A munitions round for a subcaliber projectile to be fired from a barrel-type weapon has a casing, of a uniform outer cross section substantially over its entire length, receiving the projectile which is at least partially surrounded by the gas-generating propellant charge. A drive body is mounted at the forward end of the projectile and has a rearward pressure-receiving surface which droops inwardly toward the projectile from an outer edge of the body which is engaged by the casing. The body is formed from a plurality of segments which form-fittingly hug the projectile and have confronting angularly spaced separating surfaces bridged by a sealing member. The forward end of the body, formed by the segments, is concave forwardly and has a leading edge which is disposed outwardly and axially ahead of the rearward inner edge of this surface which forms a pocket engaging the air upon propulsion of the projectile from the barrel to effect separation of the segments and dislodgment of the body.

Munitions round for barrel-type weapons

A discarding sabot munition utilizes a plurality of gusset strengthened st segments to structurally support and spacially position fore and aft bore-riding sabot members to reduce connecting mid-section mass. Radially disposed gusset plates permit a fin-stabilized projectile to be safely launched by a reduced mass sabot with increased velocity and kinetic energy.

Gusset discarding sabot munition

The invention deals with the manufacture of fully segmented sabots used inhe launching of subcaliber projectiles. The prior method required the machining of individual sabot segments and fitting them on to the sub-projectile. The improvement involves the casting of the sabot segments with the shimmed sub-projectile pre-positioned in a mold.

Method of making cast-in-place sabots

A fin disengagement device for limiting the range of a projectile uses an electronic safe and arm circuit to sense launch and spin levels. Once armed, the stored energy from the electronic safe and arm circuit is dumped into an initiator or directly to explosive bolts. The initiator ignites an energetic material to separate the fin from the projectile in-flight at a predetermined time. Alternatively, the explosive bolts separate the fin from the projectile in-flight at a predetermined time. In the embodiments using an initiator and energetic material, an opening or cavity in the rear portion of the projectile body or rod adapter acts as a pressure chamber. When enough pressure has built up from the burning of the energetic material, the front hub of the fin section expands enough to disengage the threads and separates the fin section from the projectile body.

Fin disengagement device for limiting projectile range

A fin-stabilized projectile which includes a propellant cage encompassing the projectile body, and with the cage consisting of a plurality of segments retained together through suitable fastening media, and which incorporates, at its leading end, an annular recess extending beyond the overall diameter of the propellant cage, through which there is initiated the spreading apart of the segments subsequent to the exit of the projectile from the weapon barrel.

Fin-stabilized projectile with propellant cage

An exercise projectile of the discarding sabot type and having a projectile body consisting of at least two parts which, after traversing a predetermined trajectory, are separated from one another and are provided with first and second connecting means for keeping these parts interconnected prior to firing and during the predetermined trajectory, respectively, and with disconnecting means for rendering the connecting means inoperative at least at or near the predetermined trajectory. The first connecting means comprise means cooperating with the sabot, like collars engaging in grooves of the sabot. The second connecting means are of the type activated by the firing of the projectile, e.g. of pneumatic type, like gas pressure interlocking means which, during the predetermined trajectory, are kept under a gas pressure derived from the firing gas pressure and are reduced during the predetermined trajectory by suitable means, like leakage ducts.

Swan L. Sie

Papers

Exercise projectile, more especially of the discarding sabot type