited by an abutment (9) whereby the final form of the gun-barrel bullet (1) is established.

Abstract: A cartridge case projectile (10), comprising a cartridge case (12) and a shattering penetrator (14) arranged in the cartridge case (12). The shattering penetrator (14) has a penetrator casing (20), which can be broken into at least two casing sections (22*, 24*) upon impact of the shattering penetrator (14), to which end a predetermined casing breaking area (23*) is respectively arranged between two adjoining casing sections (22*, 24*). A central conduit (30) is arranged in the penetrator casing (20), in which a penetrator core (26) is received, whose core tip element (26.4) projects out of the penetrator casing (20) and constitutes a penetrator tip. The plastic material forming the penetrator core (26) is introduced into the conduit in a flowable state. The penetrator casing (20) is secured against break-up into the casing sections (22*, 24*) by the penetrator core (26).

Abstract: A projectile includes a core having a substantially conical head extending from a tip to an outwardly projecting annular lip. A substantially cylindrical body projects from the conical head adjacent to the annular lip and extends to a substantially flat tail end face. An annular slot is bounded between the annular lip and the cylindrical body. An annular groove encircles the body between the conical head and the tail end face. A plastic sabot has a front end with a chamber recessed therein. The chamber is bounded by an inner side surface having a substantially dome shaped annular bulge radially inwardly projecting therefrom. The body of the core is received within the chamber of the sabot such that the front end of the sabot is received within the annular slot on the core and the bulge on the sabot is received within the groove on the core. In another embodiment, a plurality of spaced apart fins inwardly project from the inner side surface of the sabot.

Abstract: A simplified tailored composite architecture for use in fabricating a composite sabot where the composite sabots are fabricated from a number of wedge kits. The resultant composite sabot includes a front scoop having a scoop angle. The simplified tailored composite architecture includes a panel adapted to be formed into a wedge kit. The panel has a number of plies of prepreg materials oriented in a number of different directions, where one of the number of different directions includes the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation. A pattern within the panel includes selected prepreg segments rotated so that the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation in the selected prepreg segments is aligned to be substantially parallel to the at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation when the panel is subsequently formed into a wedge kit.

Abstract: A sabot bullet having a jacket bullet body and a nonrotable sabot segments. The jacketed bullet has forward end portion, torso, and rear end portion. The forward end portion is constructed of multi-metals, having a tapered nose, hollow point with grooves to aid in the expansion. The torso is of solid single metal with outward tabs, which relates the slug when the sabot's external surface comes in contact with the rifling in the gun barrel. The rear portion a single metal with a rear cavity to reduce the over all weight and increase the ratio to the forward portion of bullet. A bullet embodiment with external rifling and an armor piecing sabot round is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a one-piece sabot for holding a sub-caliber projectile. For use in muzzle loading and other firearms, the sabot includes a plurality of petals which, in one embodiment, encapsulate the projectile. The petals have a high mass portion near the barrel end of the sabot. The portions are subjected to a centrifugal opening force as the sabot exits the firearm barrel upon firing. The centrifugal force causes the petals to clear the flight path of the projectile quickly so that the sabot is less likely to interfere with accurate projectile flight. In one embodiment, the sabot may further include a protective surface for engagement with a ram rod and for protection of the encapsulated projectile, for increased aerodynamic stability.

Abstract: A sabot pressure wad has a unitary sabot portion and an integrally formed pressure wad portion. The sabot portion has a payload receiving compartment which may receive a payload, such as a cylindrical slug, with an interference fit. The pressure wad portion has a gas seal and a shock absorbing device, such as a plurality of chevrons. A separating disc may be positioned between the gas seal and the sabot portion. The gas seal, the separating disc, and the sabot portion all have substantially the same outer diameter. The sabot pressure wad may be a single piece injection-molded part, and may be received within a shell casing along with the payload. The sabot pressure wad remains attached to the payload upon discharge from a firearm until impact with a target.

