US3498222A - Ammunition having a subcalibre shell comprising a front cap and means for destroying this cap in flight - Google Patents

Ammunition having a subcalibre shell comprising a front cap and means for destroying this cap in flight Download PDF

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Publication number
US3498222A
US3498222A US771149A US3498222DA US3498222A US 3498222 A US3498222 A US 3498222A US 771149 A US771149 A US 771149A US 3498222D A US3498222D A US 3498222DA US 3498222 A US3498222 A US 3498222A
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United States
Prior art keywords
shell
ammunition
cap
core
subcalibre
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Expired - Lifetime
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US771149A
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English (en)
Inventor
Louis Birkigt
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Brevets Aero Mecaniques SA
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Brevets Aero Mecaniques SA
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B14/00—Projectiles or missiles characterised by arrangements for guiding or sealing them inside barrels, or for lubricating or cleaning barrels
    • F42B14/06—Sub-calibre projectiles having sabots; Sabots therefor
    • F42B14/064—Sabots enclosing the rear end of a kinetic energy projectile, i.e. having a closed disk shaped obturator base and petals extending forward from said base
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B12/00—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material
    • F42B12/02—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect
    • F42B12/04—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect of armour-piercing type
    • F42B12/06—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect of armour-piercing type with hard or heavy core; Kinetic energy penetrators
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B12/00—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material
    • F42B12/02—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect
    • F42B12/36—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
    • F42B12/38—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information of tracer type

