A fin-stabilized sub-caliber projectile adapted to be fired from a rifled barrel, the projectile having a penetrator with a tail fin assembly, a sabot arranged on the penetrator and having at least two sabot segments circumferentially joined to one another that are separated from one another after leaving the barrel by centrifugal forces acting on the projectile during firing. The sabot includes a main body and a front guide flange that is adapted to be supported on an inner wall of the barrel and a rear guide flange arranged at an axial distance. A connecting section of the sabot is arranged between the front guide flange and the rear guide flange and has a smaller outer diameter than the front guide flange or the rear guide flange. The sabot and the penetrator are joined together in a positive manner in a region of the rear guide flange.

A fin-stabilized sub-caliber projectile adapted to be fired from a rifled barrel, the projectile having a penetrator with a tail fin assembly, a sabot arranged on the penetrator and having at least two sabot segments circumferentially joined to one another that are separated from one another after leaving the barrel by centrifugal forces acting on the projectile during firing. The sabot includes a main body and a front guide flange that is adapted to be supported on an inner wall of the barrel and a rear guide flange arranged at an axial distance. A connecting section of the sabot is arranged between the front guide flange and the rear guide flange and has a smaller outer diameter than the front guide flange or the rear guide flange. The sabot and the penetrator are joined together in a positive manner in a region of the rear guide flange.

A cartridge comprising an elongate rifle bullet with a plurality of circumferential grooves having overmolded polymer therein defining embedded polymer rings. The cartridge further having a case and propellant. The polymer rings have an outer surface that is flush with, that is, conforming to the outer surface of the body. The polymer may have be selected to have a favorable coefficient of friction with respect to the barrel. The bands offering reduction of the metal to metal contact between the bullet and the barrel while not diminishing the ballistic coefficient of the bullet.

A cartridge comprising an elongate rifle bullet with a plurality of circumferential grooves having overmolded polymer therein defining embedded polymer rings. The cartridge further having a case and propellant. The polymer rings have an outer surface that is flush with, that is, conforming to the outer surface of the body. The polymer may have be selected to have a favorable coefficient of friction with respect to the barrel. The bands offering reduction of the metal to metal contact between the bullet and the barrel while not diminishing the ballistic coefficient of the bullet.

The present invention relates to a bullet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bullet including concentric and sequentially ordered cylindrical fore, intermediate and aft portions. The aft portion comprises a cross-sectional diameter about equal to the diameter measured across the rifle landings of the riffled barrel operatively to create a gas pressure build up there-behind while the rifling grooves and lands deform and/or cut the aft portion thereby to impart spin to the bullet about the central axial axis thereof. The intermediate portion comprises a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of the aft portion, which acts as a bearing surface for operatively riding along the rifling lands thereby to inhibit yawing of the bullet while operatively travelling through the rifled barrel. The fore portion comprises a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of the intermediate portion with an annular stamping surface, for operatively providing a clean cut circular hunting wound, located at or near an interface between the fore and intermediate portions.

The present invention relates to a bullet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bullet including concentric and sequentially ordered cylindrical fore, intermediate and aft portions. The aft portion comprises a cross-sectional diameter about equal to the diameter measured across the rifle landings of the riffled barrel operatively to create a gas pressure build up there-behind while the rifling grooves and lands deform and/or cut the aft portion thereby to impart spin to the bullet about the central axial axis thereof. The intermediate portion comprises a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of the aft portion, which acts as a bearing surface for operatively riding along the rifling lands thereby to inhibit yawing of the bullet while operatively travelling through the rifled barrel. The fore portion comprises a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of the intermediate portion with an annular stamping surface, for operatively providing a clean cut circular hunting wound, located at or near an interface between the fore and intermediate portions.

A separate-loading firearm uses a battery-powered electric resistance heating element to ignite a propellant charge. Both ignition reliability and ballistic reproducibility are enhanced when a first portion of the propellant charge is consistently and firmly packed into a cavity formed in a rear surface of a bullet. This first portion may be sealed in the cavity by a membrane. A second portion of the propellant charge is packed within a firing chamber so that it abuts both the heating element and the first portion of the propellant charge.

A separate-loading firearm uses a battery-powered electric resistance heating element to ignite a propellant charge. Both ignition reliability and ballistic reproducibility are enhanced when a first portion of the propellant charge is consistently and firmly packed into a cavity formed in a rear surface of a bullet. This first portion may be sealed in the cavity by a membrane. A second portion of the propellant charge is packed within a firing chamber so that it abuts both the heating element and the first portion of the propellant charge.

Projectile launch apparatus (20) for use in a fluid environment. The apparatus (20) comprises a launch tube (21) having a supercavitating projectile (24) with cavitator (29) received within the launch tube (21). A means for generating expulsion gas (not visible) is arranged to provide expulsion gas to propel the projectile (24) from the launch tube (21), with means for bleeding expulsion gas (31, 32) being provided to bleed a portion of expulsion gas around the projectile (24). This allows expulsion gases to contribute to the formation of the gas cavity around the supercavitating projectile (24) as the projectile (24) is launched from the launch tube (21). Particularly suited to the deployment of supercavitating projectiles underwater, such as in underwater mine disposal applications.

Projectile launch apparatus (20) for use in a fluid environment. The apparatus (20) comprises a launch tube (21) having a supercavitating projectile (24) with cavitator (29) received within the launch tube (21). A means for generating expulsion gas (not visible) is arranged to provide expulsion gas to propel the projectile (24) from the launch tube (21), with means for bleeding expulsion gas (31, 32) being provided to bleed a portion of expulsion gas around the projectile (24). This allows expulsion gases to contribute to the formation of the gas cavity around the supercavitating projectile (24) as the projectile (24) is launched from the launch tube (21). Particularly suited to the deployment of supercavitating projectiles underwater, such as in underwater mine disposal applications.