The present invention relates to longitudinally sectioned bullets and more particularly pertains to a projectile (10) structured to be discharged from a firearm and comprising at least two separable longitudinal body sections (60) (80) and at least one binding element (110) that holds the at least two longitudinal body sections together, such as before impact with a target. Said projectile is thus capable of controlled fragmentation against a soft target. Said projectile is adapted to also contain at least one supplemental payload (230) deliverable to a target.

Longitudinally sectioned firearms projectiles

An improved armor-piercing inertial penetrator projectile having a prepenetrator which has a substantially uniform flight diameter D, over substantially its entire length. A prepenetrator assembly is formed by a plurality of elements which are adapted to interact with the material of the corresponding target upon inpact so as to form an effective surface which has a diameter larger by a predetermined amount than the flight diameter D of the prepenetrator.

Armor-piercing projectile

In a guided moving warhead (1) which can be a missile or a projectile containing a long rod penetrator (3), alignment wings (5) keep the rod (3) in alignment with the warhead's velocity vector, thus maximizing its destructive potential. Two pairs of wings (5) are coupled to the rod (3) by means of a two-axis gimbal (7). One pair of wings (5) pivots along one axis of the gimbal (7) while another pair pivots about a second orthogonal axis. Aerodynamic forces cause the wings (5) to align with the relative wind, and as a result, the rod (3) aligns with the warhead's velocity vector as desired. Orthogonal components of crossflow acting upon the wings (5) can be compensated out by means of gearing the shafts (11, 15) which connect the wings (5) with the gimbal (7). In the case where warhead (1) is a missile, it is often necessary to negate the lift force imparted by the wings (5) during early low velocity stages of flight. Thus, wings (5) can be flattened against the airframe (2) of the missile (1) by a passive constraint, e.g., a shrink tubing (35) which disintegrates due to aerodynamic heating at a higher velocity stage of the flight, allowing each wing (5) to deploy into a position generally orthogonal to the airframe (2). The deployment force can be provided by torsionally and compressionally preloaded springs (19).

Passive auto-erecting alignment wings for long rod penetrator

In a guided projectile such as a missile, it is often necessary to negate the lift force imparted by the wings (5) during early low velocity stages of flight. Thus, wings (5) can be flattened against the airframe (2) of the missile (1) by a passive constraint, e.g., a shrink tubing (35) which disintegrates due to aerodynamic heating at a higher velocity stage of the flight, allowing each wing (5) to deploy into a position generally orthogonal to the airframe (2). The deployment force can be provided by torsionally and compressionally preloaded springs (19).

Passive constraint for aerodynamic surfaces

In a practice ammunition including a self-destruct, fin-stabilized subprotile containing an elongated body composed of a plurality of mating segments having means for releasably holding said segments together, the means includes a heat sensitive nose cap including a pyrotechnic composition, which contains a fuel and an oxidizing agent. The nose cap holds the forward portions of the segments together, and due to the pyrotechnic composition, is adapted to burn and disintegrate essentially instantaneously in flight at a predetermined aerodynamic temperature to release the segments, whereby the distance at which the subprojectile self-destructs in its trajectory can be realized more accurately and reliably.

Pyrotechnic nose cap for practice munitions

There is disclosed a missile which automatically disintegrates after a predetermined flight time. The missile is made up of several parts which are positively secured together by a locking means which is released at a predetermined time after the firing of the missile by the action of the air through which the missile passes during its flight. The invention may by used to advantage in both practice missiles and service missiles.

Automatically disintegrating missile

Geschoss mit selbsttaetiger zerlegerwirkung

L'INVENTION CONCERNE UN PROJECTILE A DESAGREGATION AUTOMATIQUE APRES UN TEMPS DE VOL PREDETERMINE. LE CORPS DU PROJECTILE EST CONSTITUE PAR PLUSIEURS PARTIES VERROUILLEES MECANIQUEMENT LES UNES AUX AUTRES AU MOYEN D'UN DISPOSITIF DE VERROUILLAGE QUI PEUT ETRE DEVERROUILLE AVEC UN RETARD PREDETERMINE SOUS L'ACTION DE L'AIR GLISSANT AUTOUR DU PROJECTILE. APPLICATION AUX PROJECTILES A DESAGREGATION AUTOMATIQUE SERVANT EN PARTICULIER DE PROJECTILES D'EXERCICE.

Dieter Dipl Ing Boeder

Papers

Automatically disintegrating missile

Geschoss mit selbsttaetiger zerlegerwirkung

Projectile a desagregation automatique