Undersized-caliber projectile with detachable sabot

Claim 2

An armor-piercing projectile, operable with a powder charge adapted for generating hot gases, comprising an undersizedcaliber core, a removable shoe around said core, a cavity being provided in the core, a gas-generating composition in said cavity, the shoe being provided opposite said cavity with a calibrated orifice having a cross-sectional area to allow the hot gases from the powder charge to ignite the said composition, gas pressure developed by the said composition resulting in separating the core and shoe, first and second springs, said shoe including a base, a cover on said shoe, the core being elastically mounted inside the shoe between said springs, said first spring being an elastic part on the base of the shoe and the second spring being a lock spring in said cover and bearing against the core, said lock spring being a helical spring encircling said core, said cover being provided with an annular seating inside which the said helical spring can expand under the effect of the centrifugal force resulting from rotation of the projectile whereby the core is liberated from the shoe.

Claim 3

A projectile as claimed in claim 1 comprising a centering collar inside the shoe and fitted to said core, the core and base having respective conical surfaces engaged to position the core.

Claim 4

A projectile as in claim 2, wherein the shoe comprises an external guide collar, concentric with and level with the said centering collar, and a band on a level with the conical surface of the base and adapted to operate in conjunction with the rifling of a firing tube.

Claim 5

A projectile as claimed in claim 3 comprising a conical nosepiece on the core.

Claim 6

A projectile as claimed in claim 4 comprising a conical nosepiece on said cover.

Claim 7

A projectile as claimed iN claim 1 wherein said composition includes barium and strontium peroxide and powdered magnesium.

Claim 8

An armor-piercing projectile, operable with a powder charge adapted for generating hot gases, comprising an undersized-caliber core, a removable shoe around said core, a cavity being provided in the core, a gas-generating composition in said cavity, the shoe being provided opposite said cavity with a calibrated orifice having a cross-sectional area to allow the hot gases from the powder charge to ignite the said composition, gas pressure developed by the said composition resulting in separating the core and shoe, first and second springs, said shoe including a base, a cover on said shoe, the core being elastically mounted inside the shoe between said springs, said first spring being an elastic part on the base of the shoe and the second spring being a lock spring in said cover and bearing against the core, said core having a rear portion of conical shape, said base of the shoe having a conical recess in which the conically-shaped rear portion of the core is received in spaced relation under the conjoint action of the first and second springs, said conically-shaped rear portion of the core entering into contact with said base at said recess and thus being centered thereby upon rearward travel of the core in said shoe, against the action of the second spring, upon firing of the projectile.

Claim 9

An armor-piercing projectile, operable with a powder charge adapted for generating hot gases, comprising an undersized-caliber core, a removable shoe around said core, a cavity being provided in the core, a gas-generating composition in said cavity, the shoe being provided opposite said cavity with a calibrated orifice having a cross-sectional area to allow the hot gases from the powder charge to ignite the said composition, gas pressure developed by the said composition resulting in separating the core and shoe, first and second springs, said shoe including a base, a cover on said shoe, the core being elastically mounted inside the shoe between said springs, said first spring being an elastic part on the base of the shoe and the second spring being a lock spring in said cover and bearing against the core, said core having a rear portion of conical shape, said base of the shoe having a conical recess in which the conically-shaped rear portion of the core is received in spaced relation under the conjoint action of the first and second springs, said conically-shaped rear portion of the core entering into contact with said base at said recess and thus being centered thereby upon rearward travel of the core in said shoe, against the action of the second spring, upon firing of the projectile.