Abstract: A solid copper hollow point bullet is disclosed wherein the effective expansion is about two times the original diameter. Over expansion and curling under of the petals formed upon impact with a target media is minimized and controlled by external stress risers and hollow point cavity geometry.

Abstract: An otherwise conventional shell is provided with a load consisting of a plurality of axially stacked disks. The disks separate during flight and each strikes the target with a substantial portion of the initial momentum imparted to the disks thereby contributing to the stopping power of the load. In alternative embodiments, individual disks are scored so that on impact, the disks shatter into many smaller fragments, each capable of penetration into the target to impart additional wound trauma to the target. Disks may be made of lead, ceramic, or other dense material. Alternatively, plastic or a relatively soft elastomeric material is used when a non lethal but debilitating load is appropriate such as in crowd control situations.

Abstract: A shotgun shell includes a sabot with a tubular portion extending from a e, a chamber disposed within the tubular portion in communication with an opening in the base, a load of shot disposed within the tubular portion around the chamber, and a valve disposed between the chamber and the opening to control the flow of propellant gases into and out of the chamber. The valve can be a choke with a flow constricting orifice that delays pressurization and depressurization of the chamber. Alternatively, or in addition to a choke valve, a movable valve member can be disposed between the chamber and the opening to seal with a valve seat in order to capture high pressure propellant gases which, upon emergence of the sabot from the gun barrel, will assist in creating a highly dispersed shot pattern at close range. Also disclosed are a number of ways in which the sabot can be modified to control the stiffness of the tubular portion in order to change the shape of the shot pattern to suit specific applications.

Abstract: A multiple projectile cartridge for a muzzle loading firearm which comprises a plurality of projectiles, a plastic cup sized to fit into a bore of the muzzle loading firearm containing the projectiles and a top wad inserted into and retained in the open end of the cup by a retaining means in the tubular portion of the cup. The tubular portion of the cup includes several spaced longitudinal slots extending from the open end toward the base of the cup defining petals therebetween. The retaining means preferably includes a radial peripheral groove adjacent the open end of each of the petals of the tubular portion of the cup. The periphery of the top wad engages this groove to retain the top wad in place and in turn retain the shot load in the shot cup when the cartridge is inserted into the bore of the muzzle loading firearm.

Abstract: In the sub-caliber projectile proposed, the discarding cap (10) is made up of segments (11) whose bases (14) are secured between a pressure plate (15) and a pressure piece (18). In order to ensure that all the sabot segments (11) fall away reliably and precisely, the front end of each segment (11) has two surfaces (40, 41) inclined at an angle to each other in the shape of a roof to form a head (42).

Abstract: A sabot for a subcaliber projectile, preferably an arrow projectile, having an essentially cylindrical guide gage (8) of a lightweight material and a tail-side drive element (14) detachably connected thereto for tail-side support of the projectile body (1). The guide cage (8) has a radially inwardly-extending support wall (12) for supporting a projectile body (1) disposed therein in its forward to central region, and the drive element is a propelling disk (14) that is received by a circumferential or annular groove (13) in the tail region of the guide cage (8), which is segmented in the axial direction of the projectile body (1). As a result, a further reduction in weight can be accomplished with simpler fragmenting of the sabot that practically does not impair the projectile at all.

Abstract: A subcaliber arrow projectile includes a projectile body which has a rearwardly widening, conical projectile tip having a forward point and a rearward base, whose caliber corresponds to the projectile caliber. The projectile body further has a rearwardly widening, resistance-stabilizing conical rear part immediately adjoining the base of the projectile tip. The rear part has an enlarged caliber which is greater than the projectile caliber.

Abstract: A gun launched projectile design which imparts forces to a subcaliber protile comprising: a subprojectile, a multi petal sabot, a pusher plate, and an obturator. The petals are of different length and have a scooped-out design on the face thereof, so as to induce a specific level of yaw to the projectile.