Definitions

  • the subcalibre shell comprises a front cap in the form of an ogive, which lengthens the ammunition. This front cap resists the shocks that the subcalibre shell undergoes during its travel through the barrel of the firing arm.
  • the shell is equipped with a destructor device for destroying the front cap, but only after the shell has left the barrel, so that there will be no debris of the front cap in the barrel.
  • This invention relates to ammunition having a subcalibre shell, that is to say, in a general manner, to ammunition having a shell which presents a calibre smaller than the calibre of the ammunition considered; and the invention is more particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with ammunition in which the subcalibre shell is armour-piercing, and, in particular, with ammunition of this type whose subcalibre shell proper is engaged in a rear base (called sabot) adapted to accompany the shell at the beginning of the trajectory of this shell and then to separate itself from the shell.
  • sabot rear base
  • This shorter length, of ammunition having a subcalibre shell would consequently prevent its use in an arm provided with a feed device conceived for ammunition of the same calibre having a normal shell, that is to say for longer ammunition than the ammunition having a subcalibre shell.
  • ammunition having a subcalibre shell comprise a front cap in the form of an ogive compensating the subdimensionality in length of this ammunition, and accordingly permitting ammunition having a subcalibre shell to be obtained with the same length as ammunition of the same calibre having a normal shell; the cap is then arranged in a manner to be rapidly eliminated after the firing of the ammunition in a manner to bare the subcalibre shell and to render possible the flight behaviour provided for the shell, which behaviour would obviously be disturbed by the presence of the cap in question if this cap were not rapidly eliminated.
  • Patented Mar. 3, 1970 An object of this invention is precisely to remedy this danger, that is to say to permit the advantages that the presence of a front cap provides for ammunition having a subcalibre shell to be maintained, without the disadvantages presented by the front caps proposed hitherto, which were arranged in a manner to eliminate themselves by fragmentation in the barrel of the firing arm.
  • this front cap is arranged in a manner such that it is adapted to resist the shocks undergone by the subcalibre shell during its travel through the barrel of the firing arm, and on the other hand, this shell is equipped with a destructor device capable of assuring the destruction of the front cap, this destructor device being arranged in a manner to intervene only when the shell has just left the barrel of the firing arm, due to which one is assured of not finding, in any case, debris of the front cap at the interior of the barrel.
  • FIGURE 1 represents, in axial section, the sub-calibre armour-piercing shell of ammunition according to the invention.
  • FIGURE 2 represents also in axial section a modification of the rear part of this shell.
  • the ammunition shown in the drawings can be, for instance, of small calibre (calibre comprised between 20 and 50 millimeters) and comprises a sub-calibre armourpiercing shell having a separable sabot.
  • This shell is constituted, as a whole, so that it comprises, among other elements, as shown in FIGURE 1, on the one hand, a core 1 constituted of a dense metallic material (for example tungsten carbide or sintered uranium U 238) and preferably arranged so as to comprise, from the rear towards the front, a principal cylindrical part 1 whose diameter D characterizes the subcalibre of the shell, a complementary cylindrical part 1 of smaller length and smaller diameter leaving a shoulder E at the front of the principal part 1,, and a point 1 which can be truncated, the core 1 being advantageously extended by an added nose-piece 2, for example of light metal, intended to improve the aerodynamic profile of the core, on the other hand, a sabot 3, preferably constituted of a light material such as an aluminum alloy, open towards the front, and in which the core 1 can fit with slight friction, that is to say with a possibility of sliding, the sabot 3, Whose diameter D corresponds to the calibre of the arm, carrying a rotating band 4 and having
  • an ogival cap 8 of appropriate length and intended to be eliminated during firing of the ammunition is added at the front of the shell.
  • the cap 8 is arranged, in particular in respect of its constituent material and its wall thickness, in a manner such that it is adapted to resist the shocks undergone by the shell during its travel through the barrel of the firing arm, these shocks being principally the lateral shocks resulting from the inevitable jiggling character of the movement of the shell in this initial phase of its trajectory, and on the other hand, this shell is equipped with a destructor device capable of ensuring the destruction of the cap 8, this destructor device being arranged in'a manner to intervene only when the shell has just left the barrel of the firing arm.
  • the cap 8 it can be advantageously constituted of thermohardenable plastic material, taking care to attribute to it a wall thickness sufficient for it to resist the shocks undergone by the shell during its travel in the barrel of the firing arm.
  • the destructor device which is to ensure the fragmentation and the elimination of the cap 8 once the shell has left the barrel of the arm, it is advantageously constituted by on the one hand, an explosive charge 9 capable, during firing, of ensuring the destruction of the cap 8, this charge 9 being advantageously disposed in a housing provided in the nose of the cap and open towards the rear; and on the other hand, firing means capable of ensuring the inflammation of the explosive charge 9, there means being then arranged in a manner to enter into action only when the shell has just left the barrel of the arm.
  • firing means they can advantageously be constituted: by making the front end of the nose-piece 2 of the armour-piercing shell carry a percussion point 10; and by taking advantage of the slowing down of the projectile, after it has left the barrel of the firing arm, in-order to cause, once the core of the shell is unlocked, a movement of advance of the core precipitating the percussion point 10 against the explosive charge 9.
  • these additional propulsion means can be constituted, for example, either as shown in FIG- URE 1, by a spring 11 interposed between the base of the sabot 3 and the rear end of the core 1, or again, as shown in FIGURE 2, when the core comprises at the rear a tracing composition 12, by a propulsive charge 13 housed at the rear of the sabot 3 in an annular space delimited by the internal wall of the sabot and by an added tubular casing 14, this annular space remaining masked by the rear end of the core 1 as long as this core remains in its rear position, whereas, when this core advances, once the projectile has left the barrel of the arm, the front opening of this annular space is unmasked,
  • a sleeve 15 added, for example, by screwing can advantageously be provided, in front of the sabot 3, the rear end of the sleeve 15 then defining the front of the groove 7 in which the locking ring 6 retracts after firing of the ammunition.
  • the core 1 As soon as the ammunition is fired, and as long as the acceleration of the projectile lasts in the barrel of the arm, the core 1, due to its inertia, bears towards the rear against the shoulder F by the intermediary of the locking ring 6 which is thus prevented from opening.
  • This ring 6 opens only when this acceleration ceases, that is to say when the shell leaves the barrel of the arm; the opening of the locking ring 6 then axially releases the core 1 which, under the effect of the deceleration of the sabot combined with the effect of the additional propulsion means (spring 11 or propulsive charge 13), is precipitated towards the front and causes the percussion of the explosive charge 9 by the point 10; the explosion of the charge 9 causes the destruction of the cap 8, thus baring the front end of the sabot 3 which the aerodynamic forces then separate from the core 1, this core thus remaining free to follow alone its trajectory.
  • the present invention provides an armour-piercing shell having a sub-calibre core, which can be used in a firing arm equipped with a feed device conceived for ammunition having a normal shell (not a subcalibre shell), and the barrel of this firing arm does not risk, in any case, being more or less obstructed by the debris coming from the destruction of front caps of previously fired subcalibre projectiles.
  • Ammunition having a sub-calibre shell in which the sub-calibre shell comprises:
  • a core constituted of a dense material and whose diameter characterizes the sub-calibre of the shell
  • a sabot open towards the front constituted of a less dense material than the core, and in which the core fits with slight friction, that is to say with a possibility of sliding towards the front, the diameter of the sabot corresponding to the calibre of the firing arm,
  • a front cap in the form of an ogive, whose presence increases the length of the ammunition, joined to the sabot, this front cap being adapted to resist the shocks which the sub-calibre shell undergoes during its travel through the barrel of the firing arm,
  • a percussion point provided at the front of the slidable core, the housing of said explosive charge being open towards the rear to permit this precussion point to reach the explosive charge
  • a locking device arranged to release with a slight delay after the firing of the ammunition, for coupling axially together, until the moment of release, the core and the sabot and for releasing, at the moment of release, the core from the sabot in order to permit the core to slide towards the front of the shell, whereby the percussion point ignites the explosive charge only when the shell has just left the barrel of the firing arm, in order to destroy the front cap 5 during the flight of the shell and so that there will be in no case any debris of the front cap at the interior of the barrel.
  • said front cap is constituted of a thermohardenable plastic material and presents a wall thickness sufficient to resist the shocks which the shell undergoes during its travel in the barrel of the firing arm.
  • Ammunition according to claim 1 cornprising, in front of the sabot of its sub-calibre shell, a sleeve rigidly connected to said sabot and adapted to guide the core of the shell during the movement of advance of the core of said shell, the front cap of the shell being carried by said sleeve.
  • Ammunition according to claim 1 comprising additional propulsion means adapted to favour the advance of the core of the shell with respect to the front cap of said shell.
  • said additional propulsion means are constituted by a spring interposed between the base of the sabot and the rear end of the core of the shell.
  • Ammunition according to claim 4 whose core comprises at the rear a tracing composition arranged to be ignited during the firing of the ammunition, wherein said additional propulsion means are constituted by a propulsive charge housed at the rear of the sabot in an annular References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,667 8/1915 Dunwoody 10252 3,181,465 5/1965 Anthony 10241 3,359,905 12/1967 Engel 102-93 3,374,740 3/1968 Voda 102-926 X FOREIGN PATENTS 453,955 6/1968 Switzerland.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
  • Automotive Seat Belt Assembly (AREA)
US771149A 1967-11-03 1968-10-28 Ammunition having a subcalibre shell comprising a front cap and means for destroying this cap in flight Expired - Lifetime US3498222A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
LU54786 1967-11-03

