A projectile apparatus is provided that includes a projectile, a propellant, and optional components such as a wading, a sabot, and an intermediary device. The projectile can be fired through a barrel having a smooth bore. A sabot is provided that can include molded features, for example, a base portion and a plurality of petal portions defining, in-part, a volume for accommodating a projectile. The sabot and wadding can include molded features that control and direct gases produced by the propellant. The apparatus can convert gas pressure or gas velocity into a high rate of projectile spin. The projectile has long-range accuracy due to a high or sustainable velocity and high rate of spin.

A self-separating sabot-projectile assembly with a positive engaging attachment to eliminate rotational slippage between the sabot and projectile. The torque transmitting interface between the sabot and projectile consists of a geometric shaped depression in the rearward end surface of the projectile which mates with a matched projection of the sabot. The sabot projection is hollowed out to allow the charge pressure to aid in the engagement of the sabot and projectile.

Disclosed herein is sabot for a sub-caliber projectile comprising a plurality of petals, such that a slip mechanism can be incorporated between the sabot petals and the pusher mechanism to decrease or prevent the sabot from rotating in a rifled gun bore, or the petals themselves can be separated into forward petals and aft petals, with only the aft petals rotating along with the gun rifle. When separate forward petals and aft petals are used, the torque transferred to the forward petals is greatly reduced, thus decreasing the angular rotation of the forward petals with the intent of preventing the forward petals from rotating. The slip mechanism has slip plates with low-coefficient of friction surfaces configured to contact adjacent slip plates prior to and during launch. As assembly, a system, and corresponding methods also are disclosed.

An apparatus includes an energy source and an expansion structure. The energy source is configured to convey an amount of energy operable to increase a pressure of a compressible gas disposed in a chamber. The expansion structure is configured to be placed in fluid communication with the chamber and to receive a flow of the compressible gas in response to the increase in pressure. The expansion structure includes an inlet having a first diameter and an outlet having a second diameter greater than the first diameter and is configured to allow the compressible gas to expand as the compressible gas flows from the inlet to the outlet such that a supersonic free jet of the compressible gas exits the outlet. In some instances, the supersonic free jet of the compressible gas can accelerate, relative to the expansion structure, a projectile disposed outside of the expansion structure.

A sabot having an extended casing for containing propellant charge and a slotted top portion for securing a projectile. The propellant charge is ignited by gases that enter the lower portion of the sabot from a puncture developed by the mating of the sabot against a breech plug. The breech plug has a piercing component in the form of a sharpened forward edge to initiate puncture of the breech end of the sabot.

An ammunition cartridge may include a cartridge body including a substantially straight sidewall defining a cartridge cavity. The ammunition cartridge may also include a cartridge base and a primer received within the cartridge base and projecting at least partially into the cartridge cavity. The ammunition cartridge may also include a propellant received in the cartridge cavity, and a sabot at least partially received in the cartridge cavity and including a sabot body having at least one sabot sidewall portion extending from a base portion to a sabot end defining an open-ended sabot cavity. The ammunition cartridge may also include a projectile at least partially received in the sabot cavity, and the projectile may include a front end defining a tip, wherein the sabot end extends beyond the tip and is configured to contact a preceding ammunition cartridge of a magazine without contacting a primer of the preceding ammunition cartridge.

A covered projectile that includes a projectile having a nose portion, a middle portion, a rear portion, and a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the rear portion, and a jacket that surrounds at least a portion of the projectile and includes an exterior surface and an interior surface. The jacket includes a front cone. A plurality of annular grooves are defined in the exterior surface of the jacket.

An artillery projectile is configured to have a trajectory comprising a ballistic phase and a piloted phase. This projectile has at least one means ensuring its aerodynamic stabilization on part or all of its trajectory and a means configured to ensure a piloting during the piloted phase. This projectile is characterized in that the aerodynamic stabilization means comprises a wing system having at least two wings which are able to be positioned with respect to the axis of the projectile, at least during the piloted phase, with their sweepback angles being negative, that is, with the free ends of the wings being oriented towards the front of the projectile.

Muzzleloader systems include a pre-packaged propellant charge and primer for providing efficient loading and unloading of the muzzleloader. The muzzleloader accepts in the breech end the propellant containment vessel that abuts against a constriction portion with a reduced diameter portion. The propellant containment vessel having an end portion with a tapered surface that conforms to the constriction portion surface. A projectile is inserted in the muzzle end and seats against the constriction portion. The propellant containment vessel may be received in a removable breech plug. The constriction portion may be part of the breech plug or a separate component secured in the barrel by way of the breech plug. The containment vessel further comprises a primer mechanism that may be integrated into the proximal end of the containment vessel.

The present invention provides a method of making a metal injection molded ammunition cartridge comprising the steps of: providing an ammunition cartridge mold comprising a bottom portion having a primer recess extending into the bottom portion adapted to receive a primer, a flash hole positioned in the primer recess through the bottom surface; side walls extending from the bottom portion to a nose end aperture, wherein a propellant chamber is formed between the nose end aperture and the bottom surface; injecting a metal composition into the ammunition cartridge mold to form a metal injection molded ammunition cartridge; and removing the metal injection molded ammunition cartridge from the ammunition cartridge mold.