Abstract: A sabot comprising a substantially cylindrical body having an outside diameter, a receiving end, and a loading end located opposite the receiving end. The outside diameter is complementary to the inside diameter of the rifled bore in which the sabot is positioned during use. Located between the receiving end and the loading end of the sabot is a partition. Formed at the receiving end is a mouth for a receiving chamber. The receiving chamber extends from the receiving end to the partition. Formed at the loading end is a lip for a cupped recess. The cupped recess extends from the loading end to the partition. Annularly disposed about the cylindrical body and positioned between the receiving chamber and the loading end is at least one lubricating groove.

Abstract: Described is a sub-calibre projectile of the sabot (pusher-plate) type with discarding cap segments (11). The projectile has a pressure plate (15) with a rearwards-projecting alignment spike (16) which is inserted into a pressure piece (18). Held between the pressure plate (15) and the pressure piece (18) are the bases (24, 25) of the cap segments (11), thus enabling very high gas-pressure forces to be transmitted and the cap segments to be discarded without affecting the target accuracy of the projectile.

Abstract: An ammunition system having a sabot with spaced segments forming a cavity for receiving a slug, the segments have projections that interlock on a ledge on the slug. The sabot segments are undercut to facilitate the segments bending outwardly to release the slug when firing. The slug has a segmented hollow point nose and a boat tail base portion. The sabot and slug are used in a shell with a gas seal wad and an alignment disc.

Abstract: A sabot for launching a sub-caliber projectile (7) comprising a rearwardly positioned projectile pusher member (1) and a forward support structure (2), the support structure comprises frangible material which is collapsible by virtue of acceleration forces experienced during acceleration of the sabot. The support structure is preferably made of foamed plastics material and has a cover positionable to retain the projectile in the support structure. Such a sabot is particularly suitable for launching small projectiles during high velocity impact investigation. The invention also provides a method of launching a projectile using the sabot.

Abstract: A non-transitioning armature/projectile for launching from a single or multi-turn rail gun including: a nose; a tail; and a current carrying section between the nose and the tail including current channeling means for reducing the current concentration in the tail end of the armature/projectile and distributing the current toward the nose for generally balancing the electrically induced driving force with the inertial force and substantially reducing internal stress in the section.

Abstract: A sabot for a shotgun shell provided with a recess in its base upon which opellant gases may act to radially expand and flatten the sabot thereby enhancing the dispersion of shot. In alternate embodiments the recess may be conoidal, parabolic, pyramidal, or an involute surface resembling a cone. The recess may also be comprised of multiple overlapping layers. Each recess provides a unique shot pattern for short-range antipersonnel engagements. In other embodiments, the foregoing recesses are provided with grooves to facilitate petalling of the recess and flattening of the sabot during and after launch. In another embodiment, the recess is filled with propellant and capped with a consumable plug to delay ignition of the propellant charge, further enhancing shot dispersion.

Abstract: A sabot for a shotgun shell provided with a recess in its base upon which opellant gases may act to radially expand and flatten the sabot thereby enhancing the dispersion of shot. In alternate embodiments the recess may be conoidal, parabolic, pyramidal, or an involute surface resembling a cone. The recess may also be comprised of multiple overlapping layers. Each recess provides a unique shot pattern for short-range antipersonnel engagements. In other embodiments, the foregoing recesses are provided with grooves to facilitate petalling of the recess and flattening of the sabot during and after launch. In another embodiment, the recess is filled with propellant and capped with a consumable plug to delay ignition of the propellant charge, further enhancing shot dispersion.

Abstract: The sabot bullet has a rearwardly tapered front part and a forwardly tapered rear part converging toward each other and spaced from each other by an integral connecting part. The sabot for the bullet has two mating segments each having complementary shaped tapered front and rear cavity parts converging toward an integral interconnecting part. Each segment has a transverse flat disk portion at the rear of the rear part. The segments form an integral, transverse circular disk which abutts the rear end face of the projectile when the sabot segments are joined about the bullet.

