Abstract: An automatic weapon includes a housing; a bolt movably received in the housing; a weapon barrel replaceably received in the housing and having a recess; and a locking member movably supported in the housing to assume locking and releasing positions. In the locking position the locking member projects into the recess for locking the weapon barrel to the housing and in the releasing position the locking member is withdrawn from the recess. There are further provided a spring for urging the locking member into the releasing position; a shaft rotatably supported in the housing and a cam secured to the shaft for rotating therewith as a unit and for contacting the locking member. The cam has a first angular position in which it holds the locking member in the locking position and a second angular position in which the spring holds the locking member in the releasing position.

Abstract: A mortar includes a weapon tube; a breech ring affixed to a rear part of the weapon tube; a loading tray supported by the weapon tube and extending rearwardly of the breech ring for receiving a mortar grenade prior to an introduction thereof into the weapon tube; and a breechblock plug movable along the loading tray for pushing a mortar grenade from the loading tray into the weapon tube. The breechblock plug has first and second positions: in the first position the breechblock plug is situated at a rear part of the loading tray and in the second position the breechblock plug is situated in the weapon tube. Further, a firing pin is provided which traverses the breechblock plug. The breechblock plug is secured in its second position by a locking mechanism.

Abstract: An igniting system for a projectile propellant includes a combustible support tube having an outer surface and an inner surface; a plurality of throughgoing apertures provided in the support tube; a free igniting channel coaxially surrounded by the support tube; and an ignition transfer charge formed of a pyrotechnical hard foam layer having a thickness between 1 and 3 mm and being carried on the outer surface of the support tube. The hard foam layer is composed of a large-pore inner layer and two opposite surface layers which are of densely closed structure and between which the inner layer is sandwiched.

Abstract: A weapon barrel includes a muzzle, a breech, a chamber at the breech and a rifling, formed of alternating lands and grooves, extending along an interior of the weapon barrel. The lands have a hardened surface to a depth of 0.3 to 0.5 mm. The hardened surface extends along a barrel length portion which includes the muzzle.

Abstract: A weapon bolt assembly includes a bolt portion including a recess; a firing pin unit including a striker plunger axially slidably received in the recess and having an axially measured length and a firing pin attached to the striker plunger. The firing pin unit has a first position in which the firing pin projects from the bolt portion and a second position in which the firing pin is situated in its entirety within the bolt portion. A firing spring is disposed in the recess and has a relaxed state and a stressed state. In the relaxed state of the firing spring and in the first position of the firing pin unit a clearance is defined between the two components. In the stressed state the firing spring exerts a force on the firing pin unit urging it into its first position. The axially measured length of the firing pin unit is such that in the second position the firing spring remains in the relaxed state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the roll angle position of a rotating flying body (2) relative to a fixed station (1) with the aid of a laser (3) light beam (4, 24) emitted by the fixed station (1) and received by the flying body (2). To determine the roll angle position of the flying body located at an arbitrary position within the guide beam (4) precisely and simply, a phase-coded laser light beam (guide beam) is produced with the aid of an optical element, particularly a holographic optical element (6). This guide beam (14) is then decoded in a receiving apparatus (8) of the flying body by means of a further holographic element (11) that is rigidly connected to the flying body (2). The further holographic element (11) is configured such that maximum brightness or intensity only occurs at the receiving detector (13) if it is located parallel to the holographic element (11) on the side of the laser (3), i.e., non-mirror-symmetric information must be impressed upon the guide beam (4).

Abstract: A gun includes a barrel which has a barrel wall; a barrel chamber defined by the barrel wall; and a recess provided in the barrel wall in the zone of the barrel chamber. There is further provided a chamber temperature sensing assembly which includes a temperature sensor disposed in the recess for providing an electric signal representing temperatures of the barrel chamber; an electronic evaluating circuit; and an electric conductor connecting the temperature sensor with the electronic evaluating circuit. The electric conductor has lead wire portions which are situated in the recess of the barrel wall and which, together with the temperature sensor, are embedded in a casting mass accommodated in the recess.

Abstract: A cartridge ammunition includes a case having a case bottom; a propellant disposed in the case; a propellant igniter mounted centrally on the case bottom; an arrow projectile having a rear length portion extending into the case towards the case bottom; and a coating of igniting substance applied to at least one part of the surface of the rear projectile length portion. A clearance defined by a distance between a frontal terminus of the propellant igniter and the rear terminus of the rear length portion of the arrow projectile is such that upon igniting the propellant igniter igniting flames emanating from the propellant igniter bridge the clearance and ignite the coating of igniting substance.

Abstract: An apparatus for flight path correction of flying bodies, such as projectiles, rockets and the like, with the aid of a laser guide beam, wherein the course of the respective flying body is determined and processed in a measuring apparatus associated with the firing apparatus and containing an optical receiving detector in order to obtain an appropriate correction signal, and wherein the correction signal is then transmitted, through encoding of the laser guide beam, to a receiving apparatus disposed in the tail portion of the flying body. To determine the course of the flying body in a simple manner, both an optical light source for producing a light beam and an optical receiving detector are disposed on the measuring apparatus, and triple reflector or mirror elements, that reflect the incident light beam back in its initial direction independently of the respective angle of incidence, are disposed on the bottom of the flying body or at the ends of the guiding mechanism of the flying body.