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US (1) US3498222A (de)
BE (1) BE723275A (de)
CH (1) CH476283A (de)
DE (1) DE1728200A1 (de)
FR (1) FR1588110A (de)
GB (1) GB1214040A (de)
LU (1) LU54786A1 (de)
SE (1) SE347345B (de)

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3726495A (en) * 1970-01-20 1973-04-10 Dynamit Nobel Ag Projectile
US3771458A (en) * 1971-06-23 1973-11-13 Ind Werke Karlsruke Augsburg A Sabot projectile
US3780658A (en) * 1971-09-03 1973-12-25 Ministre D Etat Charge Defense Undersized-caliber projectile with detachable sabot
US4043269A (en) * 1976-05-27 1977-08-23 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Sealed sabot projectile
US4102271A (en) * 1976-02-12 1978-07-25 Rheinmetall Gmbh. Armor-piercing tandem shell or projectile
US4123975A (en) * 1976-03-03 1978-11-07 Mohaupt Henry H Penetrating projectile system and apparatus
US4628821A (en) * 1985-07-05 1986-12-16 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Acceleration actuated kinetic energy penetrator retainer
US4892518A (en) * 1987-12-04 1990-01-09 Biocontrol Technology, Inc. Hemodialysis
US4939997A (en) * 1988-09-29 1990-07-10 Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Gmbh Article of ammunition
US4967666A (en) * 1979-01-11 1990-11-06 Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm Gmbh Warhead against fortified or armored targets, particularly for damaging runways, roadway pavings, bunker walls or the like
WO1992003694A1 (en) * 1990-08-24 1992-03-05 Denwalk Pty Ltd A discarding sabot
US20090321579A1 (en) * 2005-05-23 2009-12-31 Scapa Flow, Llc Space based orbital kinetic energy weapon system
US8707868B2 (en) * 2006-11-30 2014-04-29 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Pre-compressed penetrator element for projectile
US10082376B1 (en) * 2016-04-08 2018-09-25 Lockheed Martin Corporation Penetrating and fragmenting projectile
US10436557B2 (en) * 2016-04-18 2019-10-08 Ammo Technologies, Inc. Armor-piercing projectile