Abstract: A gun pellet comprising a projectile removably retained on a skirt assembly, wherein the skirt assembly provides an arrangement for separating the projectile from the skirt assembly after the initial firing of the gun but before the projectile exits the barrel of the gun. In one version, the skirt assembly has a skirt body, with a shaft affixed to the skirt body; a projectile clutch assembly includes a clutch body, at least two clutch jaws disposed about the projectile; a retainer device is disposed within the clutch body such that the projectile is retained within the clutch jaws; and a conduit is disposed in the clutch body such that the shaft is capable of traversing through the conduit and propelling the projectile from the clutch jaws.

Abstract: An electromagnetic rail accelerator in which a plurality of plasma arc cushions are generated between a plurality of pairs of rails in order to accelerate projectiles. To prevent currents of different intensities from flowing through the individual plasma armatures and, thus subjecting the rails to relatively great wear, the number of rail pairs is made equal to the number of zones in which plasma arc cushions are formed. Preferably, the rail accelerator is composed of a rail arrangement in multiples of three, with the rails being disposed in or on the inner surface of a cylindrical tube of insulating material and with the current flowing in opposite directions in adjacent rails.

Abstract: A small arms projectile has a body that includes a larger cylindrical main body section and a smaller generally frusto-conical front body section with a plurality of curved veins or ribs mounted thereon that define the frusto-conical shape of the front body portion as generated during rotation of the projectile. The front body section has an annular concave surface and each of the curved ribs or veins extends between the concave surface and an outermost edge. The projectile can be used with standard pistol and rifle cartridges such as .22, .38, .45, 9 mm and the like. In a second embodiment, a shot shell sabot-projectile assembly that can be used with smooth bore guns as well as with shot guns of various gauges such as .410, .28, .20, .16, .12 and .10 for example.

Abstract: An extractable, reusable, two piece, plactic cartridge, housing a compression nozzle, chamber and pusher disc, having at one end of cartridge an opening to receive a compressionable, halved, hollow point projectile sleeve which contains a soft, compressionable, liquid marking projectile. A solid pusher disc located inside the cartridge, is secured to the interior wall of the cartridge by an elastic tube. The disc having a flat forward side which makes complete surface area contact with projectile sleeve. The aft side of disc being concaved is seated forward of a thrust port, smaller in diameter than the concaved section of disc. The thrust port is the smaller opening of two openings of a conical shaped compression nozzle, which has four equally spaced channels extending from the thrust port longitudinal to the larger opening which joins a circumferencially identical, partially closed end propellant chamber. The chamber, channels and compression nozzle contain the propellant charge.

Abstract: The invention is a projectile that is accelerated by electric or magnetic elds through the barrel of a gun. The projectile has an outer layer of composite material, the material having a ceramic constituent and an electrically conductive constituent. The projectile may also have a relatively soft or malleable discarding sabot which is electrically conductive.

Abstract: An arrangement for the accelerating of a projectile through the intermediary of a plasma, wherein the plasma is generated by means of an electrical discharging circuit within a metallic tube which has the bottom thereof closed. The one pole of the discharging circuit contacts a first electrode which is formed on the tube rearwardly of the projectile, and in the other pole of the discharging circuit is connected with the casing or jacket of the tube. The projectile, which constitutes the second electrode, forms a current collector which contacts in the casing or jacket of the tube and slides therein during the acceleration of the projectile. The current collector hereby acts in the manner of a sliding contact which, during the acceleration of the projectile, remains in electrical contact with the tube.

Abstract: A spin stabilized projectile unit includes a sub-caliber projectile having a cylindrical section connected to a conical tail section including an external circumferential holding groove. A propelling cage casing encloses the projectile. A propelling base includes a receptacle holding the projectile and connected with the projectile and the propelling cage casing. The receptacle includes inwardly projecting axial webs presenting an inner diameter of the receptacle in a region of the cylindrical section of the projectile which corresponds to the outer diameter of the cylindrical section. The inner diameter of the receptacle formed by the webs becomes increasingly larger than the respective outer diameter of the conical section beginning in the transition region between the cylindrical and conical sections to form an annular gap extending to a bottom region of the bottom of the receptacle.