Abstract: A missile includes a warhead accommodated in an inner space at a front portion of the missile; a ball joint being in alignment with the longitudinal missile axis and pivotally supporting the warhead; and an aiming device for placing the warhead into a desired pivotal orientation. The aiming device includes a plurality of inflatable vessels arranged axially adjacent the warhead in a distribution about the missile axis. Each vessel has a first end oriented toward the warhead and a second end oriented away therefrom. The vessels are supported at their second end by a disk situated in the inner space of the missile. A gas generator is coupled to each vessel for charging the vessel with a gas to place the vessel into its inflated state. In the inflated state each vessel exerts a torque on the warhead about the ball joint by an engagement between the first end of the respective vessel and the warhead. Further, an electronic control system is accommodated in the inner space of the vessel.

Abstract: A cartridge includes a case defining an inner space and having a case bottom; a propellant powder accommodated in the inner space; a propellant igniter centrally arranged on the case bottom and having a closure remote from the case bottom; a projectile held by the case and having a rear portion extending into the inner space; a tracer assembly held in the rear portion and being spaced from the closure; and an arrangement for preventing the propellant igniter from pressing propellant powder into the tracer assembly.

Abstract: A cartridge ammunition includes a case having a case bottom; a propellant powder disposed in the case, a propellant igniter mounted centrally on the case bottom; and an arrow projectile having a rear length portion extending into the case towards the case bottom. At least those grains of the propellant powder which are situated axially beyond the propellant igniter are coated with an igniting substance.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for flight path correction of one or more projectiles (2-6) with the aid of a guide beam (9), wherein target data, such as speed, range and direction of movement, are continuously acquired in a fire-guidance system associated with the firing device (1), for example, an automatic cannon, and are transmitted to the laser apparatus (21) that produces the guide beam (9), and wherein each projectile includes a receiving apparatus (31) which receives the guide beam (9).

Abstract: A gun barrel has an erosion-reducing, electrically non-conductive lining extending along a length portion of the gun barrel. The lining is made of a polyimide.

Abstract: A target-protecting device for rendering harmless a projectile impacting on the device includes a reactive armor extending over the target and being composed of a plurality of individually electrically ignitable modules. Each module has an explosively acceleratable armor plate. An additional armor extends over and is positioned at a distance from, the reactive armor. A sensor arrangement is provided at the additional armor for emitting a signal identifying a location of projectile impact on the additional armor. An electronic monitoring device receives signals from the sensor arrangement for determining, from the signals, a position of the projectile upon penetration of the additional armor and for applying an ignition signal to a respective module to explosively accelerate the armor plate of such module toward the projectile.

Abstract: A projectile assembly includes a spin-stabilized carrier projectile having a carrier casing and a base at one end of the casing; and a sub-ammunition assembly composed of a plurality of sub-ammunition components stacked to form a column. One of the components is an end component adjoining the base. A component surface of the end component is oriented towards and is in engagement with the base surface. At least two of the components are sub-ammunition projectiles. An arrangement maintains a frictional lock between the base surface and the component surface of the end component. According to the arrangement a portion of the base surface and a portion of the component surface of the end component have high coefficients of friction.

Abstract: A hydraulic filling device for filling control elements with a hydraulic fluid. The device has a tank that contains the hydraulic fluid and, a pump and the hydraulic control element to be filled is always provided with a filling connection and a ventilation connection so that the device is connectible to the filling connection of the hydraulic control element to be filled. The tank of the filling device containing the hydraulic fluid is connectible to the ventilation connection of the control element to be filled by way of a ventilation line.

Abstract: A gun barrel for a hybrid propellant/electrothermal gun has a first barrel portion; a second barrel portion axially separated from the first barrel portion; and an insulator unit forming a third barrel portion. The insulator unit connects the first and second barrel portions to one another and defines a plasma path. There is further provided an arrangement for placing the first barrel portion on a first electric potential and for placing the second barrel portion on a second electric potential. The first and second potentials are different from one another for generating, in the plasma path, an electric arc having an orientation parallel to the barrel axis for heating propellant gases which initially accelerate the projectile.

Abstract: In cannon ammunition including a cartridge case containing a propellant charge, a case bottom to which the cartridge case is connected, a charge igniter, and a primmer element positioned in the case bottom, the improvement in which the cartridge case is combustible, is connected to the primer element, and includes a combustible material and a pyrotechnical mixture which is embedded within the combustible material and which is composed of at least one reducing agent and at least one oxidizing agent which form a pyrotechnical redox system; and the charge igniter consists of the cartridge case.

Abstract: A method of welding a soft-iron guide band on a steel projectile body includes the steps of applying a layer of nickel or a nickel alloy to the projectile body and applying a soft-iron wire as the guide band to the layer by electric protective gas welding.