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2141834C2 (de) * 1971-08-20 1983-05-26 L'Etat Français représenté par le Délégué Général pour l'Armement, 75997 Paris Panzerbrechendes Geschoß mit einem unterkalibrigen Kern
DE2167306C2 (de) * 1971-08-20 1985-09-19 L'Etat Français représenté par le Délégué Général pour l'Armement, Paris Panzerbrechendes Geschoß mit einem unterkalibrigen Kern
DE3037560A1 (de) * 1980-10-04 1984-11-29 Rheinmetall GmbH, 4000 Düsseldorf Panzerbrechendes geschoss
DE19852626A1 (de) * 1998-11-14 2000-05-18 Diehl Stiftung & Co Artilleriegeschoß
US10969212B1 (en) * 2017-10-20 2021-04-06 U.S. Government As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Multipurpose munition for personnel and materiel defeat

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1150667A (en) * 1915-02-13 1915-08-17 Henry H C Dunwoody Shell or projectile.
US3181465A (en) * 1962-01-02 1965-05-04 William E Anthony Plastic mortar shell
US3359905A (en) * 1965-04-01 1967-12-26 Oerlikon Buehrle Holding Ag Sabot projectile
US3374740A (en) * 1965-12-08 1968-03-26 Whirlpool Co Projectile
CH453955A (de) * 1966-03-04 1968-03-31 Oerlikon Buehrle Holding Ag Treibspiegelgeschoss

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1150667A (en) * 1915-02-13 1915-08-17 Henry H C Dunwoody Shell or projectile.
US3181465A (en) * 1962-01-02 1965-05-04 William E Anthony Plastic mortar shell
US3359905A (en) * 1965-04-01 1967-12-26 Oerlikon Buehrle Holding Ag Sabot projectile
US3374740A (en) * 1965-12-08 1968-03-26 Whirlpool Co Projectile
CH453955A (de) * 1966-03-04 1968-03-31 Oerlikon Buehrle Holding Ag Treibspiegelgeschoss

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3726495A (en) * 1970-01-20 1973-04-10 Dynamit Nobel Ag Projectile
US3771458A (en) * 1971-06-23 1973-11-13 Ind Werke Karlsruke Augsburg A Sabot projectile
US3780658A (en) * 1971-09-03 1973-12-25 Ministre D Etat Charge Defense Undersized-caliber projectile with detachable sabot
US4102271A (en) * 1976-02-12 1978-07-25 Rheinmetall Gmbh. Armor-piercing tandem shell or projectile
US4123975A (en) * 1976-03-03 1978-11-07 Mohaupt Henry H Penetrating projectile system and apparatus
US4043269A (en) * 1976-05-27 1977-08-23 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Sealed sabot projectile
US4967666A (en) * 1979-01-11 1990-11-06 Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm Gmbh Warhead against fortified or armored targets, particularly for damaging runways, roadway pavings, bunker walls or the like
US4628821A (en) * 1985-07-05 1986-12-16 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Acceleration actuated kinetic energy penetrator retainer
US4892518A (en) * 1987-12-04 1990-01-09 Biocontrol Technology, Inc. Hemodialysis
US4939997A (en) * 1988-09-29 1990-07-10 Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Gmbh Article of ammunition
WO1992003694A1 (en) * 1990-08-24 1992-03-05 Denwalk Pty Ltd A discarding sabot
US20090321579A1 (en) * 2005-05-23 2009-12-31 Scapa Flow, Llc Space based orbital kinetic energy weapon system
US7669802B2 (en) * 2005-05-23 2010-03-02 Scapa Flow, Llc Space based orbital kinetic energy weapon system
US8707868B2 (en) * 2006-11-30 2014-04-29 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Pre-compressed penetrator element for projectile
US10082376B1 (en) * 2016-04-08 2018-09-25 Lockheed Martin Corporation Penetrating and fragmenting projectile
US10436557B2 (en) * 2016-04-18 2019-10-08 Ammo Technologies, Inc. Armor-piercing projectile

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1588110A (de) 1970-04-03
GB1214040A (en) 1970-11-25
BE723275A (de) 1969-04-01
CH476283A (fr) 1969-07-31
LU54786A1 (de) 1969-06-27
SE347345B (de) 1972-07-31
DE1728200A1 (de) 1972-03-02

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