Abstract: The technical field of the invention is that of spin-stabilized subcaliber rojectiles including a core integral with a sabot, and a sleeve.The sleeve includes a rear annular area lodged in a corresponding groove in the sabot and providing gastightness, wherein:the sabot includes, toward the front of the projectile, a cylindrical crown having an edge bordering the band groove;the crown includes at least three notches, separated by castellations, and extending axially at least to the band groove;the sleeve follows a profile complementary to that of the sabot, so that it enters into the notches;and the projectile possesses means for separating the sleeve into several sectors under the effect of the centrifugal force, at the time the projectile leaves the gun muzzle.Application to medium-caliber ammunition.

Abstract: A subcaliber, spin stabilized, discarding sabot projectile of the type including a projectile body, with a conically tapered tip, and a discardable sabot which completely encloses said projectile body and includes a base portion and a plastic hood portion connected to the base portion, and with the hood portion having an inner conical surface which contacts at least a portion of the conically tapered tip of the projectile body and being provided, on its circumferential surface, with a plurality of symmetrically disposed grooves which extend in the longitudinal direction of said projectile and form desired break locations along which the hood portion tears open into a plurality of segments after firing from a weapon and after the projectile has left the weapon muzzle.

Abstract: This invention comprises a puller sabot characterized by a forward stabilizing disk, a rear stabilizing disk and a mid section. The obturator is located on the forward stabilizing disk. The rear stabilizing disk has a plurality of openings extending longitudinally through the rear stabilizing disk such that propellant may be located forward of the rear disk and ignited and vented. The sabot surrounds the peripheral mid section of a long rod fin stabilized projectile and guides the sub-projectile through a rifled barrel.

Abstract: A sabot for an armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot penetrator is rovided formed of continuous filaments wherein the sabot is preferably bucket shaped and the filaments are sufficiently long to be wrapped from the obturator rearward around the projectile base, and forward to the obturator on the opposite side of the sabot. The filaments are formed of glass, pyrolytic graphite or other high tensile strength light weight material. The sabot preferably has grooves to mesh with similar grooves on a penetrator body and some of the filaments are angled into at least a portion of said grooves.

Abstract: The ammunition features a chamber (1b) having substantially along its full length a constant and uniform internal diameter corresponding to the diameter of a cartridge (2), in order to avoid building up high pressure, the said cartridge (2) being filled with pyroxylin powder and fitted with a primer (3) overcharged with a fulminating compound.

Abstract: High velocity projectiles are able to continue in flight for considerable distances beyond the normal target range. The present invention is a projectile for use in practice firing which becomes unstable after the normal target range has been exceeded and comprises a training round (1) having a body portion (3) engageable with a sabot (4) for projection from a rifled gun barrel, and a tapered nose portion (2) protrusive beyond the sabot, which is provided with a nose tip portion (6) having spin fins (9) extending in planes radial to the longitudinal axis. The fins increase the rate of spin decay and cause instability of the round and the fin geometry is chosen such that the instability occurs when the target range has been exceeded. The finned nose tip portion is separable from the round so as to permit selective attachment of a nose tip portion having fins specifically dimensioned for terminating the trajectory at a chosen safety range.

Abstract: An assembly of a sabot is provided having a plurality of slots to divide the sabot into a like plurality of petals, each slot terminating in notch, and a base having a like plurality of lugs, each lug adapted to mate with a respective notch. The torque transmitting interface between each mated lug and notch is a flat plane extending longitudinally and chordally.

