A projectile delivers a pellet payload to an increased range with increased accuracy. A two piece aerodynamically stable pusher consists of a body and tailpiece. This pusher fits into a standard 40 mm cartridge case by means of three sabots. To seal against combustion gases, a three piece split rotating band is employed.

Sabots and riders are described herein that have high torsional stiffness, providing for utility in high-speed projectiles. The sabots include multiple petals with a closed configuration comprising polymer or metal containing composites. Corresponding systems and methods also are disclosed.

A reduced-energy cartridge for a chamber of a firearm includes a case and a sabot. The sabot is moveably attached to the case and supported for movement relative to the case from an unfired position to a fired position resulting from combustion within the combustion chamber. The cartridge further includes a sealing member that projects radially outward from the longitudinal axis and from the sabot. The sealing member defines a blowback boundary where the cartridge is configured to seal against an inner surface of the chamber of the firearm. A forward area of the cartridge and a rear area of the cartridge are separated by the blowback boundary. The sealing member is configured for releasably sealing against the inner surface of the chamber to regulate pressure at the forward area resulting from combustion within the combustion chamber.

A rear slip base plate for a round carrying a guidance and control unit payload, which round is launched from a rifled launch tube. To prevent the guidance and control unit payload from also being rapidly spun with the round, the slip base plate unit mechanically isolates the guidance and control unit payload from the round spin rate.

A reduced-energy cartridge for a chamber of a firearm includes a case and a sabot. The sabot is moveably attached to the case and supported for movement relative to the case from an unfired position to a fired position resulting from combustion within the combustion chamber. The cartridge further includes a sealing member that projects radially outward from the longitudinal axis and from the sabot. The sealing member defines a blowback boundary where the cartridge is configured to seal against an inner surface of the chamber of the firearm. A forward area of the cartridge and a rear area of the cartridge are separated by the blowback boundary. The sealing member is configured for releasably sealing against the inner surface of the chamber to regulate pressure at the forward area resulting from combustion within the combustion chamber.

A firearm ammunition component comprising a projectile body having a circular cross-section and a central channel on a forward face, a nose portion forward of the projectile body, and a gas check member rearward of the projectile body. The nose includes a curved forward end, a rear end opposite the forward end, and a stabilizing element/band between the forward and rear ends extending radially outwards from at least a portion of the nose. A shank extends from the nose rear end and within the body central channel. The gas check member includes a rearward annular wall portion forming a combustion chamber. The firearm ammunition component is adapted so only the stabilizing element/band contacts the firearm bore, ensuring loading central the bore.

A rear slip base plate for a round carrying a guidance and control unit payload, which round is launched from a rifled launch tube. To prevent the guidance and control unit payload from also being rapidly spun with the round, the slip base plate unit mechanically isolates the guidance and control unit payload from the round spin rate.

An assembly and method for assembling a projectile with a compact low friction high temperature shaft seal is provided. The assembly includes an outer shell, a rotating shaft inside the outer shell, and a seal attached to the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft can rotate independently of the outer shell. The seal can seal a gap between the outer shell and the rotating shaft.

Sabots and riders are described herein that have high torsional stiffness, providing for utility in high-speed projectiles. The sabots include multiple petals with a closed configuration comprising polymer or metal containing composites. Corresponding systems and methods also are disclosed.

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.