A motor assembly is provided for use with projectiles, such as munitions, having relatively low length to diameter ratios. The motor assembly has an aerospike nozzle and a casing disposed about the aerospike nozzle, where interior aerospike volume contains propellant and where walls of both the cowl of the casing and of the aerospike nozzle jointly define a combustion chamber.

A projectile deployment system includes an entangling projectile that includes a pair of pellets and a tether connecting the pellets. A projectile casing includes a pair of sockets, each socket sized to carry one of the pair of pellets, each of the sockets including a longitudinal axis, the pair of sockets being positioned relative to one another such that the longitudinal sockets diverge horizontally away from one another while at least a portion of one of the sockets is arranged vertically higher than another of the sockets. A selectively activatable pressure source is capable of expelling the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward a subject. A launcher carries an activator operable to activate the pressure source to expel the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward the subject.

Various embodiments of optimized subsonic projectiles are provided along with related methods. For example, one exemplary subsonic projectile can include an elliptical nose cone, a cylindrical body and a boattail with various design features that can be used in a subsonic ammunition cartridge where the subsonic projectile is stabile throughout at least a segment of a flight allowing for better accuracy, maintaining low drag, maximizing range and achieving desired performance while ensuring the projectile stays below the speed of sound and lowering a noise profile of projectile and a launcher firing the projectile.

Projectile launchers have an elongated cylindrical body defining a projectile bore having a bore axis, the body having an open forward exit end, the body having a gas inlet facility at an opposed rear end, a movable latch element connected to the body and having a latch portion movable between a retention position in which the latch portion protrudes into the bore and a release position, and the latch element being biased to the retention position such that a projectile in the bore rearward of the latch is retained by the latch portion except until a gas pressure above a selected amount builds up behind the projectile to overcome the biasing of the latch and launch the projectile. The latch element may be clear of the bore when in the release position.

Projectile launchers have an elongated cylindrical body defining a projectile bore having a bore axis, the body having an open forward exit end, the body having a gas inlet facility at an opposed rear end, a movable latch element connected to the body and having a latch portion movable between a retention position in which the latch portion protrudes into the bore and a release position, and the latch element being biased to the retention position such that a projectile in the bore rearward of the latch is retained by the latch portion except until a gas pressure above a selected amount builds up behind the projectile to overcome the biasing of the latch and launch the projectile. The latch element may be clear of the bore when in the release position.

A linear repeating firearm, with assisted ejection, including: a mechanism capable of recovering the energy resulting from pressure exerted when firing a round of ammunition by a gas operated system, to move a mobile assembly against return spring and including a stopper, a latch and a striker cooperating with a hammer controlled by a trigger. A locking mechanism is provided at the rear of the mobile assembly, to lock the mobile assembly in the compressed position of the return spring, after each shot. A manually actuatable unlocking assembly is capable of acting on the locking mechanism to release the mobile assembly and allow the assisted return of the assembly for reloading.

Projectile launchers have an elongated cylindrical body defining a projectile bore having a bore axis, the body having an open forward exit end, the body having a gas inlet facility at an opposed rear end, a movable latch element connected to the body and having a latch portion movable between a retention position in which the latch portion protrudes into the bore and a release position, and the latch element being biased to the retention position such that a projectile in the bore rearward of the latch is retained by the latch portion except until a gas pressure above a selected amount builds up behind the projectile to overcome the biasing of the latch and launch the projectile. The latch element may be clear of the bore when in the release position.

Projectile launchers have an elongated cylindrical body defining a projectile bore having a bore axis, the body having an open forward exit end, the body having a gas inlet facility at an opposed rear end, a movable latch element connected to the body and having a latch portion movable between a retention position in which the latch portion protrudes into the bore and a release position, and the latch element being biased to the retention position such that a projectile in the bore rearward of the latch is retained by the latch portion except until a gas pressure above a selected amount builds up behind the projectile to overcome the biasing of the latch and launch the projectile. The latch element may be clear of the bore when in the release position.

A large format launcher that is a modified rifle wherein the lower receiver is combined with an upper receiver into a unified receiver and modified to fit large-format flares. It is a single-shot, non-automatic reloading device, slam fire flare launcher device. The gas tube from an unmodified rifle is removed from the upper receiver disabling the bolt carrier group from automatic operation. The gas port is plugged and welded closed which prevents an operational gas tube from being installed on the launcher. The outer tube is pinned with a non-removable hardened pin. A single blank cartridge is fed into the launcher via a ten-round modified magazine. Manual cocking of the charging handle is required between firings. The ported gas barrel/plug, manufactured specifically for this launcher, employs an external hardened end with offset hole with welded plug enabling acceptance of a blank round only. The plug prevents any projectile from passing through the ported gas barrel and prevents the firing of live ammunition. With only gas from the blank passing through the barrels, the flare is launched and propelled approximately 300 feet and lights the flare with appropriate delay to function.

A projectile deployment system includes an entangling projectile including a pair of pellets and a tether connecting the pellets. A projectile casing includes a pair of sockets, each socket sized to carry one of the pair of pellets and a selectively activatable pressure source, carried by the projectile casing. The pressure source is capable of expelling the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward a subject. A launcher carries an activator operable to activate the pressure source to expel the entangling projectile from the projectile casing toward the subject. The projectile casing is removably engageable with the launcher to allow removal of the projectile casing from the launcher after expulsion of the entangling projectile from the projectile casing.