Abstract: For the projectile core of a sabot projectile, it is desired to use very brittle material in consideration of the strived for effect in the target. It has been found that a projectile core formed of a brittle material already tends to break while being delivered to the firing weapon. To avoid this danger, the brittle part of the projectile core is prestressed or pre-biased by a tie rod. The projectile core preferably consists of three components, wherein the intermediate component is prestressed and the contact surfaces between these three components are substantially conically structured.

Abstract: A propelling cage sabot is provided with longitudinal slits and its front region is provided with centering holding elements which are oriented inwardly toward the projectile while its rear region has a centering face associated with the projectile. A rear opening in the propelling cage sabot is provided with an internal thread to accommodate a screw-in element which at its front serves as a seat for a tail surface of the projectile. Compressible band-shaped elements disposed around the circumferential region of the propelling cage sabot may be provided. Conical surfaces of the propelling cage sabot facilitate insertion of the arrangement at a cadence customary in automatic equipment, with any possibly occurring insertion shock not resulting in relative axial movement of the projectile with respect to the propelling cage sabot due to a frontal holding region and the centering surface.

Abstract: A method of forming a gas seal without molds is provided by the use of a chemically modified silicon rubber that is rapidly polymerized upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The aft end of the sabot is coated with the rubber compound using spraying or flow coating technologies. The coating layer is deposited to a desired thickness. Then the coating layer is exposed to ultraviolet radiation which causes the polymerization of the silicone rubber compound. A hard, cured gas seal is produced by the polymerization reaction.

Abstract: A post burn hydrogen light gas cartridge utilizes a separation tube to prde a high velocity flow to allow for separation of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen-oxygen combustion product water in a high temperature state produced in a primer initiated combustion chamber containing pressurized hydrogen gas. An accumulator is utilized to provide a large volume of hydrogen gas at high pressure and temperature to feed the expansion of the hydrogen. A second oxidant ampoule reacting with the expanded hydrogen provides a secondary propulsion means giving a velocity additive to the velocity resulting from a primary expansion means.

Abstract: A projecetile for firing in a gun barrel has a jacket and a load. A bearing leeve is mounted in the jacket and the jacket is of a different material than the bearing sleeve. A journal sleeve is mounted in the bearing sleeve to axially rotate therein. The load is mounted in the journal sleeve to rotate therewith. Thus angular rotation of the load with respect to the gun barrel is reduced.

Abstract: An armor piercing convertible fin saboted round for a machine gun includes penetrator on which a fin group is mounted so that the penetrator can extend into a prelaunch sabot with the fin group arranged around the penetrator. The fin group advantageously carries a pin which engages in an elongated groove defined on the penetrator and permits the fin group to slide along the body of the penetrator during launch so that it may move from a forward position adjacent the tip of the penetrator rearwardly during launch to an end position in which it is engaged adjacent the end of the penetrator and stabilizes the penetrator during flight.

Abstract: A discardable apparatus for mating with a full-caliber hollow tubular protile. The apparatus being discardable after expulsion from a cannon barrel. The apparatus essentially of a simple, one-piece discardable obturator having an outer cylindrically engravable surface for imparting spin to a projectile during passage through the cannon barrel. The obturator has an interior cavity formed of a flat surface and a detachable pusher plate fitted on said flat cavity surface.

Abstract: Improved armor-piercing projectile of either caliber or saboted, subcaliber esign for effectively penetrating and destroying a fast moving, armored target. The improved projectile is generally comprised of a dome-shaped nose, a fragmentable hollow body of thimble-like configuration, and an integrated base-plug and fuse device. The hollow body is advantageously made up of a heavy metal, preferably either a tungsten alloy or depleted uranium, having a predetermined density of at least eleven grams per cubic centimeter (11.0 gm/cc). The interior of the hollow body is filled with a suitable high energy explosive material. The improved projectile, by reason of its hollow body, not only exhibits an improved ballistic coefficient as compared to previous projectile designs, but also maintains a substantially more uniform velocity throughout its effective range so as to strike a target in shorter time and with greater momentum.