GB628931A - Improvements in or relating to ammunition projectiles - Google Patents

Abstract

628,931. Ammunition projectiles. SAGEB SOC. ANON. DE GESTION ET D'EXPLOITATION DE BREVETS. Aug. 12, 1947, No. 22354. Convention date, Feb. 10, 1941. [Class 9 (i)] A projectile having a forward closure member and a finned tail contains a composite charge comprising a rear portion of easy ignition and high rate of detonation and a less sensitive portion of higher detonation rate, the less sensitive portion having a conical recess with a lining at the forward end. Fig. 1. shows a rifle grenade comprising a steel body 11 to which is attached a nose 10 of sheet metal and a hollow tail 12. The body contains an explosive charge 29 having a re-entrant conical cavity with a metal lining 30. Screwed into the body 11 is a base fuze assembly 25 having a metal jacket containing a primer 26 and a booster pellet 27. The nose 10 carries a nosepiece 35 secured against axial movement by a copper pin 36 and having an internally threaded bore in which is seated a firing pin 38 extending through a guide boss 37 to an aperture 25a in the fuze assembly. Situated in an aperture 39 intersecting the aperture 25a is a safety pin 40 having a threaded portion engaging in a threaded hole in the projectile body 11. The pin 40 is withdrawn by means of a ring 42. The threaded bore of the nose-piece is closed by a screw-plug 44 so seated that the firing pin has a slight play in the nose-piece. Before firing the grenade the safety pin 40 is removed. On impact of the nose-piece with the target the pin 36 is sheared and the firing pin 38 driven rearwardly to ignite the primer 26. The primer ignites the booster pellet 27 which ignites through flash passages in the fuze assembly an annular detonating charge 28 of pressed explosive of nitro or nitric ester type. This charge in turn ignites the main charge 29, a cast explosive of the same type as the detonating charge. Whereupon the lining 30 collapses and is propelled forward at a high velocity. After removal of a closure plug 50 and extraction of a rifle cartridge 55 stored within the tail 12, the grenade is fired by inserting the muzzle of a rifle within the tail and placing the cartridge in the rifle-breech. The rifle muzzle is fitted with a grenade-sleeve for frictional engagement with the grenade tail.